Written and Directed by Ryan Coogler

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. (IMDB)

Michael B. Jordan plays Smoke and Stack, twin brothers returning to their Mississippi Delta roots to open a juke joint in their home town. They have been away for several years, working in Chicago, the name Al Capone being bandied about; they are tough guys with a reputation even after all this time. With a truck full of Irish Beer and Italian wine, there is also the suggestion that they might be in hot water if their old bosses find out what they have been up to. But the fear of reprisals from gangsters is nothing compared to the fear of devils and demons, rife in the superstitious South.

Picking up Sammie (Miles Caton), preacher’s son and gifted blues guitarist, the first half of the film is a ‘getting the band back together’ journey through the twin’s old stomping grounds, rounding up old friends who can help them get the juke joint up and running as well as bumping into old flames. Not everyone is necessarily happy to see the twins, but everyone is intrigued to see what they make of their juke joint. What better way to mend old wounds than through the healing strength of music?

Sinners is partly (mostly?) about the power and healing nature of music, opening with a voice-over telling us about mythical musicians in numerous cultures who possess the power to conjure devils and demons through the power of their music. As the opening night unfolds and the juke is jumping, Sammie gets up to play and it is clear he might just be that good. In a goosebump-inducing set-piece, Coogler treats us to an amazing musical/dance sequence as Sammi breaks down the barriers of time and culture, illustrating the power of the Blues; a power so pervasive that it brings literal demons to the door of the juke. It’s here that the movie takes a dramatic turn, and the joy of the music, dancing and drinking gives way to a fight for survival if only they can make it to sunrise.

Sinners is a film of many parts. It has drama, crime, gangsters, dancing, singing and, inevitably, horror. It’s a hard one to categorise in many ways because it doesn’t feel wholly any one of these things. I have read other reviews criticising Coogler for this, but it’s partly the reason the film works so well for me. For the first half of the film, we get to meet the characters, learning about their past, their relationships, their fears, and desires. It may take time for the horror to kick off but, when it does, it means something, you want these characters to survive, they aren’t throwaway avatars you don’t care about.

Jordan’s portrayal of Smoke and Stack is a masterclass, and the differences between the two brothers are subtly delivered. It would have been easy to make them different through cliche and caricature, but the performances here are delivered with nuance, ensuring the existence of these twins is believable and convincing. And the supporting turns from Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, Li Jun Li and Jack O’Connell all just work so well. In fact, the cast is fantastic all round, no wasted characters and if I were to list all the good performances, I might as well just cut and paste the cast list from IMDB. Again, I have seen some complaints that Remmick (O’Connell) and his devils aren’t shown on screen enough, but I don’t see that as a problem. It’s like Bruce in Jaws, you don’t have to show everything straight away; build tension so, when the proverbial does hit the fan, the last stand at the juke is short, sharp, and shocking.

When all is said and done with the music and the horror, Sinners is also a commentary on friendship and family, as well as community and consequences – we are all sinners. A B-story about the KKK reflects the real dangers facing Smoke and Stack’s community against those posed by the demons lead by Remmick, possibly more easily dealt with than the pervasive hatred of bigotry and racism in the 1930s. Smoke and Stack face literal demons in Sinners, but it may well be the white man that proves just as much of an obstacle to their dreams. Maybe even more of an obstacle, after all, they have a choice that Remmick’s demons maybe don’t and what they are offering is potentially a preferable fate to that offered by the KKK?

Sinners takes turns and twists throughout its run-time. There is nothing too shocking in terms of reveals, it isn’t that sort of film, but it doesn’t give all its secrets easily and it isn’t over when the final battle is done; make sure you stick around during and after the credits.

Sinners is doing incredibly well on IMDB, scoring highly despite some of the usual 1/10 reviews that seem to be more about the author that the movie. For me, it’s clearly in the running for one of my favourites of the year and a day-one purchase when the disc drops. Acting, editing, direction, cinematography are all fantastic, but the real star here is the music, breaking down those mythical walls between worlds and transporting the viewer to the sweaty, humid Mississippi Delta for a memorable 2 hours and 17 minutes. I wonder if the trailer has confused some viewers as it potentially portrays the movie as more action packed than it really is. But don’t let that put you off, it is crammed full of great characters and story and Coogler has delivered a blinder!