From the moment I saw the first trailer for Sinners, I was totally sold on this film, it looked like it was going to be From Dusk Till Dawn, only set in the Jim Crow era, and I was absolutely excited for it. As an added cherry on top, the film was shot on film and with large-format cameras. This was a film that easily was one of the films I was most looking forward to seeing this year, and it broke my heart having to miss out on seeing it opening weekend because I was sick. Now that I’ve finally seen it, did it live up to my expectations? The hype surrounding this film is insane, especially when you see the box office numbers this film is bringing in and people already wanting to call this the best horror film of the year, and despite it only being May, people are talking about this getting some awards nominations. It’s not surprising when you consider the writer and director is Ryan Coogler, who managed to get Black Panther an Oscar nomination.
The film takes place in the early 1930s and follows Smoke and Stack, (Michael B. Jordan does double duty playing the twins). They are brothers who have fled Chicago to return to their home in the south in the Mississippi Delta to open up a juke-joint. They come to town with cash and purchase an old mill from a man they suspect is a member of the Klan but hope that their money is good enough to not cause any trouble. Too bad it seems trouble seems to always find Smoke and Stack, as we discover that the brothers don’t exactly have a squeaky-clean reputation.
We spend a good portion of the film following Smoke and Stack as they are getting together a band and hiring old acquaintances to help them open up their bar. One of the first people they bring in is their little cousin Sammie (Miles Caton), a preacher’s son who happens to be one hell of good blues guitar player and singer, though he’s stuck under his father’s thumb. Sammie sees this as his opportunity to be a performer and escape his small town, but as the movie unfolds, we see just how much it is going to cost him. Also there is Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), an old time blues player, and then we have Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), who is a love interest from Stack’s past who can possibly cause some trouble for the brothers.
Everything seems to be going as planned, and folks around town seem to be enjoying the new juke-joint; that is of course until trouble arrives in the form of vampires.
This really is a tale of two films wrapped into one package. I love everything about the brothers getting their business and running and seeing all the dancing and blues music. If this was just a film about that, I would have been more than content. There was plenty of drama with the racial undertones to keep me engaged. There’s always this threat that at any moment the Klan is going to come down on the twins or inject themselves into the opening of the club. But when the horror element slips in, it just feels so jarring, and what is more frustrating is that the horror element just was underwhelming. The action just felt sloppy, and, well, clog-dancing vampires who sing folk tunes just are not scary. Then when the Klan element finally does pop up, it just feels suddenly out of place.
In From Dusk Till Dawn the film got away with it because it never seemed grounded in reality; it always felt like it was a fun, trashy movie (and I say this with love). There’s always a threat of violence in the From Dusk Till Dawn, and when they get to the club they are surrounded by scumbags, and the club itself is so over-the-top you just know you’re in another world. Sinners, on the other hand, gives us a very grounded story despite talking about folklore at the start of the film.
Still, this film is beautiful to look at. This definitely should be a contender for best cinematography at the end of the year, whether it’s the shots in a cotton field or inside the sawmill as folks are singing and dancing, this film is absolutely stunning, and captures the Deep South so well. Then I have to come back to the film’s music. The score by Ludwig Goransson has this twangy blues feel that just captures the time while being timeless all at once, and what’s somewhat surprising is the metal influence. In the credits I noticed that Lars Ulrich, yeah, the drummer from Metallica, helped out. Personally my favorite bit in regards to the music is Buddy Guy’s involvement.
Even with the things I loved about the film, I still can’t overlook how sloppy things got in the end. It almost feels like there was studio interference that suggested he add certain things at the end, because it just feels so out of place. No matter what, Ryan Coogler still took a major swing with this film, and I can admire the effort. I know many people will disagree with me, but I stand by my thoughts that the film derailed its momentum of being a great film with the final third of the film. Is it still worth watching? Definitely; this is something I want to have in my collection, because there is still so much to savor while watching this film, though sadly it’s the one time I wish it didn’t go the horror route.
