_{By: Amanda Guarragi}

The current cinema-going climate has shifted, and the attention to box office numbers has been alarming. If a film’s box office doesn’t make half of its profit back within the first weekend, it’s automatically seen as a failure or not up to par with previous box office wins. 

What’s sad about this is that original films don’t have the opportunity to stay in theatres long enough for multiple viewings or even to grow over consecutive weekends. 

2025 has been a slow year for movies, and none have had the same buzz or monumental filmmaking as Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, for it to warrant the same level of hype it has received in its opening weekend. Coogler had dominated the box office with Black Panther and Creed because of his heartfelt storytelling. 

In an instant, Sinners gained popularity and became the number one film over the weekend. Not only because of word of mouth, but because of the quality of filmmaking and dedication to the craft. Coogler has always been a beautiful storyteller. He develops complex characters with interwoven stories that are rooted in something much richer thematically. 

Sinners is a stunning fusion of genres that only elevates the basic structure of a supernatural vampire narrative. Coogler takes the audience on a journey in the Deep South, exploring the convergence of music and spirituality, depicting the genre of the Blues being born out of defiance against the Christian roots in the Catholic Church. 

Newcomer Miles Caton portrays a young Sammie Moore, who is an aspiring Blues musician. Being a pastor’s son places an unfair amount of pressure on Sammie, who has found his soul through Blues music.

When we meet Sammie, it’s the day after a traumatic event, he has nail marks, bruising the side of his face, blood on his shirt and a broken guitar in his hand. Much like Black Panther, the start of the film feels like an old tale as he intertwines musical lore and history beautifully. Sammie wants to move out to pursue his music career and follows his cousins Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) as they are more experienced on their return from Chicago.

The dual performance by Michael B. Jordan is his most daring performance to date. Not only did Jordan have to react and play off his other self, but he had to convey emotional depth when forming the brotherly relationship between the characters. With Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut (Creed 3) under his belt, you could tell how calculated and rehearsed every inch of his performance was.

Coogler not only gets Michael B. Jordan’s best performance out of him but also allows Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Mosaku, Hailee Steinfeld, Jayme Lawson, Jack O’Connell and Li Jun Li to shine as well. The cast had wonderful chemistry, and their characters had depth, which allowed for a strong connection.

Smoke and Stack complemented each other of being two sides of the same coin, distinct, yet inseparably connected. Smoke was assertive, respectable, and tactical; the ultimate strategist to make the brothers well-known across the South. Smoke suffered from PTSD and carried his wounds with him. He was more vulnerable with his ex-wife Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) and had a gentler side as well. He was protective and wanted the best for himself and his brother. 

Stack, on the other hand, had a zest for life and was a people person. Even though Stack wasn’t as refined as his brother, he had more of an approachable swagger, which made him more likable. The SmokeStack twins were known from Chicago to Mississippi because of how they handled business as gangsters to open their club. They travelled to find international beer to offer something different to the community they grew up in.

For young Sammie, the twins influenced him to follow his passion for music because they allowed him to play in their club opening. He wanted to break free from his father’s confined space and experience life through his music. When Sammie was out on the road with Smoke and Stack, he felt free to be himself and seek new adventures. 

The first half of Sinners depicts the life of a small-town boy who wants to break free from the safe and familiar. The cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw shows gorgeous sweeping landscapes of the South to mirror the grand aspirations of the SmokeStack twins and Sammie. 

Throughout the film, Akawpaw was shot on 65mm film using a combination of IMAX 15-perf 70mm and Ultra Panavision 70mm cameras. Switching aspect ratios at key moments greatly affected the overall feel of sequences. Switching from a wide 1.43:1 to a full 2.76:1 utilizes the space within the frame and the gravity of the situation. There’s a fullness when it goes to a full 2.76:1 versus a more dialogue-heavy intensity with 1.43:1. 

The perspective does switch between the twins and Sammie, but it heavily leans on Sammie because all of this is brand new to him. We are introduced to a world of Blues and community through his eyes. 

Even though Michael B. Jordan is top billed, this is all about Miles Caton and how brilliant a performance he gives in his debut. There is one jaw-dropping scene with Miles Caton as he performs for the first time. He states his name because Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) tells him to stand tall to represent the Blues musicians that came before him and the legacy he will carry after this performance. 

This sequence here is when the film shifts in its entirety, and you feel like you’re witnessing a monumental moment in cinema history. When Sammie starts to play, the aspect ratio changes, and the one-take works the room as he performs. Coogler shows the generational impact of Jazz/Blues music and how it changed throughout history. Ludwig Göransson reteams with Coogler on this project and composes a stunning score that fuses past and present to make something so fresh and unique. 

While everyone is enjoying the music and the vibe of the new bar, Coogler places the supernatural tropes in the background. Slowly building the vampire encounter with small interactions around the area. When Remmick (Jack O’Connell) is invited in by a couple on the outskirts of town, that’s when the night takes a turn for our characters. 

Sinners showcases Coogler’s talents as a storyteller and student of his craft. After multiple box-office hits and creating two of the best films in their respective franchises, this is his most masterful work yet. 

Coogler uses the foundation of music and spirituality to parallel the racial oppression when stealing from the marginalized. The vampires, at first, are white and enticing them to live a better life if they adapt to their way of living. This can also be taken as erasing their Blackness and conforming to societal ideals. 

Coogler’s script slowly descends into the supernatural horror that the film promises, but it’s the thematic complexities that add layers to it. Without the foundation of these characters, the story wouldn’t have been nearly as impactful. 

Sinners is one of the best films of 2025 and one of the best theatre experiences you will have in your life. Every single person who worked on this film was firing on all cylinders, and it was a joy to watch.