[Review] Sinners (2025) by Marcus Wilturner

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again —- Some visions, despite the most inane efforts, can not be forsaken. Nor can they be contained, compromised, or forgotten. Some visions have such an indomitable power, that they’re simply destined for completion, then obtaining exposure and notoriety, by any means necessary. And thanks to the obsessively focused determination of dynamo director Ryan Coogler, THIS vision, dripping in rhythmically deep blues and bright red plasma, has finally come into glorious fruition. The result — An unbridled, uncompromising, revelatory achievement in visual cinema, entrancing musicality, and gripping storytelling. The tale of twin brothers opening up a juke joint for their estranged town in 1932 Mississippi and having the absolute best/worst opening night of all-time is equal parts thematic musical, historic racial drama, and gruesome supernatural horror film. A mesmerizingly transfixing journey through dazzling southern culture and vicious violence, told with spellbinding devotion and unrestrained creativity. An evolving, melodic opus exactly as advertised by audiences and critics alike. With Coogler’s filmography being one of the best in the business (and being his fifth collaboration with Michael B. Jordan), it’s surprising to see that this was his first project that didn’t require a set of studio guidelines. No franchise building or rejuvenation, and nothing that required an outline of true events to follow. Yet because of his experiences working on each feature in his rising career, the accumulated wealth of knowledge paid off enormously on many elements for his original work. Here, we see the grounded, tragic authenticity of “Fruitvale Station,” the sweeping intensity of “Creed,” and even the surging grandiosity of “Black Panther.” His influences are also on display in a big way, with the films, familial connections, and themes that inspired him tunefully and exquisitely. So much so, it gives every aspect of this story the universal vibes you can’t help but to resonate with. Plus the cast is top-notch, led by the incomparable Jordan, with standouts like Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Li Jun Li, as well as acting legend Delroy Lindo and blues legend Buddy Guy. Actually now that I reflect on it, 98% of the cast were standouts because everyone not only had their moments to shine, but were extremely well-developed. The story took its time with them, with their overall development and chemistry with each other being effectively naturalistic. And the score? That goddamn score. Done by Academy Award winner Ludwig Göransson (This is also HIS fifth collaboration with Coogler), and just as layered and meticulous as the film itself. Incorporating various instruments representing distinct periods of black culture, including the banjo, drums, harmonica, Jimi Hendrix-esque guitar, and even a DJ table. We get traditional Irish folk music as well, highlighting the often unspoken connection this style of music has with black history. The whole thing just holds you graciously. Hypnotic, loud, booming, impactful, and bold, it’s a righteous collection of blues-y, melodious charm and twingy-twangy interpolation through the ages. A beautiful fusion that helps give this whole conception a plentiful feeling and bountiful soul that can NOT be denied. The fact that this film turns so many tropes on their heads, shifting them just right to become something new is staggering. And each of those shifts are played out in a way that’s organic and crucial to the shaping of the complete story and even the revision of the formula. By the end credits, every decision and action made sense, the build-up mattered, the gore significant, and the positions it puts you in, challenged your preconceived notions it permeated in the first place. This one remarkably keeps you on your toes and impugns your cinematic judgments and perspectives. Even now my words don’t do this proper justice. Because there’s just….something about this film that’s almost unspeakable and tough to quantify. As you’re gripped by its tragedy, freedom, greed, salvation, pertinence, exhilaration, suffering, connection, and absorption in a way that fills you up and stays with you. I possess zero qualms with stating this implicitly —- This is another example on why cinema is such an important and powerful artform. A reason it’s supposed to exist is the manner in which it does. This. This right here. Bottom Line….masterfully directed, perfectly paced, brilliantly plotted, supremely edited, exceptionally balanced, genuinely ambitious, distinctly structured, wonderfully acted, and darkly demented. A transmogrifying story that hits every euphonious and tonal note you can think of with precision and luminosity, with the right amount of subtlety and specificity, cultivating a unique genre-bending and synchronized experience. You honestly can’t praise this film ENOUGH for what its accomplished. A modern movement of melodies, a serendipitous symphony of sublime soul, a vehemence of violence, a bombardment of bodies, and a vivacious vision of valiant versatility. Sooooo yeah. A bonafide masterpiece in every sense of the word.