"I’ll admit it: When I heard Ryan Coogler was releasing Sinners, I braced myself. Not because I doubted the Creed and Black Panther director’s talent but because I wasn’t sure I was emotionally ready for what he might bring to the table this time. Coogler has a way of holding up a mirror to his audience, gently—or not so gently—reminding us of the uncomfortable truths we’d rather ignore. With Sinners, that mirror is polished to a near-blinding shine.
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Set in 1932 Mississippi, Sinners follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both portrayed by Michael B. Jordan) as they return to their hometown to start anew, only to be confronted by a supernatural evil. The film also features standout performances by Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, and Wunmi Mosaku.
And it got under my skin in a way I didn’t expect. Curious if you should head to the theaters (instead of just waiting for it to come to streaming) to see Sinners, too? Here’s my full review of the film. Warning: very minor spoilers ahead.
My review of Sinners
The story is unhinged in the best way
I went into the theaters expecting a moody Southern drama with maybe a few supernatural sightings. What I got? Twin WWI vets, stolen mob money, a sawmill turned juke joint, and, yes, multiple vampires. It was full-blown Southern Gothic chaos.
Smoke and Stack return to the Delta after seven years working for the Chicago Outfit, using their dirty money to buy land from a racist local and build a juke joint for the Black community. That plot alone was so compelling that it could’ve been the whole movie. But Coogler doesn’t stop there. There’s Sammie, their cousin, who plays blues like he’s channeling the dead. There’s voodoo, ex-lovers with unresolved baggage, and an Irish vampire named Remmick who wants to use Sammie’s music for his own selfishness. It sounds unhinged (because it is), but somehow, it completely works.
There were many moments in the film where I nearly fell out of my seat
To allow you the same experience, I won’t tell you what they were—just be prepared to hold onto your armrests. What I will say is that the chaotic, bloody, blues-soaked showdown features Smoke shooting vampires, the juke joint turning into a fortress, and someone literally using pickled garlic juice as a weapon.
Yes, it’s the kind of film with twists and turns that keep you glued to your seat. But Sinners isn’t just a vampire movie. It’s a film about community, racism, music, and guitar riffs all tangled up together.
“Sinners isn’t just a vampire movie. It’s a film about community, racism, music, and guitar riffs all tangled up together.”
The cast delivers incredible performances
We can’t talk about the magic of Sinners without mentioning its cast. Because wow. Michael B. Jordan disappears into both Smoke and Stack. I knew he had range (hello, Killmonger), but his acting reaches new heights in on this one.
And the supporting cast is unreal. Miles Caton, who’s still new to the Hollywood scene, brings a raw, restless energy to Sammie. And Wunmi Mosaku’s Annie? She doesn’t just hold the story together—she anchors it. Her character had only a few moments on screen, but when she showed up, she showed out. In her interactions with her lover, Smoke, there was this ever-present vulnerability and gracefulness to her. In the end, she left me literally sobbing in the middle of the theater.
The music makes Sinners hit even harder
The plot is amazing, but the soundtrack is out of this world. I knew we’d hear some fantastic music, especially with composer Ludwig Göransson (the Oscar-winning composer behind Oppenheimer and Black Panther) overseeing production, but I didn’t expect the soundtrack to go that hard. If you find yourself adding the soundtrack to your Spotify playlist on your way home from the theaters, just know that I was right there with you.
The soundtrack isn’t just backing the plot. It serves a crucial storytelling purpose. There’s a climactic scene in the juke joint where Sammie plays his guitar, and we see several different types of music—R&B, rap, country—surround us. It’s a poignant moment emphasizing music’s generational history. That jazz turned into R&B, and R&B turned into hip-hop, and so on. When you go see the film, pay attention to the scene where Remmick sings an Irish jig. You’ll probably dance and tap along with everyone else in the theater and on the screen. Why is that important? It’s another subtle nod to one of the overarching themes in Sinners: how music is often used as a cultural appropriation.
So, should you go see Sinners?
This isn’t a movie you watch casually while scrolling on your phone. It demands your full attention and then punishes you for giving it—but in the best way. Coogler once again proves he knows how to craft a story that feels personal and universal all at once. He doesn’t spoon-feed answers. He trusts you to sit in discomfort, and I did.
Was it perfect? No. A few pacing issues in the first act slowed the momentum, and some subplots could’ve used more development. But the emotional payoff more than made up for it.
So, would I recommend Sinners? Absolutely—but with a warning: It’s going to make you think. It might even make you cry. And when you exit the theaters, you’re going to want to re-watch it over and over again.
Melanie Curry, Contributing Writer
Melanie Curry is a New York City writer who spends way too much time watching Love Island and drinking caffeine. You can catch her strolling down the streets of New York looking for her next adventure. Her work has appeared in Cosmopolitan, InStyle, Women’s Health, Refinery29, and more.