The Mosley Review: Sinners
Just when you thought this genre of horror had nothing new to offer. Last year's Nosferatu was a love letter to the classic dark gothic nature of vampires, but this film delivered something that hasn't been explored in ages. The majority of vampire stories take place in the cold and cloudy plains of the Europe, but the more darker and grittier stories lie in the deep south. It dirty, hot, crime ridden and filled with struggle and especially during the Jim Crow era. The lore of hidden monsters and creatures of the night run rampant in the south and what better setting for a horror film could you ask for? The brilliance of this film is the outstanding layers of storytelling going on throughout. Everything from religious beliefs, racial divides and parallels, the growth of business in the prohibition era and the heart of music that started with the Blues was on display. I can do a whole essay on the deep intricacies of the social climate and significance of this film and how all of it was handled from such a brilliant and young writer and director. This was complete package of a film that is brought magically to life by an Oscar caliber cast that shepherd a new talent to the forefront.
Miles Caton gives a breakout performance as Sammie "Preacher Boy" Moore, the focal point of the story. Not only does Miles nail the charm of a dreamer that has aspirations leaving the small town struggle, but he captures that coming of age aspect of Sammie. Sammie steals your heart and soul the moment he starts to play and his voice is truly hypnotizing. He was a humble boy, but by the film's end, he becomes a troubled and scarred man. Michael B. Jordan does double duty as Sammie’s twin cousins, Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore and he doesn't disappoint. Smoke was the strong, straight forward and deadly soldier of the twins that was always about business. Stack was the smooth talking, wise cracking, salesman that could sale a fish water and I loved every second of his comedic timing. Each character was a wonderful highlight of Jordan's commanding presence, charm and fun personality. Together they were not to messed with and immediately drew your attention. Who knew one man could have such great chemistry with himself. Wunmi Mosaku is always amazing and as Smoke's love interest, Annie, they were a strong mature couple that brought out the heart of the film and in Elijah. Their story was so heartbreaking and yet filled with so much love.
Hailee Steinfeld dazzles as Mary and steals almost all of her scenes. Her insane chemistry with Stack was filled with passion and fire. I loved how she could cut through the barrier Elias puts up and finds the real man behind the playboy exterior. Jayme Lawson was sweet as the love interest for Sammie, Pearline. Their chemistry was innocent and fun the moment they met and I loved where it went. Omar Benson Miller was a loveable and loyal giant, Cornbread. Omar always brings a sense of fun to the screen and he does that in spades here. Li Jun Li and Yao were great as the married couple Grace and Bo Chow. Through them you get the extra layer of life experience as a minority in the south and I loved how parallel their story ran together with the twins. The passion of Grace, no matter how detriment it was to everyone else, was exceptional. Jack O'Connell rounds out the cast as the main vampire, Remmick. Now he was a special type of vampire that I truly loved. Not only was he so intoxicating, but he was a wordsmith. He tackles the racial divide of the south in such a way that was so smooth and brilliantly said that I nearly stood out of my chair in applause. Was he evil? Sure. He wasn't as malevolent as he could've been, but rather jovial and that was a huge surprise for me. Jack's performance made Remmick a new favorite villain of mine.
The director's frequent collaborator Ludwig Göransson delivers another unforgettable score that is infused with every element of Southern Blues and it was magical. Not only does he capture the the dirty and sweaty aspect of the Blues, but also soulful influence it has had on the Black culture and Black music over generations. There is one amazing scene that shows this and it was mesmerizing to witness. Visually, this film was absolutely stunning to witness on the IMAX screen as the format was correctly used. The right amount of grain and flaring of the image was astounding in the direct sunlight throughout the film. It gave it that old timey look and especially at night in the more dimmer scenes. Writer and Director Ryan Coogler has delivered another astounding masterpiece of a film that bends, folds and mixes so many genres in such a wonderful melting pot of a story. Its another technical marvel of directing and a true representation of the darker layer of the Blues, scary lore of the deep south and of Black culture. This is a must see in the IMAX format whenever and wherever you can! Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
