Ryan Coogler is an incredibly talented director! However, since his powerful debut with Fruitvale Station, he hasn’t made an original film, focusing instead on franchise hits like Creed and Black Panther. While those movies were great, it always felt like a bit of a missed opportunity to see what else he could create outside the bounds of established properties. Now, with Sinners, an original vampire movie, he finally returns to telling a wholly new story — and it’s absolutely worth the wait.
The performances across the board are phenomenal. The cast nails the 1930s setting, with many adopting accents that feel natural and immersive. Michael B. Jordan shines playing twin brothers, delivering two distinct characters without overexaggeration. Through subtle body language and presence, he makes it immediately clear which brother is on screen — one serious, one carefree. Delroy Lindo is an absolute scene-stealer, bringing humor and heart every time he appears. But the biggest standout is newcomer Miles Caton, who delivers a breathtaking debut performance. His career is definitely one to watch.
The story itself is deeply engaging. On the surface, it follows the twin brothers returning home to start a juke joint, only to encounter a supernatural threat. But surprisingly, the vampires aren’t the movie’s main focus. Sinners is a love letter to music, particularly the Blues. In fact, the first 30 minutes are purely devoted to the brothers setting up the juke joint — gathering staff, advertising, and building community — and it’s so compelling that I forgot this was even a vampire movie. There’s also a musical sequence that stands among the best I’ve ever seen.
The film’s take on vampires feels fresh, too. Sinners introduces new rules and symbolism around vampirism, particularly tying into the idea of sin and consent — vampires must be invited in, a rule that plays beautifully into the story’s deeper themes of guilt, temptation, and systemic racism. While the film’s allegories are obvious at times, they are handled with care and avoid feeling heavy-handed.
On a technical level, Sinners is gorgeous. Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography is stunning, with creative use of aspect ratio changes to enhance key scenes. Ludwig Göransson, returning to collaborate with Coogler, delivers an incredible score that is absolutely essential to the film’s emotional resonance. Given that music is central to the story, Göransson had a huge task, and he completely delivers — I found myself completely swept up during the musical sequences. The costume and set design also deserve major praise for authentically bringing the era to life.
If I have a few nitpicks, it’s that the film occasionally falls into typical movie clichés, like villains hesitating when they could easily win. The main antagonist also feels underdeveloped — we don’t get much insight into their backstory or how they became a vampire. Additionally, there’s a strange choice to place the true ending as a mid-credit scene. It’s not a Marvel-style tease, but a full 5–10 minute resolution that’s crucial to the story. Unfortunately, some audience members missed it, assuming the film was over. It would have been better placed before the credits rolled.
The greatest sin would be missing this movie. Sinners is a phenomenal film and easily one of the best of 2025 so far. I highly recommend seeing it in theaters to show studios that audiences want bold, original storytelling like this!
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