Sinners
I had no inclination to see this movie. I am so disinclined to enjoy vampire movies that I hadn’t been to the theater to see one since 1966, when I was seven years old. It’s the one where a guy is hung by his feet over Dracula’s ashes and then his throat is cut so he bleeds out. That was the day I learned how sticky theater floors are because that’s where I camped till the lights came up. The scene in the film that got to my little brother – as in, younger than seven – was Dracula’s death at the end, but he loved vampire fiction. Boys.
But Sinners just looks so gorgeous in the trailer and there are so many great actors in it, that I had to go and I’m so happy that I did. I got to the movie late because AMC sucks and their website had the wrong time on it so I missed ALL the trailers and a few minutes at the beginning, but I don’t think it mattered a lot. It irked me that the first thing we see is a young man who shows up at a church, his face slashed to bits and wildly traumatized. Then a place card appears that says One Day Earlier and the movie flashes back so he can be fully introduced along with the plot and other characters. That’s one of my top tier horror movie aggravations, showing who lives right up front. Yes, it was a great frame for this movie because they ended that scene at exactly the right moment and made me wonder for the next two hours how the scene plays out. So, dang it Coogler, you got me.
Twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, have come home to the Mississippi delta in the early 1930s from their gangster highlife up north. Despite it being the Great Depression, they give a sack of money to Boss Hogg to buy an old mill so they can start a juke joint. The two do look a lot alike except for subtle things like different hats, different dapper suits, and different facial hair. They even wear identical, authentic World War I dog tags. They look so much alike that they are actually portrayed by the same actor. I kept wondering how they found an amazing actor who looks just like amazing actor Michael B. Jordan, and then got home and Googled. Go ahead and laugh, I know you want to. Instead of feeling bamboozled, I was floored by the technical brilliance. Bear in mind, I used to watch a tv show in the 1960s about twin girls, who were actually on the same screen at the same time. But they just “faced each other” and said lines so it wasn’t hard to tell how they accomplished it. Smoke and Stack totally interact with each other and it’s absolutely seamless. Beyond the technical brilliance of it, imagine how Jordan accomplished this acting feat.
Another clever technical moment, as only one example, are a few green screen scenes that are obviously that, but again, super well done. My favorite is when Smoke and Stack are talking in normal speed, in focus, while behind them are frenetic dancers in fuzzy slow motion. Sounds trite and kinda dumb, but it worked so well in that moment. That was one of many great choices I loved from the director, where he used something simple to give a large chunk of exposition and furtherance of character development and plotlines.
The introduction is leisurely and thorough. There are a lot of central characters, and though we know for sure of one person who lives through the onslaught, you never know when a filmmaker will throw a curveball and include others. The characters all grew up together, and there’s a palpable closeness between people who may not be friends, but they know each other well. Old flames take very little to rekindle, adding a sweet undertone to what every audience member knows is a bad time coming.
Written and directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), has tightened up the plot into something that may seem languid but really isn’t. The film is almost entirely populated by African American characters, with some diversity that not only elevates the film but unexpectantly enhances the horror aspect of the plot at one point. In the very long credits there is even a person who was the Mississippi Delta Chinese Cultural Consultant. Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther, Creed) plays the Smoke Stack twins, Miles Caton (In his first movie!) is musical prodigy Preacher Boy Sammy, Wunmi Mosaku (Deadpool and Wolverine, Loki) is Vodou priestess Annie, Li Jun Li (Based on a True Story) and Yao (The Last Bout) are local business owners Grace and Bo Chow, Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) is Mary, and Jack O’Connell (Rogue Heroes) is the ancient and evil vampire. There are a lot of other faces you will recognize.
Music is everything in this film, and one scene turns the story on a dime from fraught southern drama to magic. I was mesmerized during this scene that made an outlandish, over the top point about culture and innovation and the raw power of music into an out of this world experience. Beyond the ideas displayed, the camera movement, costuming, and choreography of many moving pieces, it marks a turning point in the plot and is something I want to see again.
Though not as overlong as Black Panther, the movie doesn’t rush toward anything but I never felt like it dragged too much. As befits the time and place in history, even when there aren’t vampires lingering, there is a constant aura of simmering danger that could smash into the heroes at any moment. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer especially will love the vampiric plot point that maybe does go on a little too long, but really ramps the tension up and up.
This is a stunning movie, shot for the cinema on 64mm film rather than digital. Yes, that really does make a difference. If you’re lucky, you can watch it in an Imax theater because Coogler shot in that format at the same time. It’s a solid vampire story, a great southern drama and a powerful musical. There is a scene near the end that made me tear up, and I implore you to watch the two end credits scene. One is near the top, but the other is all the way at the end.
Triggers: violence of both undead and living types, some in your face sex talk and a bit of sexual situations
Available: in regular theaters and at eight Imax locations nationwide
LINKS:
CFR: In Addition
I so wish I could have gone with Cranky to see this movie. When I first saw the trailer, I wanted to see this. I mean, it is Ryan Coogler, who I adore, and I am a fan of Michael B. Jordan. I figured I would enjoy it.
I am so glad that Cranky liked it. That fuels my want to see it. Maybe Cranky would be up to see it again. Hey Cranky! I’ll pay for the ticket AND the popcorn! I will definitely buy it when it goes to streaming. I like to put my money where my heart is and supporting good directors is one of them.
Oh and I briefly read that some Klansmen get turned into vampires and well, isn’t that just so right.
Now for Some Great Links!!
The below links were sent to me by Cranky asking for them to be posted. After reading them – WOW! Thanks Cranky! The below links are about, and then ARE, a video made my director Ryan Coogler on his craft. So. Awesome. Take note, young filmmakers! A master is teaching. I also love that Kodak is supporting this because after all, Coogler shot using film instead of video. Very nice.
Enjoy.
- ‘Sinners’ director Ryan Coogler takes us to film school in 10 minutes
- Aspect Ratios with Sinners Director Ryan Coogler
Chick Flicking Reviews 