This period-set, blues-themed, gangster-tinged horror film brings a fresh perspective to the vampire genre, with a great cast (led by Michael B. Jordan’s dual performances) and inventive direction from Ryan Coogler.

Premise: In 1932 Mississippi, WWI-veterans-turned-gangsters the “Smokestack Twins” (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to set up a juke joint for the local black community, with help from their cousin and aspiring blues musician, Sammie "Preacher Boy" Moore (Miles Caton). But Sammie’s music connects with something greater than himself, which draw the attention of supernatural forces.

Review:

I’m a sucker (pun intended) for vampire movies, and 1996’s From Dusk Till Dawn is one of my all-time favourite guilty pleasures. I loved last year’s gory, darkly comic, vampire thriller Abigail which, like From Dusk Till Dawn, only reveals itself as a vampire film at the halfway point. Sinners takes a similar approach, with the first half of the film focusing on “Smoke” and “Stack” Moore (both played by Michael B. Jordan) as they set up a juke joint on the outskirts of town, before the second half of the movie becomes a full-on vampire horror movie.

Given how many vampire films there are out there already, it’s arguably quite difficult to come up with a fresh approach that stands out from the crowd – but that’s exactly what writer/director Ryan Coogler has managed here. Not only do the surface-level trappings (like the 1930s setting and the gangster elements) give this film a very different tone and feel, but at the heart of the movie is a tribute to the power of music. A voiceover at the beginning explains that, since the dawn of humanity, there have been musicians so gifted that their music can transcend the barriers between time and space, and between our world and the spirit realm, but that such musicians can also attract the darker supernatural powers. One of the most memorably directed scenes in Sinners is when Ryan Coogler finds a way to visually represent the ability of great music to transcend time and space.

“…Michael B. Jordan is a talented character actor in the body of a leading man…”

As you might expect, Ryan Coogler’s script also doesn’t shy away from examining the racial prejudices of 1930s Mississippi, whether that be the outright racism of the KKK, the potential dangers of allowing white people to attend the opening of the juke joint, or even the precarious position of Hailee Steinfeld’s character, Mary, who’s able to ‘pass’ for white despite having a black grandparent. All of these elements also give Sinners a lot more depth and nuance than your average ‘vampire flick’, and help it to stand out as one of the more original entries in the genre.

Ryan Coogler’s been able to assemble a fantastic cast, led by his long-time collaborator Michael B. Jordan. It should come as no surprise that Michael B. Jordan is great in this film (given that he’s a talented character actor in the body of a leading man), but even so, I was surprised by how easily he distinguishes the two twins with instantly recognisably different performances. The revelation in the cast for me was Miles Caton, an up-and-coming musician who makes his acting debut in Sinners. If your film is about a musician who’s able to pierce the barriers between worlds, you need a convincing actor in the role – but Miles Caton is incredible, showcasing a singing voice that earns the reactions that his character is meant to elicit.

“…music is a key component of the film’s DNA…”

Alongside the “Smokestack Twins” and their cousin “Preacher Boy”, both Hailee Steinfeld and Wunmi Mosaku get a lot to do as Mary and Annie respectively. Mary is Stack’s ex-girlfriend, who’s still resentful that he abandoned her when he moved to Chicago, while Annie has a very complex relationship with her estranged husband Smoke. Annie is also a believer in the occult and a rootworker, which enables the film to frame the vampire lore through the perspective of her Hoodoo beliefs, which again helps to give Sinners a tone unlike most other vampire films out there.

The first half of the movie centres on the Smokestack Twins’ attempts to round up staff for the opening night of their juke joint, which includes Omar Benson Miller (who I’d previously only seen in the TV show Ballers) as the bouncer “Cornbread”, acting legend Delroy Lindo as the blues musician “Delta Slim”, Jayme Lawson (who was impressive in her supporting roles in The Batman and The Woman King) as local singer Pearline, and Li Jun Li and Yao as Chinese-immigrant shopkeepers supporting the opening night. Rounding off the main cast is Jack O'Connell as the main vampire Remmick, although of all the main cast, he gets the least to do.

“…if you’re a fan of vampire films, you certainly won’t want to miss this…”

Music is such a key component of Sinners’ DNA, I also have to mention Ludwig Göransson, who not only composed the score but who also worked with the cast on the live recordings of their musical performances. Most of the film’s score is blues-inspired, although Remmick’s Irish background is also explored in his connection to music. In Sinners, music is portrayed as freedom – a way to escape the oppressions of the world and reconnect with your past and your future – and so it’s only appropriate that the musical talents of those involved are properly recognised.

Overall, if you’re a fan of vampire films, this is one you certainly won’t want to miss – but the themes and layers which Ryan Coogler has weaved into the story mean that Sinners may also appeal to viewers who don’t normally enjoy horror films or vampire stories.

It’s also worth noting that there are two end credit scenes – the first (mid-credit) scene in particular is fundamental to the film, so make sure you don’t miss it!