I’ll be shocked if this movie doesn’t win movie of the year. “Sinners,” the movie everyone has been waiting for, directed by Ryan Coogler, features 1930’s glam and gore. From beginning to end, this movie had me on the edge of my seat.
Coogler’s “Sinners” hit theaters April 8 and currently holds 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie’s box office total has reached 161 million dollars and that number will most likely keep growing. The audience rating sits at a 4.5 but personally, it’s a 5 for me.
The film grabs you right away by starting at the end and using flashbacks to slowly reveal the night before. At first, the viewers aren’t sure what these flashbacks mean, but the mystery makes the story even more intense as you try to piece everything together. It constantly makes you wonder what happened to get to this point?
The development of “Sinners” was intense from beginning to end. Coogler crafted the story in a way that keeps the audience guessing. The use of flashbacks is timed perfectly, building tension and giving more context with each reveal. By the time the movie circles back to where it started, the full picture is clear.
The characters also go through serious growth throughout the film. At first, many of them seem like ordinary people dealing with everyday problems just trying to make money. But as the story digs deeper, their true, underlying struggles and motivations come out.
The main character, Sammie (Miles Caton), faces difficult choices that allow him to develop and grow over time. Sammie’s motivation is music but his father doesn’t want that for him. When Stack gifts him the guitar he finds his motivation again. By the end, he’s almost unrecognizable from who he was at the start. I loved how Smoke and Stack, the twins (both played by Micheal B. Jordan), always encouraged him to follow his dream with his music.
Marry, played by Hailee Steinfeld, is a crucial part of the twins’ back story. The vampires, in all their bloody glory, were amazingly portrayed. I would say when the vampires start levitating it did un-immerse me a bit because it was pretty funny.
The antagonist, Remmick (Jack O’connell) is terrifying from the start and stays that way until the end. The movie doesn’t spend much time explaining his backstory, but that actually makes him seem even more dangerous and unpredictable. He’s the kind of villain you root against the whole time. Every scene he’s in feels intense because you never know what he’s going to do next.
The music in this film is absolutely amazing, similar to the whole movie. One of my favorite scenes is when Sammie is singing in the barn with his guitar. Tears were streaming down my face the entire scene.
The way “Sinners” develops its story and characters sets it apart from other movies this year. It’s not just packed with action and suspense, it also carries real meaning and depth. That’s what makes it stick with you long after the credits roll. In my theater many people left before the end credit scene and I honestly feel bad for them. They missed a crucial post-credit scene that I’m still currently thinking about. I rate this a 10/10.
