Why ‘Sinners’ is a Near-Perfect Compilation of Musical Culture and Horror

If you haven’t watched Sinners, what exactly have you been doing? Let us dive into this movie, without spoilers! So that you can see the light and go watch one of the best horror movies of all time! Ryan Coogler’s masterpiece is a mix of culture and representation that, as a Black woman, I didn’t know I needed.

What’s Sinners About?

The movie is set in 1932 Mississippi, during the Jim Crow and KKK era. Sinners follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both portrayed by Michael B. Jordan) as they return to their hometown to fulfill their joint dream. The brothers want to open a new juke joint — a bar made by Black folks for other Black folks.

They begin to spread the word and find everything they need to make opening night happen. The day starts off great! They pick up their little cousin Sammie “Preacher Boy” Moore (portrayed by Miles Caton in his first role). Sammie dreams of singing the Blues and sharing his godly talent with the world and anyone willing to listen. They reconnect with old friends, and everyone in town is excited for the night.

But they had no idea that, hidden in the shadows of all the light and positive energy, supernatural evil lurked right at their doorstep, waiting for an invitation.

Meet The Moore family, our MCs

Smoke & Stack

Elijah and Elias Moore are the scary Smoke and Stack twins. Even though portrayed by the same person, on screen it really does feel like they are two completely different people.

Elijah “Smoke” Moore is the oldest of the twins. He never smiles, he never jokes around, and you can tell he means business all of the time. A very serious and brooding character that shows love through toughness. He is a World War I veteran soldier, with clear PTSD. And throughout the movie, we see all his sides: tough, scared, in love… and just pure willpower, never giving up until the last second.

Even though Smoke seems to be a very tough nut to crack! Through his actions and his words, we understand the love he has for his brother, and for his cousin Sammie. And for who I assume is basically the love of his life, Annie (portrayed by Wunmi Mosaku).

Elias “Stack” Moore is the younger and the total opposite of his brother. Stack is always ready to joke around. He doesn’t seem to take anything too seriously. And unlike Smoke, he supported his cousin’s idea of wanting to leave the plantations and just play guitar, sing the Blues, and be free. Stack was what balanced the roughness of his brother. He was one of my favorite characters for sure! Always ready to throw a snarky comment out or make fun of something.

He always had a smile on his face! Much like his brother, we could also understand the love he had for his cousin and his twin. And even though in denial at first, we could also bluntly see his love for Mary (portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld). Their dynamic seemed a bit more immature than Annie’s and Smoke’s, but nonetheless just as real and pure.

Sammie “Preacher Boy” Moore

Sammie is a young man whose father is a pastor, so as you can imagine, he wasn’t given much freedom to do what he wants or to be who he wanted to be. His father always wanted him to follow in his footsteps, to be a pastor, and to preach the word of the Lord. But Sammie just wanted to play his guitar, to feel the music, and sing what his father called the devil’s music — the Blues.

Preacher Boy looks up to his older cousins. He admires their courage, their strength, and their way of living free. He wanted to be like them — but through his own way somehow.

His talent was the highlight of this movie. His voice — well, Miles Caton’s voice and real talent — were everything to bring this character to life.

And the soundtrack… OH don’t even get me started!

Soundtrack to Die For

The soundtrack in Sinners was what kept me on the edge of my seat as well, and with the IMAX sound system, it felt like the music was running through my veins. My favourite scene (no spoilers) was Sammie’s performance in the juke joint.

Sinners highlights the fact that there are people on this earth that have the talent to join past, present, and future through their art. They can break the veil and connect the spirits of those who came before us and those that will come after — all to celebrate, for one moment, everything that keeps us connected: culture and experiences.

Sammie’s performance was a visual of the mix of culture and sound that keeps us connected, and I felt it more than I expected. It is hard to describe the feeling — only after watching it will you understand the meaning of my words.

This performance and power of storytelling was what attracted Remick, the villain of this story. Without giving too much away, let’s just say: this vampire wanted his gift and ability to bring a community together.

A white person who wanted in on the culture and experiences of a Black person to exploit it for their own gain? It sounds a little too familiar…

Visuals to Cry For

The filmmakers shot this movie specifically for IMAX screens, capturing beautiful visuals that brought me to tears. Watching ancestors portrayed in such a mesmerizing way — across vast cotton fields, golden sunsets, and vibrant colors — created a marvelous experience I felt compelled to relive again and again. (I would know — I watched this movie 3 times.)

What’s this Story Trying to Say?

Ever since this movie came out, there’s been a lot of hot takes about the underlying meaning in this story. What did Ryan Coogler really want us to see? Just another vampire story? A culturally significant piece that highlighted a predominantly Black cast?

Well, in my opinion, this movie is about togetherness and the celebration of significant challenges that a community had to face. It highlights the freedom we are lucky to have now. It shows how beautiful and mesmerising Black art is, and it truly criticises some beliefs in a way.

Coogler has always said that his movies are meant to make people think — to make people question the number of possibilities of why things are the way they are. The way he portrays evil in this movie is thought-provoking. One minute you hate them — because, well, they’re vampires and they just want to kill — but then you hear the villain’s side, what led him to the decisions he made, and you think: Oh wait! Maybe I understand where he’s coming from.

And we are no strangers to misunderstood and complex villains when it comes to Ryan Coogler’s writing, so this comes with no surprise.

Religious Community Uproar

It is imperative we also look at Sinners free of religious judgments. There are people who’ve said that the movie was too heavy on them spiritually — but to be fair, there’s nothing there that we didn’t know already, just more in-your-face.

Yes, the devil cannot come into your life and your home unless you make way for him too. Yes, the devil knows the scriptures just like we do — we mustn’t forget he was a fallen angel, right?

So, if you’re a religious person like myself, I honestly didn’t see anything that should’ve caused such an uproar in the community. Please leave the ‘demonic’ allegations at the door and enjoy this Black masterpiece — thank you!

Was the Movie Really Worth the Hype?

Ryan Coogler is the director of the Black Panther and Creed movies. He always brings forth his vision through the lens and lets us experience the worlds he builds and the people he represents.

Sinners makes you think. It lets you draw out your own conclusions about what the vampires really represent — how hatred can blind you into inviting danger into your life. How ignorance and lack of self-awareness can put everyone else around you in danger. And most of all, it will help reinforce the fact that we are all connected to our ancestors through culture, through music, and through experiences.

So yes, Sinners is worth the hype!

If your local cinema brings it back to IMAX screens, don’t deny yourself heaven — go experience this beautiful piece the way the filmmakers intended.

IMDb: 8.1 /10, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%