A diversely talented cast, an original spin on vampirism, and a rich allegory of culture, racial assimilation and social injustice. Sinners has it all.
Released in April 2025 as an original screenplay by Ryan Coogler, Sinners amassed global critical acclaim and a box office hit of $366.7 million, however the most valuable element is its cultural significance.
The film follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack as they return to their Mississippi hometown to open up a juke joint and escape their turbulent past. Unexpected and evil forces await them among the backdrop of the 1930s Jim Crow racial segregation laws.
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Sinners has proven to be divisive, with some questioning if it was too ambitious and truly deserves the worldwide praise it continues to receive.
The film certainly requires a level of critical thinking, an appetite for metaphor and the attention span to engage with a slow building 2hr narrative. However, I believe it is all worth it when viewing the expert cross section of African, Irish, and Asian culture, the depiction of Black-American experiences during the Jim Crow deep south, and the synonymous tribute to the universal language of music and dance, all establishing an invaluable fusion of representation that a vast audience can identify with.
Dramatic action sequences, romantic undercurrents and a red-hot taste of horror. Sinners leaves audiences satisfied while simultaneously delivering a meaningful contribution to society by highlighting the complex history of racial violence in 1930s America. The film is a dynamic retelling of the vampiric genre, with sound resonation to culture and spirituality.
In a cinematic era of remakes and adaptions, Ryan Coogler and his adept cast achieved worldwide buzz and cinema turnout for one of the most original screenplays in a long while. Michael B Jordan stars in Sinners. He embodies an expert portrayal of identical twins who frequently share the screen and fight in scenes simultaneously. Jordan skillfully brings Coogler’s characters to life, with the twin brothers Smoke and Stack executed with emotional depth and compelling duality.
An outstanding achievement of Sinners is the films ability to deliver a serious and cringe free vampire story, a far cry from past attempts that often-lacked originality and depth. In this case, the vampiric essence was introduced in the second half of the film, an element that became rather polarizing among viewers.
For some, the jump from the slow-paced realism section A, to the vampiric blood fest section B was chaotic and disjointed. Others however, like me, view the juxtaposition as impactful. It serves as a note to the persistent racism and segregation that occurred in America during the Jim Crow era, where white supremacy was ever present, though people would turn a blind eye until racial violence was at an unparalleled high. In a similar and symbolically structured way, there are subtle references to vampirism at the start of the movie, with racism and segregation touched on lightly, before fully transitioning into a complete bloodthirsty vampiric massacre and a direct representation of the KKK and its brutal crimes.
A bit of cinematic whiplash? Yeah maybe, but it works for me.
Coogler poses the vampires as a direct symbol of colonisation, white supremacy and forced assimilation. The Black community is slowly infiltrated and violently transitioned into the bloody thirsty monsters by a small group of white vampires, led by the century old Irish villain Remmick, whose cultural dance, music and folklore was weaponised to draw in his victims. The true antagonist force physicalised by the vampires is racism.
Music and dance are at the core of this metaphorically rich film. The twins set out to establish a traditional blues juke joint to serve as a safe haven for the black community among the backdrop of the Jim Crow era. In this film, music masterfully transcends time and place. Miles Caton shines in his breakout role as one of the central characters Sammie Moore, the son of a preacher and a talented guitar player who possesses the ability to call on the ancestors of everyone around him as well as the spirits before him, however, his music also had a sinister side with its ability to draw in the vampires.
One of the most emotionally pivotal and culturally resonant scenes in the film was set in the juke joint with Moore at the helm of a musical serenade, as the Black community and Asian came together to dance among their ancestors, and visions of past and future music. The 1.43:1 aspect ratio shot paints a love letter to culture and folklore through a synesthesia of colour and sound, illustrating the intrinsic cultural links music possesses.
Sinners had the biggest opening weekend of any original film since the start of the pandemic. However, the most valuable achievement of Cooglers film was its ability to speak to people’s souls. Audiences saw their culture represented on screen, their ancestry depicted and their folklore physicalised. The evocative score reflected the communal syncharnisation of culture and music, while highlighting the importance of community and belonging for African Americans during a time of division. The IMAX cinematography allows for an immersive experience that will have you feeling a spectrum of emotions in the best way possible. Sinners is accessible, re-watchable and timeless.
A future classic, I’m certain.
Caitlin 
Clara 
Kath Smart