Sinners is the best film Ryan Coogler has made and one of the best films of the year.
Michael B. Jordan plays twin brothers in 1930s Mississippi, and the film weaves together a blues-soaked horror thriller with genuine things to say about Black American history, culture, and resilience. The premise is original, the execution is completely assured, and the world Coogler builds has a texture and specificity that stays with you long after you leave the theatre. The music is central to the film in a way that is rare and completely effective — it is not just a soundtrack, it is structural.
There are moments of genuine horror and moments of genuine joy, and Coogler holds both tones at once without either undermining the other. That is an extraordinarily difficult thing to pull off.
Sinners is the rare genre film that earns the right to be called something more. See it. Then think about it for a few days. Then watch it again.
