Rating: 10/10
“Black Panther” changed my life.
I was 14 when the film was released, and it was unlike anything I’d ever seen. Director Ryan Coogler told a story about nationalism and pride through the lens of a Marvel movie, completely changing the filmmaking game through its cultural impact and financial success.
Weirdly enough, I felt represented by the African American experience portrayed in the film even though I’m of Asian descent. I felt so disconnected from my heritage and identity, but seeing how Coogler wanted to tell the story of his people awoke something in me — something very few filmmakers can emulate.
The only problem is: “Black Panther” came out seven years ago.
We went through a pandemic, and writers went on a strike. In other words, the film industry looks very different. The kinds of stories that were present then might not be those that audiences want now. Maybe “Black Panther” was a one-off, something that might not happen again.
So, does an original film about African Americans in the Mississippi Delta in 1932 trying to fight off vampires work in 2025?
It sure does.
Coogler reinstates his status as the premier American auteur with “Sinners,” a bloody, sexy and thought-provoking tale of faith and culture through the lens of horror. Some people might label this as the “Black ‘From Dusk Till Dawn,’” but it’s so much more than that.
Composed of an all-star ensemble including Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Jack O’Connell, Delroy Lindo and newcomer Miles Canton, it’s incredible how Coogler uses these big names to create a story that doesn’t get overshadowed by the cast’s fame
The first act brings the Smoke Stack twins — both played by Jordan — back to their hometown to set up a juke joint, hoping for a night full of the blues and soul. They visit familiar spots and get what they need in preparation for the party, enlisting the help of their cousin Sammie — Canton — a preacher’s son who has a musical gift unlike any other.
The night gets underway, and music swells in the room. Everyone is moved by the melodies, and it feels like a monumental moment in their lives: They’re able to truly live and experience the music. Sammie delivers a show-stopping number that makes everyone realize his talent, something that only comes once in a generation.
However, the night takes a turn for the worse when vampires aim to infiltrate the party scene, led by Remmick — O’Connell. He wants what Sammie has and is willing to do anything to get it.
There’s a specific moment that truly showcases the genius of the storytelling at play. During the first act, we are just following the characters and analyzing why they’re doing things. It’s necessary but ultimately could lead audiences to question why they’re watching at all.
It’s not until Sammie’s show-stopping performance at the juke joint that we see the reason why. We know every character’s intentions and why they are there, but none of it matters anymore. Sammie has transformed their lives through the performance, and we understand the motivations behind the characters’ actions when trying to survive the vampires.
People are raving about the music scene, readily categorizing it as their favorite from the whole film. Something as deep and powerful can only come from someone like Coogler — a consequence of complete control over his craft.
“Sinners” doesn’t compromise anything to tell the story it wants to tell. I can think of 10 lesser versions of this film where outside influence would have infiltrated the meaning, possibly lowering the artistic intent to perpetuate irrelevant narratives. But Coogler adamantly stays true to who he’s representing: his people.
Just like Sammie’s gift, Coogler’s talent could easily be overlooked. At just 38 years old, he’s done more than filmmakers in their 70s could only hope for. By creating an original story, audiences are much more willing to accept what he’s created. Surrounding himself with people who believe in him allows him to be great, just like Sammie did.
Yet, he’s skeptical of his success.
During the promotion of the film, Coogler made a video explaining the amazing experience of viewing it in IMAX. Despite his influence, he doesn’t think people care about movies or how they’re made.
“I don’t know if anyone is gonna care about this shit,” Coogler said.
He was dead wrong.
People yearn for the theatrical experience. We have realized how impactful an event like this is and the importance of having original stories. The film is breaking box office records left and right, and it hasn’t shown any signs of stopping.
We want to see ourselves on the big screen — you can’t be what you can’t see, after all. And through the use of incredible music by Ludwig Gorronson, beautiful cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw and snazzy costume design by Ruth E. Carter, we’re immersed in Coogler’s vision.
