***SPOILERS FOR Sinners AHEAD***
Premiering in 2025, Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan (Smoke and Stack) and Hailee Steinfeld (Mary), is one of this year’s biggest blockbuster hits so far. Earning $63 million globally on its opening weekend, Sinners has been widely praised by critics and audiences alike for its expansion of the Black horror genre.
Sinners follows twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, having recently returned to their hometown in Mississippi as they prepare and celebrate the grand opening of their new “juke joint.” Unbeknownst to them, supernatural forces—in the form of vampires—are intent on ruining their night of revelry. As the night unfolds, the relationships, faith, and bravery of the townsfolk are put to the test. Focusing on the influence of music and religion in the Jim Crow South with a supernatural twist, Sinners cements itself as a thoughtful addition to elevated horror.
Even though Michael B. Jordan plays identical twins, the distinctive personalities of the two and careful costuming makes Smoke and Stack easy to differentiate. A longtime collaborator with Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, the Creed series), it is clear Jordan is comfortable playing a nuanced anti-hero. His performance is one of the strongest in the movie as his characters shine.
Despite Hailee Steinfeld being in most of the promotion for the movie, her role is smaller than expected and surprisingly underwhelming. Steinfeld plays Mary, the former lover of Stack, whose character is only used to be the first victim of the vampires. The real star is first-time actor Miles Caton playing Preacher Boy Sammy, a cousin of Smoke and Stack with a passion for music. An experienced musician, Caton’s smooth, deep voice dominates the soundtrack of the film without taking away from the overall plot.
During the late 2000s and early 2010s, vampires dominated the YA romance genre. After facing a steep decline in recent years, the vampires of Sinners add a new layer to the genre, using racial barriers to tell a more complex story. The first vampire appeals to KKK members to allow him into their house, exploiting their ideology to get what he wants. Later in the movie, turned-vampires argue to Black people that being a vampire is the only way to be truly free as a Black person in America. While these themes are uncommon in typical vampire stories, they make for a more dynamic story in Sinners.
Further, even though the vampires of Sinners follow certain tropes (weak to garlic, wood, and the sun) they aren’t weakened by Christianity, flipping the common theme of spirituality on its head. In one of the movie’s final scenes, Sammy, about to be killed, starts to recite Bible verses. Instead of the vampire being repelled, he and all the other vampires join him, reciting the Bible while Sammy is dunked in water—effectively being baptized. A chilling realization that not only can his faith not save him, it is an important part of his enemies’ lives as well.
Sinners production and costume design supports the themes of the story while being historically accurate. An interesting detail that the film includes is the use of color with costuming. The twins are clearly distinguished by the color of their costuming, serving as a helpful visual aid for the viewer. Stack always wears red, Smoke always wears blue, and Sammy wears yellow, completing their set of primary colors. Additionally, the set is accurate of a pre-World War II southern town without looking too cartoonish.
Even though Sinners is a horror movie, it doesn’t fall victim to excessive gore or jumpscares. There is enough fear to be immersed in what the characters feel without making the film unwatchable. The biggest drawback is the unrealistic gore. Some gore was over the top, with blood in particular defying the laws of physics in some cases.
Overall, the film Sinners is an exceptional addition to the Black horror genre, highlighting culture, religion, and music during the Jim Crow era with mostly great performances from their cast, despite minor flaws.