Michael B Jordan in a double role as Smock and Stack

Sinners is a heady cocktail of several things like Afro American history and the threat of white supremacy. The movie takes a while to get going with a lot of first half established for the set up but soon the plot picks up pace when it moves to the supernatural zone. Director Ryan Coogler deserves utmost praise for how he gives a new twist to the vampire genre

Starcast: Michael B Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton and others

Genre: Horror

Director and Writer: Ryan Coogler

Producers: Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian etc

Production Companies: Warner Bros and Proximity Media

Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkpaw

Music: Ludwing Gorannsson

Running time: 2 hours and 17 minutes

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is set in the period of 1930’s Mississippi. It follows the story of twin brothers both played by Michael B Jordan. After serving for long in world war 1 of Chicago the two return to their small southern town in the hope of making a fresh start. As part of this they open a juke joint. The purpose of the juke joint is for the local black community to enjoy themselves through a certain type of music, in this process having a sense of freedom. For the twin brothers the juke joint is a symbol of resistance and joy from a racist society. Everything seems to be going well but the joy is short lived due to a mysterious man Remmick (Jack O’ Connel). Soon the movie turns into a survival drama where one of the brothers along with some more are not just fighting for their lives but also the community’s soul.

Jack O Connell as Remmick

The first half of Sinners has a slow burn nature to it and this can become a major problem for those expecting more thrills. There is a lot of historical insight with establishing the numerous characters along with the interpersonal relationships. However this deliberate slow burn nature is also a plus because it helps in raising the emotional stakes when the story moves into the zone of race against time.

The best part of Sinners is how Ryan Coogler has used the vampire genre. He gives it a fresh twist by intersecting it with race, class and also the inheritance of American sin. The vampirism isn’t confined to being a metaphor here, it becomes a tool for examining power and survival.

The horror elements in the movie are not used for cliched jump scares but its more about the atmospherics and the terrible situation of seeing their loved ones perverted into something outwardly.

The vampires led by a delightfully devilish Jack O Connell represent the exploitation of black culture and how their cultural aspects are used and profited without any respect. In simple terms the character of Jack O Connell stands for the colonial power and the threat they pose to the black’s creativity.

One of the strongest sub plots in Sinners is the track involving Miles Caton as Saamiee also called as Preacher Boy. The evolution of Saamiee from a wide eyed young man to a scarred survivor gives the movie some of its best moments. The best part of the role and the performance is how Miles Caton never losses the core gentleness which Saamiee has. Miles Caton plays the complex character with absolute ease enriching the movie’s emotional core.

The movie also benefits from powerful dialogues like “They like our music, but not us,” The social commentary can also be seen through the presence of a clan called Ku Klux Klan. It acts as a perfect subtext for the real life horrors. Ku Klux Klan is an Christian extremist group with a lot of hate towards the black.

In the role of twin brothers Michael B Jordan does a very fine job in bringing out the subtle nuances through the use of body language. Another actor which needs to be specifically mentioned here is Hailee Steinfield. She too delivers a solid act bringing both tragedy and tension in equal part as Mary.

The period of 1930’s has also been skillfully recreated by Autumn Durald Arkpaw. The dusty landscapes are in complete tune with the period. At the same time the way he captures the tense moments through his lens is also equally praiseworthy. The blues soundtrack also becomes a character in itself.