Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for the film “Sinners.”
Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” captured audiences with its unique mix of action, historical drama and horror, delivering a rare 98% critic review on Rotten Tomatoes. The film boasts impressive earnings of $48 million in its first weekend and $43 million in its second, totaling more than $93 million since its release April 18. The mere 6% drop in earnings in its second weekend was essentially unheard of, representing the smallest drop for a movie earning over $40 million since the release of “Avatar” in 2009.
The success of “Sinners” is undoubtedly due in part to its word-of-mouth reviews. People all over the internet were discussing Coogler’s new horror film — and for good reason. “Sinners” is so incredibly striking in its music, direction and bold thematic exploration that viewers and critics alike were compelled to engage in discussion about the film. Much of the praise was centered on Coogler’s choices as a writer-director, such as his exploration of the role of music in culture and the use of horror, specifically vampires, as a metaphor for cultural extraction.
With something as simple as the genre of the film not falling under any single category, Coogler was deliberate in breaking the mold. In an interview with Democracy Now, Coogler explained how the very concept of a genre is rooted in racism — white people sought to uphold segregation in every form, including music. Black musicians were marketed under the label of “race records,” while white artists could perform the same songs and have them categorized as bluegrass, country or rock ‘n roll.
“I wanted to make a film that was kind of raging against the concept of genre and making the audience constantly question it, even while they were watching it, whether that’s genres of music or genres of filmmaking,” Cooglar said.
The film starts as a historical drama set in Mississippi in 1932, following the three main characters as they work to get a new juke joint up and running in a day. The Smokestack Twins, Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan), are gangsters who used to work for Al Capone in Chicago. They return to Mississippi to start their own juke joint with the help of their cousin, Sammie (Miles Caton), an aspiring blues musician and a preacher’s son.
As the sun sets and the juke joint opens for business, the mood of the film shifts seamlessly into horror. Remmick (Jack O’Connell), an Irish vampire, is drawn to Sammie when he senses his ability to pierce the veil between life and death through music.
When asked by NPR about his choice of vampires over other supernatural creatures, Coogler referenced Faustian deals — agreements made with the Devil or other supernatural beings, trading something of moral or spiritual importance in exchange for material gain. He specifically cited Robert Johnson, the blues musician who was rumored to have sold his soul to the devil for his guitar prowess.
Coogler mentions how he thought through other options before landing on vampires because he liked how they retained their human behavior and memories, which makes for richer storytelling.
When discussing what makes a good antagonist with NPR, Coogler elaborated on his decision to make Remmick Irish instead of American. In his view, the most compelling villains are those who don’t fall into simple binaries of good or evil. Blues was created out of immense pain and suffering to remind Black people they were human. Remmick, as an Irishman, was subject to colonization by the British, and Irish immigrants to the United States were subject to abuse by American-born white people. Despite his experience with oppression, Renmick chooses to pursue Sammie to steal his musical abilities and culture because he believes he is cut off from his past.
“To have a creature who’s incredibly powerful, who was human at a time, who is in pain, you know, and who needs to cope in a way that only a community can give him — if I can make a film where you’re afraid of this guy … I thought about it after I wrote it, and I said, ‘Oh, man. Who does he lie to? And who is he honest with?’ ‘Cause, for me, it’s very clear that he identifies with these people,” Coogler told NPR.
“Sinners” also provides a powerful metaphor for cultural appropriation through vampirism. The vampires in the film are not just predators of blood but also culture and spirit. Remmick’s obsession with Sammie’s gift — his deep, ancestral connection to the blues — mirrors the way Black music has historically been taken, repackaged and profited off by people outside the community. Remmick doesn’t just want to listen to Sammie — he wants to possess his music and take it away from Sammie and his community. Coogler uses this dynamic of taking without understanding the pain and history behind it to explore how appropriation is more than imitation.
“Sinners” challenges how we think about genre, legacy, culture and ownership of art and does it all in style. Coogler expertly weaves history with myth and drama with horror, forcing the audience to reflect on the nature of exploitation — and for that, he certainly deserves his flowers.
Ananya Kashyap is an Arts and Entertainment Staff Writer. She can be reached at ananyask@uci.edu.
Edited by Lillian Dunn and Jaheem Conley.