Director Ryan Coogler’s demonic thriller “Sinners” was the highest-grossing movie this Easter weekend.
The supernatural film blends music and themes of oppression experienced by groups around the world. The main draw is not the horror — the amount of jumpscares the film throws at you can be counted on one hand — but the supernatural elements being used as a surrealist way to explore class consciousness, identity and assimilation.
“Sinners” makes statements on systemic issues of racism and slavery that affect the Deep South after emancipation, the looming hand of Jim Crow felt throughout the film. But it does not stop at dissecting Black American struggles. There are supernatural elements that allow for parallels into other’s struggles throughout life. The primary antagonist, Remmick (Jack O’Connell), ties together struggles experienced by not just non-white groups but all minority groups who experience forms of oppression.
The film follows twins Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) as they return to 1930s Jim Crow Mississippi to start anew. They bring along their younger cousin Sammie (Miles Caton) and former lovers (Wunmi Mosaku and Hailee Steinfeld) to open up a nightclub, many known at the time as “juke joints.”
The music is the stand-out technical feat of the movie. Ludwig Göransson continues his collaboration with Coogler to deliver an unforgettable soundtrack. The incorporation of a wide range of culturally significant genres, not just Southern blues, allows the score to assist in the themes of universal oppression the movie presents.
This comes to the forefront in an entrancing sequence that follows historically Black genres being mixed and showcased as a power that transcends space and time. The film even allows for many other genres to take up space, including an Irish jig that you can’t help but hum along to.
Another notable technical aspect lies with the stunning cinematography from Autumn Durald Arkapaw. She allows for surrealism to sweep across the screen without it seeming out of place. As part of marketing for the film, Ryan Coogler collaborated with Kodak to explain how celluloid film formats and aspect ratios were mixed and matched to enhance the film. He even states what formats he intended audiences to screen “Sinners” in.
“Sinners” is a must-watch in theaters — an IMAX format if possible. There’s a rich story that calls upon audiences to think about even after the credits roll. It is an enticing supernatural film that is confident in viewers’ ability to enjoy the genre for what it is and not get caught up in the needless logic of it. It tackles many different concepts and themes that will surely be analyzed for years to come. Ryan Coogler’s vampiric musical is an instant classic.
