By Cole Gee | Staff Writer
Blues music and the supernatural have had a long and fruitful relationship ever since they sprang out of the outhouses and Juke joints in the Deep South. Some consider it a signal for vagrants, drunks, womanizers and the devil himself, while others say it’s a pure look into the grief and beauty that lies in our souls.
In “Sinners,” Coogler blends all these myths and folklore about the blues to create a beautifully terrifying harmony.
Beware! Spoilers ahead.
Set in 1932 Mississippi, “Sinners” follows twin Brothers Smoke and Stack, both played by Michael B. Jordan. The two gangsters buy an old sawmill from a rumored Klansman to set up a Juke Joint (basically a 1900s nightclub) in their home state of Mississippi. They’re joined by their blues-singing cousin Sammie (Miles Canton), who seems to have an almost supernatural talent for performing the blues. His talent unfortunately begins to attract Irish vampire, Remmick, and his motley crew, who decide to turn the Juke joint and its patrons into an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Stack, Smoke and Sammie are joined by a cast of eclectic characters. Delroy Lindo plays Delta Slim, an alcoholic harmonica player. Wunmi Mosaku plays Annie, a Hoodoo witch and Smoke’s estranged wife. Hailee Steinfeld plays Mary. Her steamy and violent escapades with Stack certainly earned this movie its R rating. Actress Li Jun Li gives a powerful performance as Grace Chow, a desperate and protective mother.
Isolated and surrounded, the group must fight to survive until morning as Remmick and his crew pick them off one by one.
The movie is a Coogler original. It’s the first film he has written and directed that isn’t based on an existing intellectual property or heavily-screened historical event. Essentially, it’s the lovechild of “Blade,” “From Dusk Till Dawn,” and “Lovecraft Country.” “Sinners” intricately weaves together the history, culture and music of the American South, set to a brutal vampire flick.
It’s incredible how Coogler manages to take an era of American history that’s so full of pain, misery and strife and paint a beautiful canvas showcasing the love, history and art that was created and enjoyed during this lifestyle. Sinners show how every race during this time — whether Black, Irish, Native American or Chinese — used music and dance as a form of escapism from troubling times.
As a fantasy and Southern gothic fan, I tried not to fanboy in the theater to all the references to traditional Southern and supernatural folklore. I like “The Vampire Diaries” and “Twilight” just as much as the next guy, but I love how sinister and traditional Coogler made the vampires in “Sinners.” In this film, he enforced standard vampire rules like fear of the sun, silver and no uninvited entries.
It adds tension to the story, knowing our heroes are only safe as long as they stay inside the building and don’t invite them in. Despite this, they still aren’t safe, as the vampires continue to hunt down their loved ones, all in the hopes of breaking their spirits.
One of the best choices the movie makes when it comes to establishing the time and place is through its main antagonist, the Irish vampire Remmick. His nationality is actually a very understated but important part of his character. It would’ve been easy for Coogler to have leaned into the stereotypes of this period, making Remmick a raving racist and madman who harbors a deep resentment for black people and wants to drain them of their blood because of it. When the movie was initially announced, a prevailing theory was that it would be Michael B. Jordan vs Klansman Vampires.
However, Remmick is actually a very multilayered and well-thought-out character. He doesn’t want to hurt and harm the antagonist because of their race — if anything, their race is the main reason why he wants to help them. Like many Irish immigrants during this era, Remmick understands the oppression that many black Americans have gone through. He personally views the act of making them vampires as saving them, releasing them from the shackles of racism, prejudice and even death itself.
Each character in the movie has a vice that has caused pain and suffering throughout their lives. For Delta Slim, it’s his alcoholism. Sammie’s is his love of the blues and for Smoke and Stack, it’s their love of money and power. Ironically, both the twins and Remmick offer different ways of escapism from pain. Smoke and Stacks offer booze, gambling and music, while Remmick offers “salvation” through vampirism.
When I first heard about Jordan playing two versions of himself, I was worried if he had a bag deep enough to give life to the two brothers. However, I must give credit where credit is due. Jordan was able to put on an incredible performance as Stack and Smoke. I love the personalities he put into the devilish pair, as well as the color motifs the two symbolized — Stack being the hotheaded and cocky brother with a love for red suits while Smoke is the more calculated and buisness-focused twin in blue.
Despite Jordan’s incredible performance, he wasn’t the star of this movie. That honor goes to Miles Canton, Sammie. This is Canton’s first-ever acting role after working as a backup singer for H.E.R. Despite working next to veteran legends like Lindo and Jordan, Canton not only held his own but possibly surpassed them as well.
Canton’s best scene and the strongest in the movie is his performance of “I Lied” in the Juke joint. The scene itself is almost completely indescribable.
The storyline explained at the beginning of the film included that certain musicians in different cultures are known as “griots.” A griot’s performance can be so powerful that it can pierce the veil between this life and the next, bringing forth spirits from the past, present and future, good and bad. As Sammie sings, the audience watches as an almost supernatural force overtakes the crowd, sending them into a frenzy.
Reminiscent of the Marvin Gaye album cover “I Want You,” the crowd dances the night away in the club hall. As the dancing continues, we watch as musicians from the past, present and future join the crowd as ethereal spirits.
We watch a turntable DJ add an underlying boom-bap beat to the heavy blues-focused soundtrack, and a Jimi Hendrix-like rockstar plays a heavily amped-up electric guitar. Rollin crips, bloods, Igbo priests and even traditional Chinese Xiqu performers weave in and out of the crowd like pieces of thread. Coogler spins a beautiful tapestry incorporating classic styles from throughout black history.
Across the board, Sinner has received critical acclaim, with the film currently holding the top seat at the Box Office — $45.6 million. The movie also has a strong 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes and is one of the highest-reviewed horror films released in the last decade.
To summarize this very long and winding Ryan Coogler love fest, go watch “Sinners” right now. Missing out on experiencing this movie in theaters is not far off from a Greek tragedy. Any producer with a brain should write Coogler a blank check and let him make whatever he wants.
