With his 5th directorial feature, Ryan Coogler introduces his first original film in the form of Sinners. The narrative follows twins Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) as they return to their hometown to start a new life, only there’s a certain evil waiting to welcome them back.
Sinners offers a gripping blend of supernatural horror and thought-provoking drama, turning a relatively straightforward concept at surface level into a deep exploration of Black history. Ryan Coogler’s unique vision and approach to visual storytelling is what makes Sinners a wholly original experience. If you hand the concept of “patrons at a bar are preyed upon by an evil presence” to most directors, you’ll get a solely action and horror-focused affair. Coogler goes in his own direction by using the first hour to delve into his characters, fleshing out their backstory and establishing the relationships that will play a role in the back end. The opening half of the film is almost entirely devoid of action and horror, yet is just as thrilling. It gives its actors a platform to bring their characters to life, and the audience an opportunity to connect with the characters and become invested in their wellbeing. It’s a clever approach that works wonders in fleshing out the world, offering fulfilling moments of foreshadowing and tapping into some of Coogler’s deeper meanings for the story.
Despite the first half of the film running at a slower pace than the second, the content is so captivating that the pace is never an issue. I became so invested in the lives of the twins and their various interactions that time felt like it was flying. Michael B. Jordan plays both Smoke and Stack with so much charisma and variation in his performances that it’s a blast watching them navigate the other personalities in the town. Through visual storytelling, Coogler builds up his characters without the need for lengthy exposition and simultaneously fuels an ominous tone in the background, a tone that’s unleashed once night falls and the narrative hits its turning point. Speaking of the visuals, this is a stunningly shot film through every scene. There’s beauty and harshness to the way Coogler shoots the town, with the cinematography having almost like a heightened saturation. If you’re ever not vibing with the story, at least you can fall back on the stunning visuals.
That turning point is one that shifts the film from a period drama to a highly tense supernatural blood-fest. If you were questioning whether Coogler could confidently and successfully leap into the world of horror, he’s more than proven himself. The atmosphere he creates is eerie and increasingly terrifying, starting off with more of a spine-chilling horror vibe before going into more action-horror territory. It’s dark, bloody and full of intense violence that juxtaposes the ‘uneventful’ first half of the film really well. Once it makes that switch into horror territory it doesn’t break stride, sending you on a journey of terror with these people we’ve spent so much time with. There’s a strong emotional connection between the audience and characters which heightens the stakes and enhances the impact of moments where people bite the dust.
Even through the final act confrontation, Coogler continues to send the narrative in unexpected directions, using stress-induced character decisions to fuel those shifts. Sometimes however, Coogler’s attempts to be different don’t always work in the film’s favour. The climax doesn’t fall flat, but it also doesn’t have the impact it was built up to have. It’s a good ending – I liked the messaging of the climax and the resolution – but it tonally fizzles out rather than going for a big pressure-releasing moment. There’s an after credits scene which adds layers to certain characters, but in the end I walked away enjoying the journey more than the destination. The build-up is fantastic, the execution of the horror and action is a thrill-fest, then the climax is just good. It’s not a major blight, but it does leave a bit of a sour taste in the aftermath.
If you see Coogler’s name attached to a project, you know Michael B. Jordan is coming with him… and for good reason. The two of them seem to understand each other, and Jordan is a tour de force in this film. In bringing Smoke and Stack to life, he plays each twin with subtle differences in the way they speak and look to make it clear who you’re watching at all times. It’s a great dual performance that carries much of the film, and also is the source for much of the humour. Jordan dishes out some comedic one-liners that fit the character and don’t break the overall tone. Hailee Steinfeld (Mary) and Wunmi Mosaku (Annie) add plenty of charisma to the film and go back and forth with Jordan to make for a number of compelling scenes. Miles Caton (Sammie) makes his acting debut here and he’s a strong lead. He does a great job as the emotional crux of the film, but he is at times outshone by those with more experience to their name. I also want to credit Delroy Lindo (Delta Slim), the veteran actor has a few key scenes and knocks it out of the park every time with some stellar dialogue.
In the end, Sinners is nothing short of a creative triumph for Ryan Coogler. The first in what will surely be many original films has further proven his talents as a writer and director. The film is enthralling through the slow-moving first half as it fleshes out every character, and is then just as gripping as it shifts into its horror persona. For those looking for a deep exploration of character, that’s in here. For those looking for action-packed battles against supernatural beings, that’s here too. The balance is on point, and there’s even a hint of humour to bring a little light to the otherwise chilling content.
8.6/10
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