On Friday, April 18, the horror movie “Sinners” debuted in theatres around the country, and three months later, the vampire story is still going strong in theatres and is a hot topic of conversation amongst movie connoisseurs.
According to the official “Sinners” Movie website, “Sinners” is about twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore, both played by Michael B. Jordan, who return to their hometown only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. “Sinners”, which takes place in Mississippi in 1932 during the Probation Act, effectively highlights the blues music and culture of Black Americans during this time.
This Rated R film was created and directed by Ryan Coogler, famous for directing the “Black Panther” and “Creed” movie series. Coogler said this particular movie is close to his heart, showcasing parts of his family dynamic and traditions, as well as integrating his favorite movie genre, horror. Coogler, in an April podcast interview with ALL THE SMOKE hosted by former NBA player Matt Barnes, said that the main inspiration for “Sinners” was the relationship he had with his Uncle James back in his hometown of Oakland, California.
Coogler tells Barnes that his uncle was originally from Mississippi, but fled the state, running from some trouble he had with his white boss, and ended up in Oakland. Coogler said that when his uncle would get off work, he would drink whiskey and listen to old blues records. “If the whiskey was cold enough and the song was good enough, I might get a story about Mississippi,” said Coogler.
In addition, what makes “Sinners” so interesting is the twist Coogler adds to the plot by adding vampires to the storyline. When asked why he decided to add vampires, Coogler states that horror has always been one of his favorite types of films. “I like horror movies. I thought it was crazy how I’ve been making movies for over 10 years, and no one really knows me,” Coogler told Barnes on “ALL THE SMOKE.”
“Sinners” Jordan describes playing both roles as challenging, but the main reason he wanted to be a part of the movie was “Ryan (Coogler) built two characters that were so different but kind of the same as well,” Jordan recently told Entertainment Weekly. The film follows Smoke and Stack over one day and shows the madness that takes place in such a short amount of time.
Everyone is saying that “Sinners” is one of the best movies they have seen in a long time. Many viewers were impressed by Coogler’s way of interpreting history, culture and darkness in such a compelling way. Fans are discussing their opinions on Reddit in an official “Sinners” thread.
According to Reddit fans, the best scene in the movie showcases the history behind blues music and how it relates to music today as well as the past. The scene also highlights the connection to African ancestors and how that is intertwined with African American culture today.
“That music scene with Sammy transporting everyone across time? So. Damn. Good. The best part of this movie is the music and that’s not an insult at all. The music is THAT good. Worth a theater watch to just soak up that sound as much as possible!”, says the top comment on the Reddit thread.
“The scene where Sammie plays the blues in such a way that integrates all historical genres and eras of culture in one jam session was the coolest thing I’ve seen on the big screen in a long time,” says another comment.
According to IMDb.com, “Sinners” was the number one movie in America in April and scored a 7.7/10 IMDb rating. The production also has a 98% rating from critics and a 97% rating from the audience on Rotten Tomatoes, with more than 10,000 reviews. “Sinners” is still in theatres despite the original May 21 stream date and the box office success, and is now available to stream on Max as of July 4 and on HBO as of July 5, according to Yahoo Entertainment. I highly recommend you watch “Sinners” if you haven’t already.
