Horror
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners Is a Daring, Blood-Soaked Ode to Black Southern Mythology
In Sinners, writer-director Ryan Coogler delivers a mesmerising and genre-bending vampire film rooted in Black Southern mythology, historical trauma, and personal redemption. Released today, the film has already begun to generate buzz as Coogler’s most daring and personal project to date, blending the supernatural with the deeply human in a way that is both haunting and profoundly moving. Set in the 1930s Deep South, Sinners follows twins Elijah “Smoke” and Elias “Stack,” both played with remarkable depth and nuance by Michael B. Jordan.
Veterans of World War I turned liquor runners in Chicago, the brothers return to their hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi, fueled by dreams of starting a nightclub. But their homecoming is shadowed by the legacy of Jim Crow violence and something far more sinister lurking in the Mississippi night. While Ryan Coogler has already established himself as a master of cinematic world-building through the Black Panther films, Sinners marks a return to more grounded, yet richly mythological storytelling. Drawing from traditional vampire lore, Coogler avoids reinventing the wheel. Instead, he infuses familiar horror tropes with Southern Gothic elegance, where the real monsters are both undead and all too human.
The film opens with a chilling prologue that sets the tone, but Sinners takes its time before unleashing full-on horror. The early acts centre on Michael B. Jordan’s twins ‘ attempts to gather old friends and allies, including a harmonica virtuoso (Delroy Lindo), a gifted guitarist cousin (Miles Caton), and former flames (Wunmi Mosaku and Hailee Steinfeld). Their dream of a Black-owned sanctuary begins to take shape—until a mysterious man named Remmick (Jack O’Connell) arrives with bloodthirsty intentions.
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Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw crafts stunning visuals of sun-drenched cotton fields, vibrant juke joints, and isolated backroads, reminding viewers of both the beauty and brutality of the South. Every frame of Sinners is soaked in atmosphere and history, nodding to the enslaved labour that built the region’s wealth and the resilience of those who survived it.
Ryan Coogler’s direction shines especially in the second half, as the horror escalates and the undead rise. But this isn’t just a creature feature. Sinners finds emotional power in its use of music—from blues to gospel to African rhythms—tracing cultural lineage and amplifying the stakes as the town’s survival hangs in the balance.
There’s humour, too—characters crack wise about horror clichés, making them feel self-aware but never smug. As chaos erupts and the nightclub becomes ground zero for a blood-drenched battle, the film transforms into a nightmarish thrill ride that feels part Night of the Living Dead, part Attack the Block.
With Michael B. Jordan starring in Sinners, Ryan Coogler proves he’s more than a franchise filmmaker—he’s a visionary storyteller unafraid to blur genres to tell stories that matter. At once stylish, soulful, and savage, Sinners is a rare horror film that leaves you shaken, entertained, and reflective long after the credits roll.
The film also stars Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Helena Hu, Saul Williams, and blues legend Buddy Guy. Sinners is now playing in theatres nationwide.
