Sinners

April 28, 2025

By Marie Veronic Thomasi

What is “Sinners” about?

“Sinners” is a movie based in 1932 Clarksdale, Mississippi. It follows twins Smoke and Stack (played by Michael B. Jordan), as they come home from Chicago and open a “jube joint” (a jazz club, basically). The main plot line is that of a singer named “Preacher Boy” Sammie (played by Miles Caton), and his ability to sing so well that he pierces the veil between past and future, life and death, heaven and hell. One night at this jazz club, he does just that, and vampires come for him.

Why do I think it is so great?

Attention to Detail

The way this film is shot is incredible, not only because of the cinematography (which we will talk about later), but also because of the attention to detail. There are two scenes that stood out to me, but note that these are not the only moments where the movie excels in detail. The scene in which Sammie, Stack, and Delta Slim (played by Delroy Lindo) were driving to the jazz club and Delta was telling a story about his past was the first. Normally, in scenes like this, you expect a flashback or nothing at all; however, as I was waiting for the fade to a flashback, I started to hear the diegetic sounds that we would hear were there to be a flashback. It was amazing and shocking because I have never seen something like that before, and it really contributed to the emotion the film was trying to evoke. Hearing it hit harder than seeing the scene, and that was definitely intentional.

The second scene is the one where Sammie sings at the Jazz Club. First of all, the casting for Sammie was incredible (we will touch more on that in the music portion of this article). During this scene, as Sammie’s song reaches its peak, we start to pierce through the veil between past and future, life and death, heaven and hell. We see different dancers from the past and future–accurate ones too. I knew because as a West African, I noticed many West African traditional dancers, and there were Asian dancers as well. There were dancers/dances from different periods in time, etc. As we were being subtly introduced to these cultures, we were also hearing music from them, African drumming, hip-hop, classical music, etc.

Overall, the concept of blending sounds within this movie in order to enhance detail and understanding is unmatched. Lastly, I wanted to talk about an even more subtle detail used in this movie, different languages. It only happened a few times. Chinese was spoken, there were some Native Americans at some point who spoke a language that I do not know, and Annie spoke a different language at some point as well, probably of African origin. I just thought it was important to mention because it made the movie so rich in diversity. No better way to showcase different cultures than including native language, in a manner that doesn’t feel forced.

Music

Leave it to Ryan Coogler to produce/direct a musical horror movie, and do so exceptionally. Music is definitely a central part of this film, not only because it is a part of the plot, but also because it is not lacking. There were musical numbers that were just borderline good songs, but also added to the plot. For example, I read an article where someone was talking about the significance of the Irish dance and song when it relates to the vampires (there was an Irish number). Honestly, I know nothing about that, but if it is accurate, that is one way that Coogler used music to further his film.

More cultural significance is also shown in the scene where Sammie sings at the Jazz Club, with the dancers and the musicality/use of instruments from different cultures (can you tell this is my favorite scene). Now, when we talk about piercing veils through song, we think of wonderful voices, and perhaps some think of opera singers with their high notes. If they can break glass, what else can they break? Personally, deep voices (in music) have always really attracted my attention. I just found them so good, and it was like songs sung by people with deep voices just spoke directly to the soul and skipped everything else. That is exactly why I thought the casting of Sammie was perfect. The voice box hidden in Miles Caton's throat is fascinating. My jaw hit the floor when he first sang in the car with Stack, and it continued to do so every time he held a note. If there was anybody who would actually call upon the past and future with their voice, it would be him.

"There are legends of people with the gift of making music so true it conjures spirits from the past and the future."

— Annie From “Sinners”

Cinematography and More

The way that Sinners is shot is incredible. It isn’t anything new per se, it is not shot from the point of view of a character like the highly esteemed “Nickel Boys” (which I have yet to see), but it looks beautiful. It is impossible not to notice how amazing black skin looks in this movie. Lots of movies (not nearly all) tend to neglect the way their black characters are lit, and in turn, they end up looking grey, darker than needed, or an array of other things. However, “Sinners” does a great job of lighting its characters, making them look absolutely gorgeous on screen. Everything was so beautifully done, the movie had me craving to see close-up shots.

The editing, especially pertaining to the twins, was impeccable. There was a scene at the beginning of the movie where Stack and Smoke are passing a cigarette back and forth as they wait for a realtor of sorts. It took all of my brain power to remember that they were the same person throughout the entire movie. Much credit is due to Michael B. Jordan as well, as his acting was out of this world. He embodied both characters so well and gave them so much life. His chemistry/ relationships with each love interest were given just as much personality, making them impeccable. This was the biggest reason I forgot halfway through that the characters were played by the same person, and that is exactly what you want in a film like this.

There were many more things that deserve praise in this movie; the CGI, the makeup, the hair (another part of black actors that tend to be neglected), the costumes, etc. However, the last part I will mention in this article is the writing. The songs were amazing, the storyline was incredible, and the horror aspects as well, but a part that might go unnoticed is the humor. “Sinners” is a hilarious movie, and though that is not the main focus, it is an aspect that I will never forget.

My Rating!

A solid 9.5/10. There were so many aspects that make this movie amazing, and unfortunately, I couldn’t talk about all of them and give credit everywhere it is due, but I hope I made it known that it is due everywhere. “Sinners” is a must-watch.