People say that music in all its forms has power. Power to inspire, thrill and to draw out emotions. But there are some who can use that power to do even more with their music. They can pierce the veil between our world and the next, the living and the dead and even reach through time itself. People like young upcoming jazz singer Sammie (Miles Caton) who tonight is going to make his debut.
It’s 1932, and it has been 8 years since anyone in Mississippi has seen the twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan), yet their reputation lives on. The brothers instilled fear in whoever crossed them, and their brutality seemed perfectly suited for Chicago’s criminal underworld.
Returning home with a bagful of money and a truck load of booze, the pair had a dream. A juke joint filled with music, dancing, gambling, and all just for black folk like them. They’re two dollars in need of a dime, and picking up their young cousin Sammie, they reunite with various other friends of the past for their grand opening.
The night is a massive success, they’re making real money like they never dreamed before. There’s sex, drinking, fighting and all the other things which come with partying. But Sammie‘s incredible music has reached the ears of someone very dangerous. Someone who simply wishes to be friends and for everyone to get along. But he and his ever-growing clan are only asking nicely once, after that they plan to take Sammie‘s ability for themselves.
Ryan Coogler the Oscar nominated director of Black Panther and Creed, brings us his first (arguably) completely original work. Part historical drama, part musical and part supernatural horror thriller, Sinner blends these genres into a portrayal of black fellowship, and celebration turning into a nightmare.
Coogler‘s work has always looked at the experience of being black in America today. Sinners continues this similar trend with a movie, which starts out quite interestingly going back through time to the Jim Crow era in Mississippi. With costume design by Rute E. Carter and cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Coogler creates an at first beautiful yet tense and authentic look at the deep American south. Church goers, plantations and a sense of community is developed long before the film even gets to the twins’ opening night.
A lot of this is why the earliest parts of the film are its most effective as you are transported back, and Coogler‘s screenplay is brought to life by vibrant performances from a talented cast. With some playing against type, such as Hailee Steinfeld as Mary, a fast-talking girl from the twins’ past. However, the most impressive was Delroy Lindo, who as Delta Slim, an aged alcoholic and world-worn jazz musician, he turns in the best performance I’ve ever seen from the veteran actor which deserves great recognition.
Michael B. Jordan proves himself an incredible leading man with presence and charisma. He’s at times charming and slick, while at others he can be terrifying and willingly violent. The aspect of him playing dual roles unfortunately comes off as a gimmick, however. While there’s obviously a connection between the brothers, there’s no real reason they needed to be twins. Smoke and Stack are identical beyond their costumes and Jordan plays the brothers as two sides of the same coin, so I had trouble differentiating them early on.
Sinners merges from this southern character drama into a supernatural horror in the film’s later half and becomes a much louder, bloodier, action-packed affair. Like if ‘The Colour Purple‘ turned into a monster movie midway through, but it’s not altogether quite as interesting.
The usage of music and its potentially corrupting power over us is a fascinating twist on the horror genre and is one I had not seen before. There’s an extensive single take sequence showing this magical phenomenon which is just incredible. But when the other shoe drops and things are turned on their head, the movie becomes your fairly common violent monster flick. One which had me longing for the film’s much more engaging and unique first half, as although Sinners appears setting up to be one of the highest rated films of the year, I must admit it lost me. Its half-time genre twist failed to maintain the strong script and originality that is present in its initial stages.
Sinners is an interesting, steamy and dramatic story of passion and strong brotherhood, where ambition collides with greed in a musical explosion, all mixed in with the traits of a gory supernatural thriller. Hallmarks of Ryan Coogler’s filmography is present throughout, and the racial tensions always feel like a lingering threat. Your enjoyment of Sinners will come down to how well you feel about Coogler blending all these themes together.