Ryan Coogler has created a genre-defying masterpiece in “Sinners,” the new hit with audiences that made it Number 1 at the box office.
With elements of horror, historical drama, and most of all, the importance of the blues, this is a movie that will be remembered when it’s time for awards-list compilations.
I don’t think screenwriter/director Coogler knows how to make a movie that’s less than stellar, with the likes of “Creed” and “Black Panther” on his resume.
Michael B. Jordan plays twin brothers Smoke and Stack – you always can tell which one you’re watching, because he gives each of them a completely different vibe. It’s the early 1930s, and they’ve come back from Chicago to Clarksdale, Mississippi, where their cousin Sammie (Miles Caton in a terrific role) wants to play his guitar.
Smoke and Stack have a perfect place for him to do it. They’re going to turn an old building into a juke joint.
Old lovers and close-to-the skin pain bubble up, as do racial injustices, hatred and evil. The juke joint becomes threatened by a presence that pursues the very souls of the people inside.
There’s a party scene that I absolutely must watch again, because it summons up the spirits of what creates the blues and how music binds generations together.
This is rich in character development and interesting characters, with the always-reliable Delroy Lindo as another blues player. Because it cannot be categorized, I’ll just call it an ensemble piece, with extraordinary performances, memorable characters and wonderful music.
There’s action, violence, steamy love sequences, and a finale that’s a fitting tribute to the blues. It’s extraordinary film making that’s well worth seeing on the big screen.
4 stars
Running time: Two hours and 17 minutes.
Rated: R for foul language, violence, sexual situations and gore.
In theaters.
Watch the trailer here.