Ryan Coogler, freed from the Marvel shackles, has produced, directed and written this period supernatural horror film. It is set in the 1930s in the Mississippi Delta, and stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, with a military and criminal past, who return to their hometown to open a nightclub.
But on opening night, they are faced with a great threat. I was full of praise for Nosferatu in January but Sinners has usurped it as my favourite vampire movie of the year. At least so far! Whilst Robert Eggers’ film had a familiar setting and trappings, Sinners has a much fresher feel, linking evil to the history of the blues and racism that remained (and perhaps remains) in that part of the country. In fact, the genre shift that happens reminded me of From Dusk Til Dawn, and Coogler has mentioned that as an influence.
Coogler stages a few audacious scenes. The initial voiceover explains that a few select musicians through history are able to summon spirits from the past and the future. When young Sammie Moore (Miles Caton) performs at the club, the camera swoops around the room and we see those musicians joining in, including African, American Indians, and hip hop artists. It is an exhilarating few minutes and I felt like applauding at the end of it.
There are other outstanding musical set pieces as well as a great score by Ludwig Goransson. Jordan is good in both lead roles, and has attracted none of the sniffiness that Robert De Niro did in Alto Knights recently. The rest of the cast are strong too, particularly Delroy Lindo as bluesman Delta Slim and it is great to see Hailee Steinfeld in a role worthy of her talents for the first time since 2016’s Edge of Seventeen. I did feel that the last 15 to 20 minutes flagged a little but this is otherwise an impressive achievement.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10