By: Hunter Montroy

Written & Directed by: Ryan Coogler

Cast: Michael B. Jordan (x2), Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson

Sinners has a lot to love and injects a fun, fresh idea to Hollywood. It’s an ambitious piece of work that tackles a fairly mundane genre—vampires. For the most part, the vampire genre is straightforward, much like the zombie genre, which is why Sinners stands out from the pack. Coogler’s approach is delicate and mostly effective, though at times the film’s ambition results in moments that feel a bit messy.

The Twins return home to 1932 Mississippi, and much of the first half is dedicated to building the world around them as they reconnect with those they left behind in Chicago. The atmosphere and environment throughout the film feel so alive, as if everything is exactly as it should be. The town feels believable, with the sets, characters, and writing all working in tandem to establish the main setting for the Twins’ project. Michael B. Jordan gives a great performance as both Smoke and Stack, making their interactions together as memorable as (and I hate to praise the guy) Armie Hammer’s portrayal of the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network. The work Jordan and Coogler put into making the two main characters distinct pays off heavily by the end. Neither feels like a copy of the other, yet they complement each other beautifully.

Sinners tackles a number of significant issues, especially those rooted in the 1930s. I love the concept Coogler is going for, and overall it works, though the execution from beginning to end feels a bit tangled. It’s as if everything couldn’t quite be fleshed out as fully as it needed to be. By the time the third act rolls around, it lands with a bit of a thud. I understand it’s a necessary part of the story, but the payoff doesn’t quite match the grandiose build-up, especially in terms of the vampire element. That said, a film doesn’t have to be what I expected going in. Sinners feels like a film meant to be revisited, with new meaning gained once you know where it’s going. Honestly, I’m still thinking about it the day after watching it, and a rewatch could easily wash away many of my initial gripes.

The message of Sinners is one I absolutely loved, especially in how it utilizes the vampire genre. Jack O’Connell’s Irish vampire villain is a standout. His character, shaped by experiences of being taught Christian prayer by those who stole his father’s land, mirrors the oppression experienced by Southern cultures. His mission to “save” everyone and build a new society free of white Christian colonization is powerful. The people who become vampires throughout the night share in those traumas, including the pivotal character of Mary, played by Hailee Steinfeld. While they are bound by shared pain, the ideology pushed by O’Connell’s character becomes extreme—only later do we see it begin to subside.

By the end, I found Sinners to be a truly beautiful, if somewhat messy, experience. The more I write about it, the more I appreciate it—and I’m itching to see it again. The relationship between the Twins, the shared cultural trauma of southern Mississippi, and the crucial role of Sammie leaves so much to unpack. It’s a film tied together with care and intent, and marks a monumental moment in Coogler’s career.