The ultimate case for original movies is simple: In a world full of Minecrafts and Snow Whites, be a “Sinners.” Only when films contribute to ideas greater than themselves are we able to have introspective conversations.
“Sinners” is bold and entertaining, but most of all, it’s aware. Just like “Black Panther,” this movie is defining what is allowed to be made by today’s film industry. “Sinners” has something to say; you just have to be willing to listen.
Joshua Abraham is a kinesiology junior and opinion writer for The Battalion.
Bj Barnes • May 7, 2025 at 2:01 pm
It was so good! This piece is spot on!
Steve • May 2, 2025 at 3:04 pm
73/100
FIRST HALF-
The first half of the film was the best part of the movie, establishing ample layers of character development to create a harrowing tale of Black culture through the fusion of blues and spirituality. Michael B. Jordan’s performance is commendable, but his dual personalities end up hindering him at points as Smoke and Stack tend to overlap at times. The antagonist is initially built up well, but the implementation of him is poor, being posed as a looming threat over the characters rather than some crafty villain that constantly attempts to foil their attempts to escape/survive. It’s premise is too similar to From Dusk Till Dawn, an inverse relationship where instead of the characters attempting to survive a vampire onslaught inside the building, they have to ensure they stay out of it. The fixation on vampires ultimately leeches some of the greater meaning to the film, being used as obvious allegories for the systemic evils of Jim Crow (Unoriginal at this point) with some clever attempts to add layers of meaning to it, but still failing nonetheless. The focus on the preacher’s son was definitely the right choice, as his character development affects everyone else, the ‘moral anchor’ for the characters so to speak. His conflict between his newfound sense of hedonism and Christianity was present, but not well enough developed to have a real impact on the film overall. All it leads to is the scene with his broken guitar in the church, which was interesting enough. Fortunately, the ensemble characters were well developed and each had their own backstories, contributing to the overall tone of human perseverance and survival amidst such terrible social conditions.
SECOND HALF-
A greater focus on a different mythological creature would have greatly enhanced the focus on Black culture, which was diluted from the use of vampires. That’s not even a Black concept, it originated in Eastern Europe in Bulgaria a thousand years ago. Which I suppose is the main point of the movie, but why use a creature so overused and basically add nothing new to them? Same death methods, needs invitations, infect from bites, absurdly fast, ability of flight, etc. The final conflict is the weakest part of the film, as the 90 minutes of character development becomes sidelined as the movie shifts to become an action movie, which could be attributed to attacking the ‘racism’ head on, but the fight itself held little interest and was very by-the-numbers. Climatic fights, character deaths, brother vs. brother, I’ve seen it a million times. To make better use of an allegory, it should have been the brothers facing their inner demons and past actions with the culmination of the mafia finding them after they stole all of the liquor. That plot point wasn’t even really developed fully, just left hanging. The final ending made sense thematically, but the fact these vampires suddenly adopted some sense of morality and refused to kill the main character is absurd. It’s just semantics, but it still drove me crazy. I could go on and on, but you get the jist.
FINAL THOUGHTS-
I went in with mediocre expectations after the flop that was Mickey 17. I was excited for that movie too. What a freaking letdown. However, Sinners was able to surpass these expectations and deliver something that was close enough to being a true cinematic experience. If this is what Hollywood high art will look like in the future, well, it could be worse. The thing that surprised me most was that Ryan Coogler, behind such films as Black Panther and Creed could pull this off. Good for him I guess. The acting, the performances, and the writing were all superior compared to modern Hollywood standards, but the antagonists and the general allegory was weak, overused, and great attempts were made to subvert it or at least enhance it, but it still didn’t work. Most people will drool over this movie, and surprisingly, I don’t blame them. For a certain audience, this is one of the best pictures to be released in quite a while for a mainstream audience. But alas, I don’t belong to that group. At least I didn’t hate it, eh?