Sinners

Blues injected blood flows red in Ryan Coogler’s vampiric dance with the devil

Heralding from Oakland, California, Ryan Coogler emerged into the world of film with his 2013 feature debut Fruitvale Station. Telling the true story of Oscar Grant, who was shot to death in Oakland, Coogler’s passionate and powerful voice from behind the camera was immediately heard by audiences. In front of the camera was up-and-coming actor Michael B. Jordan, who delivered a powerful performance that thrust him into stardom, simultaneously birthing a career spanning collaboration between the two artists.

Just two years later, Coogler leant this voice to the whimpering cries of the dying Rocky franchise, with the series best Creed. The film saw Coogler and Jordan reunite and told the powerful story of Adonis “Donnie” Johnson and his rise to fame in the shadow of his father, Apollo Creed. The film tackled ideas of identity and legacy through Coogler’s growing style and language.

After Creed, Coogler was brought into the rapidly expanding Marvel engine to direct Black Panther (and its sequel), making him the first person of colour to direct a Marvel Studios project. Again collaborating with Michael B. Jordan, starring as the film's villain, Coogler injected the superhero genre with a timely focus on Afrofuturism and black culture. With an iconic performance by the late Chadwick Boseman, an accompanying album inspired by the film (curated by multi Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar) and an elevated marketing campaign, Black Panther not only felt like an important moment for the MCU but also for black culture in America and Ryan Coogler’s impact as a filmmaker.

Today, Ryan Coogler finds himself gifting audiences with one of the finest cinematic experiences of the year in Sinners. Written, directed and produced by Coogler with the big screen experience at the forefront of his mind, Sinners once again sees him teaming with long time collaborator Michael B. Jordan to tell the story of twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both portrayed by Jordan) as they plan to open a Juke Joint for the people of their hometown. What unfolds over the course of the film’s 24 hour period is a vicious fusion of sun-soaked imagery, passionate blues music and bloody vampiric horror.

Coogler’s approach to filmmaking has not yet felt as decadent as it does with Sinners. Applying everything he’s learned over his career, Coogler is able to approach this grand, genre blending journey into America’s south with such precise execution while still retaining those slightly tattered edges that are to be expected from a film as indulgent as this. At the forefront of the film Coogler, once again, uses his voice to shine a light on an overlooked piece of black history, this time it is in Blues music and its roots in the deep south.

This exploration of music gives way to a phenomenal soundtrack, not only thanks to composer and frequent collaborator Ludwig Göransson but also newcomer Miles Caton. Caton stars as Smoke and Stack’s cousin, Sammie Moore, and serves as the film's pseudo-lead and audience surrogate as he learns about his cousin's history and future plans throughout the course of the film. Immediately, Caton establishes himself as a true talent. With an incredible voice, he brings an intense energy to the film through his Blues tunes that are so powerful they begin to take on an almost supernatural power.

It is said that the power of music holds the ability to bridge generations, with some musicians being so talented that they can speak to the past, present and future through their music. Unfortunately, they can also attract unwanted forces with this ability that can blur the line between the physical and spiritual worlds. While at Smoke and Stack’s jukebar, and after recruiting piano player and old time friend Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) as well as singer Pearline (Jayme Lawson), this very occurrence begins to unfold as a result of Sammie’s playing.

As Sammie rocks the Juke Joint in one of the film's finest scenes, and a true highlight of Coogler’s career, the vampire Remmick (Jack O’Connell) is drawn to the music's power as he searches for a way to reconnect with his Irish ancestors. As Remmick and a pair of Klansmen attempt to enter the jukebar, suspicions begin to rise as Smoke, Stack and friends Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) and Cornbread (Omar Miller) refuse them entry the vampires true intentions are unbeknownst to the group. Shortly later, Mary is sent out to see if they have money to spend and upon her return, all hell breaks loose.

While Sinners could be easily dismissed as a big budget vampire film, Coogler’s intentions behind the film and the use of vampires seems incredibly intentional. Not only does he commit to hard vampire law, following the rules established for the creatures spanning generations, he also uses them as a way to interrogate the ideas behind black culture and the way that it has so often been stolen by those that are exposed to it.

Early in the film, Delroy Lindo delivers a fantastic monologue as Delta Slim explains to Sammie that Blues music was taken and bastardised by white Americans for their enjoyment, completely discrediting its history and significance to those whom it means so much to. It seems obvious then that Coogler would choose vampires for the film's villains, as the creatures seduce their way into the homes of their victims only to suck the life out of them for their own personal gain. In the same breath, however, Coogler also highlights the impact that Blues music has had across generations and cultures and honours that in a beautiful way.

It’s through this interrogation that Coogler shines as a filmmaker. Not only does he make Sinners work as a showcase for Blues music and its roots, but also as an all round entertaining horror blockbuster. Through all the film's ideas, the entire cast and crew deliver on all fronts. From Micheal B. Jordan’s terrific outing as the twins, Caton’s fantastic debut and Lindo’s perfect comedic timing to Göransson’s pulsating score and Coogler’s impeccable direction, Sinners sings on the big screen.

The drama, comedy and seduction on screen is palpable through the film's first half and when the vampiric nightmare begins to unfold, the blood runs oh so red through to the film’s powerful finale. The visuals of Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s gorgeous photography, the infectious score and diegetic music along with Coogler’s overall mastery of his craft makes way for one of 2025’s most enjoyable cinema experiences and is sure to remind audiences why it is that we go to see films on the big screen. It’s powerful, it’s scary, it’s bold and it’s loud and it is one of Ryan Coogler’s finest moments as a filmmaker.

Sinners is in Australian cinemas now!