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A Film That Lives Up To The Hype: Sinners. [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-05-13

My kids and I went to the Sedona Harkins on Sunday; I have free rein on what I want to do for Mother's Day. We hadn't been to the movies for many months; I know I surprised them when I said I wanted to see Sinners. It's billed as a "musical horror" film after all. I don't necessarily dislike horror films but I am very picky about them.

Sinners theatrical release poster.

This time it wasn't reviews from film critics that convinced me. It was the enthusiasm of people I actually know. And those who'd seen it were unanimous- Sinners is the most original and exciting movie in ages.

They weren't wrong.

The film is set in Mississippi during the Jim Crow era. The central characters are twin brothers (both played by actor Michael B Jordan). They're veterans of World War I, returning to their small hometown following a stint with the Mob in Chicago. They make a splash showing up in stylish clothes and carrying a satchel stuffed with money.

The brothers have a plan to open their own juke joint. They reconnect with the friends and lovers they'd left behind, enlisting their help to make the opening night a success. One of the people they bring on board is a younger relative, the son of a local preacher. He's extraordinarily gifted at playing Delta blues on an heirloom resonator guitar. Opening night is a smash hit...until it attracts the attention of some particularly musical and deadly vampires.

Sinners is beautifully filmed; the scenery is alternately gorgeous and gritty. The costumes, sets, and props combine to give you a sense of having traveled back in time. There are a few brief non-graphic sex scenes (no nudity), and a lot of cussing, swearing, and what used to be known as "talking dirty". There is plenty of gore as expected in a horror movie. Without giving too much away I will say that some of the violence near the end is pretty gratifying. Really bad guys get their comeuppance, and then some.

There are moments of humor, tenderness, lyric beauty, and Conjure magic. There are monstrous people besides the vampires; all the worse because their awfulness is entirely voluntary. The casting and acting are top-notch; the music and dance sequences are amazing. The female characters are capable human beings with agency, not helpless dolls whose main purpose is to be victimized, sexually exploited, and/or rescued; that matters a lot to me.

My favorite scene is just mesmerizing, weaving together ancestors, present day (1932 in the story) and future generations, with a Chinese opera dancer alongside a guitar player who's a ringer for Bootsy Collins. Sounds wild, right? It is! And it's absolutely magical.

I liked this film so much that I want to get a copy when it comes out on Blu-Ray. But see it in the theater if you can. A lot of those scenes really deserve to be seen on the big screen. Oh, and stay for the ending credits. There's a post-credits scene with the legendary bluesman Buddy Guy that you won't want to miss.

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See you there!

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Thank you for reading. This is an open thread, all topics are welcome.

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