Ryan Coogler, best known for Marvel’s Black Panther films and Creed (2015), brings us one the most anticipated films of the year with his latest directorial feature Sinners starring Michael B. Jordan.
A compelling, evocative film which brings something new, inventive and genuinely sinister to the vampire genre, no easy feat in this post-Twilight world we live in. The vampire genre frequently feels it has been exhausted, but Coogler’s sweaty, music-driven horror piece set in the 1932 Jim-Crow American South – Mississippi to be exact – delivers a fascinating exploration of vampirism and African-American culture.
Like many classic examples in gothic literature (namely Dracula or Zofloya) the film uses the vampire motif to focus thematically on the racial divides and fears of the time, in particular the threat of white people entering a space dedicated to people of colour. Sinners also explores the influence of blues music, spirituality, machismo and sexual desire – the latter of which also famously lends itself well to vampirism.
A sinister twist on the vampire genre
In Sinners, Michael B. Jordan delivers charisma and strength, both physical and emotional, in spades in his double role as the identical twins Stack and Smoke. He convincingly characterises their differences, despite their confusingly similar (nick)names, and is aided in this task by their opposingly coloured costumes and respective love interests, Hailee Steinfeld as Mary and Wunmi Mosaku as Annie. The twins serve as the film’s powerhouses of masculine authority, retaliative violence and complicated morality.
Miles Caton, astonishingly in his acting debut, plays the younger cousin of the twins and he delivers one of the most beautiful and captivating musical sequences ever put to screen – which literally left my jaw on the cinema floor. The notion of music possessing the power to distort the boundaries of linear time is brought to life in this awe-inspiring sequence, which in my opinion is the highlight of the entire film. Caton’s magnetic singing voice draws the audience (on screen and off) in, and his adolescent excitement and curiosity with his charismatic cousins and their world, coupled with his steadfast love for creating and performing music, also lends him perfectly as the audience’s means of entering into this Southern landscape of lust, love, labour, liquor . . . and vampires.
Several critics seem somewhat unimpressed by the vampire aspect of Coogler’s film, but you’ve got to respect his ambition, and with the growing influence of a television series like AMC’s Interview with the Vampire, which stars Jacob Anderson (a black British actor) as Louis de Pointe du Lac (famously a white man turned vampire in Anne Rice’s original book), and the impact Robert Eggers’ version of Nosferatu had on cinema recently, it is apparent that audiences are excited for a vampire renaissance, and in particular one which draws attention to vampirism and its links to racial prejudice.
Themes of race, music, and desire
As such, the depiction of vampires in the deep American South during a period of severe racial division in Sinners is something that should be commended and celebrated for its cultural and social importance and intrigue. Plus, I think the vampire plotline is, for the majority of the film, superbly executed in Sinners.
All the performances in Sinners are praiseworthy, the following few noteworthy. Hailee Steinfeld might be the face of the film’s promo, and her performance is excellent in its own right, – her accent most impressive – but for me the stand out female performanceis undoubtedly Wunmi Mosaku as Annie. Mosaku has unmatched screen presence, with her character’s powerful composure, spirituality, valuable knowledge of vampirism and erotic chemistry with the twin Smoke at its’ forefront. Her character’s ending is stunning and a tasteful nod to the driving force of Annie’s faith in her culture’s spirituality. Mosaku is certainly a talent whose future work I highly anticipate.
Similarly, Jack O’Connell once again proves himself as an extraordinary performer, in this undoubtedly challenging but masterfully executed role as Remmick; in turn emphasising the insane plethora of talented actors that have emerged from Skins (2007-2013). His unnerving charisma quickly turns to demonic persuasion and aggression – in true gothic and traditional vampiric style.
His piercing red glowing eyes and physical dismemberment as the film progresses aid the sense of terror and satanic imagery central to his character, and to the narrative, without ever feeling cringey or tacky. The makeup and prosthetics team and all those involved in the practical and post-production effects on this production have my respect and admiration.
A new era for vampires on screen
The narrative and plotline of Sinners is original, bold and captivating. Despite a slow start, it recovers itself well for the majority of the remainder of the film’s duration, before heavily losing itself again at the end. There were several points in the final part of this film where it could have ended, with enough concluded and a satisfying amount left up to the audience’s interpretation, but it didn’t – it just kept going.
Coogler seemingly didn’t know how to conclude the film, so he muddled together a largely unnecessary flashforward sequence. Ending a film is never easy, but concluding it to a ‘satisfying’ and fully conclusive close is often not necessary, especially when it’s a film as unpredictable, ambitious and exciting in its originally as this one. This would have been a five star film for me, but its ending left little to be admired unfortunately.
But with an exciting and largely well-executed premise, a stacked cast bringing superbly captivating performances, and a take of musicality and its magical power unlike anything I’ve seen, this film serves as an enthralling and progressive addition to modern vampire cinema and the concept of Southern African-American vampirism in particular. Absolutely worth a watch – preferably in an IMAX cinema screening.
