Sinners Review: Unique Yet Flawed Vampire Musical

by Tom April 18, 2025

Vampire movies often fall into a pattern of recycling the same narratives and tropes. Despite this, “Sinners,” a Southern Gothic horror musical, deserves credit for its audacious approach to the genre. The film’s ambitious vision is evident in its unique twist of settings, from Eastern Europe to an American urban locale, or a sweltering desert. However, the execution often misses the mark, resulting in a messy picture that haphazardly throws everything at the viewer all at once.

Sinners Review: Unique Yet Flawed Vampire Musical

– The film “Sinners,” despite its inventive attempt of combining the vampire subgenre with a Southern Gothic musical narrative, fails to break past the conventions of vampire movies. It’s a movie that is truly Ryan Coogler’s, filled with African folklore, America’s racial history, and diverse talents, yet its technical execution often feels off.
– Despite its shortcomings, filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s ambitious strides to depict a multifaceted story of Black survival and existence in a Southern setting are commendable, particularly his effort to cinematically bring to life the genre’s well-known tropes in a distinct manner.

Filmmakers often face challenges when creating vampire films due to this subgenre’s inherent stereotypes and established elements. Typical vampire movie features include holy water, garlic, exposure to sunlight, and wooden stakes being used to subdue the undead. Vastly, the biggest variation across different films is the location setting, whether it’s in Eastern Europe, an American city, or a desert. Despite these constraints, I commend “Sinners,” a Southern Gothic horror musical filled with gore, for its audacious efforts. Although it employs a “kitchen sink” approach towards the genre, the outcome often falls short.

The movie “Sinners” is directed by Ryan Coogler and stars Michael B. Jordan as Smoke and Stack – World War I veteran brothers turned Chicago bootleggers, returning home to the Mississippi Delta to open up a juke joint. They are accompanied by their young cousin, Sammie (played by Miles Caton), and they are hopeful of his help in their endeavors. However, the situation goes awry as they are unsuccessful in creating a safe environment, free from the racial discrimination prevalent in the society of 1932.

Coogler’s approach to direction in Sinners is analogous to his previous film, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. ” In both films, Coogler aims for grandeur when simplicity would suffice and exhibits the influence of American racism. Depositing Jordan, yet again, in a role that requires him to be both charming and heroic is a downward spiral as Coogler’s ambitious ideas morph and comply with genre conventions.

The movie takes time to build the settings and the cast, a tactic used by Coogler to ensure audience immersion. He leans on continuous long takes to provide views of the main streets, and also focuses on the lavish attire of the characters and the uneasy Southern heat. Coogler chooses to shoot this film using IMAX cameras. While this decision results in breathtakingly beautiful scenes, it also produces a shallow focus which separates the characters from their surroundings, a major flaw since the setting is a critical factor in the characters’ realities.

The film addresses multiple themes that are integral to Coogler’s body of work including racial history, Black freedom, importance of family and ancestors, and the power of music. Despite the varied themes, the storyline seems disjointed, often held together by the character of Sammie – a talented blues musician who serves to connect the different eras and elements of the film.

The climax of the film is triggered by Sammie’s music which draws three Irish folk-singing vampire characters to the juke joint. The violence and chaos that ensue offer an exciting spectacle but fail to add any innovative element to the traditional vampire narrative, especially since it feels disconnected from the Southern setting of the film.

While Coogler’s far-reaching vision and strong direction are admirable, the film ultimately feels disjointed and unbalanced. There is a lack of clarity about whose story is being told, with several loose ends that leave the viewer unsatisfied. Despite these weaknesses, Coogler must be commended for his audacity, given the conservative climate in Hollywood that often restricts directors, particularly black filmmakers, from taking daring risks. Consequently, the excessive scale of the movie could be forgiven.