Sinners – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Sinners – In the Music of the Night … Blood is Family

The power of film is one defined by the intuitive nature of the experience.  From fantasy to adventure, romantic tales to adrenaline filled action, the moment is an attunement of a personal touch.  For me, that power is when every facet of the tale becomes a fulfillment of the escape.  When the film hits a certain way, it is one of a kind.  In this review, I look at the latest horror/drama film to hit the big screen.  I will get straight to the point, Sinners is an enrapturing character experience, one of the best films of the year.

When two brothers return back home, they discover that their troubled past is not the only problem … another evil lurks in the night for their return.  As mentioned earlier, the power of film comes from many things.  From genre to story, that grip that pulls a person can vary, but even in a subjective medium, there will always be truly standout experiences.  In the beginning, the film begins with an ominous prologue, before flashing backward to begin the tale:  Smoke and Stack Moore, twin brothers (both played by Micheal B. Jordan), have returned back to Mississippi in hopes of starting a juke joint.  In their return, they have reconnected with various individuals, including their young cousin Sammie (Miles Canton), harmonica player Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), and childhood friends Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) and Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller).  As the brothers rekindle with these individuals, the moments are built up through conversations and methodical layering.  The slow-burn directive provides an alluring façade to the ominous return (of the twins) while also building out the approach (of what’s to come).  With each character, you get a sense of true human prowess that provide emotional moments that are vicarious but astute reflections of each persons’ situation and the era (1930s America).  With everything coming together for the opening of the juke joint, the sultry atmosphere is put on display, one that raises the emotive values (of the moment) but also providing the transition from character drama to action/horror … as the unwelcome evil makes their presence known.  

As the film transitions, it not only elevates into a dire situation, but it builds up an unexpected level of character development for the vampiric situation.  This adds girth to true story evolution, one where the director (Ryan Coogler) strings historical context and background of the existing characters into a reflection of choice and consequence.  This leads to a molding of emotional value, musical prowess and the horrors of the night.  As things reach a boiling point, we head into a finale that brings about a full circle revelation of bloody action, character growth and allegorical reverie that is wholesome, emotional but most of all, a defining end for the experience.  Sinners is a film that elevates because of story, characters and a unique spin on vampire lore.  This is a film that everyone should see, it is truly an amazing work of art.

Full Score – 5 out of 5 (Legendary)