Warner Bros Pictures
Actors: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Li Jun Li, Delroy Lindo Musicalización: Ludwig Göransson
Photography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Produtores: Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian
Duration: 138 Minutes
Guion: Ryan Coogler
Direction: Ryan Coogler
Our stars are twin World War I veteran Prohibition-era gangsters Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan), who return from Chicago after being under the command of Al Capone and open a den deep in the backwoods of 1930s Mississippi. Smoke and Stack, they may be charming and protective, but their reputations precede them; even in their perception of their hometown, part of their personality is discernible: “Chicago is nothing but Mississippi with tall buildings.” They each take time to meet with the various citizens of their hometown, some old and some new, inviting them to attend the lively party later that night as they make arrangements and word of their return spreads throughout the city. Sammie “Preacher Boy” Moore (newcomer Miles Caton) is the son of a local preacher; he can sing and play guitar well enough to serve as the main attraction for the brothers' operation; but they also invite Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), an old harmonica and piano player who will go anywhere if there's enough liquor.
However, Sammie's gifts come at a high price - have you ever heard the phrase “the devil's music”? Well, once it plays on party night during a moment of release from the hardships of the day, Sammie's guitar summons a horrible force of evil to the barn where all the colored people have gathered: a different kind of clan, the vampires. Posing as their friends and loved ones under the guise of Southern charm and kindness, the cunning creatures do their best to be invited into the barn while those still left inside prepare to face a force more powerful than anything on this earth.
Coogler has not renounced that artistic vein that has made him make his way in Hollywood since his exquisite “Fruitvale Station” (2013), nor has his passage through commercial cinema thanks to “Creed” (2015) and “Black Panther” (2018) diminished his interest in exposing the unhealthy avatars that the African-American community has received in its history. “Sinners” (2025) follows that path among a variety of tones: from the authorial vein typical of the most faithful indie artist without leaving aside the commercial aspect as it is a production coming from a major.
Using cinematic formats to create an immersive story/characters/audience, the director takes the time to establish his plot context, defining very well and accentuating the differences between the twins, from a slight smile to absolute seriousness, the approach of one towards the members of the community and the alienation of the other; a commendable performance by Jordan that will earn him some nominations for the next awards season.
In addition, after laying the cards on the table, action and gore take over the second hour after a masterfully filmed musical sequence involving the blues, the characters dance and sing stripping themselves of any prejudice/morals/pity; with each movement of their bodies they free themselves from the oppression that has plagued them for generations.
Not to be overlooked is the excellent work of Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld as Stack's ex-girlfriend Mary, Jack O'Connell's Delroy Lindo, but the one who at one point (unintentionally) captures the spotlight over Jordan and his twins is Miles Caton and his Sammy. Applause also for the photography of Autumn Durald Arkapaw who fills with light and contrasts the darkness of this rural Mississippi.
“Sinners” (2025) belongs to a type of cinema on the verge of extinction; something rare happens here in our day to day and that has not been read/heard before; originality is requested among so many sequels and sagas stretching the league of nostalgia or in its case the box office takings; but when the orchids come to bloom in the middle of the swamp, the viewer passes by and not by any means manages to fix his gaze on that ‘new’ that he asks for so much. Coogler, like other filmmakers, does not renounce his vision, much less to create/explore with the themes he is most passionate about: the history of his culture, of his people, about the search for identity, the use of vampires has its metaphor (the constant struggle between minorities), the creation of legends and stories that transcend time and space.
“Sinners” (2025) writes its own path with golden letters; CONGRATULATIONS!
RATING FOR “SINNERS” (2025):
MAJESTIC ★★★★★
Golden Statuette nominations: editing, cinematography, original music, costumes, sound, original screenplay, director, actor (Michael B. Jordan), Picture.