Late to the Party: Films I missed when they were in theatres - Sinners
- Carla Davis
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Please, someone explain to me WHY I did not watch Sinners on the big screen. For some reason, it just didn’t worm its way into my brain during its theatrical release, despite the fact that I love a good vampire flick.
And to make matters worse, I didn’t jump at the chance to see it after all of the acclaim started hitting. Honestly, that actually makes sense, because we all know that once a film starts getting a lot of hype, many of us refuse to jump on board for fear it won’t live up to our expectations.
Still, the record-breaking 16 Academy Award nominations didn’t even spur me to action. But, I righted that wrong eventually, and just watched Sinners on HBO Max last weekend. So, do I now get the hype for this film? The answer is a resounding “Hell, yeah”!
What is Sinners about?
Sinners take us back to the racially segregated Mississippi Delta back in 1932, when identical twin brothers Elijah and Elias Moore (known as Smoke and Stack) are coming back home after spending some time in Chicago working for the mob. They have arranged to buy an old sawmill from a man named Hogwood, and they intend to open a juke joint that very night.
Their younger cousin Sammie, who is an incredibly talented blues singer and guitar player agrees to perform, as well as does musician Slim. Smoke and Stack recruit other friends to help them out as well, including Smoke’s estranged wife Annie, Chinese shopkeepers Grace and Bo, and a man named Cornbread, who will serve as the bouncer.
As the sawmill is being quickly set up for business, an Irishman named Remmick is on the prowl, working to recruit some folk to help him invade the juke joint. And as we soon discover, Remmick is a vampire.
What follows is honestly, a magical film experience. I was particularly enthralled by the scene in which Sammie begins to play his guitar and sing. So talented is he that his music summons the spirits of dancers and performers from the past, as well as the future. So while we see tribesmen from years gone by dancing ritualistically, we also see break dancers from the future alongside. It’s a thrilling scene, and I am getting goosebumps just thinking about it right now.
When the vampires set out to turn everyone in the juke joint, the action and violence kicks in, and doesn’t let up for quite some time. And it does get bloody (despite the creative use of pickled garlic to fight off the vamps). I am completely mystified how so many people claim this is not a horror film. I mean…vampires, lots of blood, intense fights – it’s definitely horror.
And the music? Oh, that music is so captivating! It’s no wonder it earned the Oscar for Best Original Score (along with wins for Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography).
The cast is outstanding, and Michael B. Jordan fully deserves all of the accolades he has received for his dual role of Smoke and Stack. Ryan Coogler has written and directed an incredible film – one that includes important social commentary alongside the compelling, absolutely horror driven storyline.
Sinners is about as close to a perfect film as I have ever seen.
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