Sinners: The unexpected hit of the year.

Riot’s Reviews: Sinners

Hollywood has an extensive history of notable actor/director collaborations where familiarity and talent come together to create cinematic masterpieces. Pairs that quickly come to mind: Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro (or Leonardo DiCaprio), Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson, or Wes Anderson and Bill Murray. A new(ish) pair is making a name for themselves amongst these incredible pairings, Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan. In the lead up to the release of their movie Sinners, it was kind of tough to tell what exactly the film was about. It was sort of a masterpiece of cultivating mystique, really. Is it an old-timey gangster film? Is it vampire horror? Is it a historical drama? Is it gun-slinging action? The answer ultimately is…yes! Cinema has had a bit of a problem as of late dealing with “too many cooks in the kitchen” elements in their storytelling. So it stands to reason that this film, being officially billed as horror and potentially carrying all the stigmas that come with that genre, could get bogged down in the vast variety of its storytelling elements. Did Sinners bite off more than it could chew?

One hundred percent, emphatically no! Sinners succeeds in so many ways, it’s going to be difficult to concisely list them all. Story-wise, the harshness and jump scares associated with the opening scene puts the audience in an immediate state of suspense, then cleverly and systematically turns down the temperature by laying the groundwork and backstory of the characters (and there is a lot of them). Jordan, playing twins, are separated for a solid portion of the film as they bring together a team of people to help them open their juke (nightclub). There’s a ton of drama, undercut by multiple, hilarious scenes that bring a sense of levity before everything really pops off. Coogler, as a conscientious writer, properly establishes the empathy you need for his characters and the superb acting he gets from the supporting cast (Miles Caton, Tenaj L. Jackson, Jack O’Connell, Yao, Li Jun Li, Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson, Hailee Steinfeld, Omar Benson Miller, I told you, it’s a lot!) firmly roots the audience into the events of the story. There is a strong element of loving the anti-hero, especially with The SmokeStack brothers. Jordan, whose performance is on a “Best Actor” level, consistently points back to the tagline that functionally works so well: "we are all sinners." Timeline wise, you aren’t concerned with all the bad things that they did to lead the brothers where they are.

The music/soundtrack might be the most incredible/fascinating element of the whole thing. The performances are incredible and haunting in all the right ways. Miles Caton, Jayme Lawson, and Jack O’Connell were so good it’s beyond what I could put down here. Everything handled in the soundtrack (by Ludwig Goransson) outside of the direct performances was perfectly suited for each scene. Even when some of the sound effects were on the edge of grandiose (I’d compare it to almost like 90’s anime at times) it didn’t take you out of the moment. There is a particular sequence where the vampires break into a rendition of “The Rocky Road to Dublin” that is going to live rent-free in my brain for a very long time.

The gore/violence is pretty intense, yet appropriate for a vampire flick (especially one that Coogler admitted was inspired by From Dusk Till Dawn). I laughed when I saw this interview tidbit, because I had the distinct feeling whilst in the theater, that I hadn’t seen such an original/compelling take on vampires since Tarantino’s film. Let’s face it, the lore was getting played out and oversaturated, so believe me when I say that I was blown away by how interesting they had suddenly become again. The emotional connection you have to the human characters and the intricacies of their interlocked relationships makes the conflict even more palpable/suspenseful. The (first) ending is incredibly satisfying and does a fantastic job tying up the ends of the plotlines. After all is said and done, Sinners is a masterclass of acting, bolstered by compelling dialogue, humor, and drama.

When it comes to the few, truly great films that I have reviewed since starting this little blog venture, I like to take some time and let the experience stew in my head, searching for the few bad elements that I might have overlooked. Much like Top Gun: Maverick, Godzilla: Minus One, and The Iron Claw, it all becomes so nitpicky that I’m loathe to even mention it. Sinners in fact takes on a lot and that includes darn near everything: cast, genres, scope, story. And at the end of the day, here is all I could come up with. 1) There are multiple scenes where the characters are put against backdrops that are clearly fake (like driving through cotton fields or speaking at an old time train station). If they aren’t fake, something about the camerawork went wrong. 2) I actually wanted to know more about the vampires, the extent of their powers, their origin, etc. 3) The final conflict borders on absurdity and is slightly plagued by unbelievable actions by the protagonists. Does it really hurt the scene though? I don’t think so. At least not in any tangible way. And that’s it! That’s all I can think of!

I don’t consider myself a prolific writer, even though I am constantly trying to find ways to change that, but there are those diamond in the rough films that really ignite that creative spark and get the gears churning on stories I want to write. The two that most often give me that creative ache, This Is Where I Leave You and Warrior, ignite that passion by exploring the intricacies of complex relationships between its characters. I think Sinners could easily make it into that short list.

Riot’s Rating: 10/10: This is not really a “date night” movie nor should it be for anyone under 17, obviously. But I strongly recommend this film. I put a tiny spoiler in this review, but you have to stay until the end. There are mid and post credit scenes that must not be missed.