SINNERS

****

Directed by Ryan Coogler.

Starring Michael B Jordan, Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku, Jack O’Connell.

Horror, US, 137 minutes, Certificate 15.

Released in cinemas in the UK on 18th April by Warner Bros

Ryan Coogler’s SINNERS is that all too rare beast; an entirely original big budget horror film. After playing in the franchise playground to great effect with BLACK PANTHER  and CREED, Coogler returns to original storytelling for the first time since his hard hitting debut FRUITVALE STATION. This time however the results are unlike anything he has attempted before and also unlike anything else you are likely to see in a multiplex for quite some time. Sold mainly as a vampire film, Coogler manages to pack in a whole lot more in the way of social commentary, history, action and music. That he manages to take a hold of each of these elements and gather them together in such entertaining style is a measure of his skill in crafting a vampire film that looks and feels like nothing else around.

This is a film that ends up in a very different place from where it begins. The early stages  of the film mainly follow identical twins Smoke and Stack, both played by Michael B. Jordan. Returning to Mississippi in the early nineteen thirties after spending time in Chicago, supposedly under the employ of Al Capone. Now back home they plan to make money through establishing their own juke joint, a place where they and their friends can drink and dance their troubles away. With the help of their young guitar playing cousin Sammy, played by blues guitarist Miles Caton in his acting debut, the trio set up for the night enlisting the help of more friends. Unbeknownst to them is a threatening figure edging his way closer with a particular ear for Sammy’s musical skills and a thirst for blood that threatens everyone who crosses his path.

The early stages of the film come across as more of a hangout movie than any kind of genre piece. That this stretch of the film is as engaging as the blood splattered mayhem that comes to dominate events later on is testament to the likes of Jordan, especially in this dual role where he plays off and against himself in such seamless fashion. Caton also makes quite an impression in a quieter role that lets him show off his musical skills, especially in one show stopping scene where the films central conceit of music as a near supernatural force that transcends time is displayed in a stunning sequence that also shows off the films IMAX format to spectacular effect.

This is ambitious stuff no doubt and for the most part it works spectacularly well. Vampirism is often used as a metaphor with Coogler seeming to use it here as a force of cultural appropriation that also seeks to drain the identity of culture through seductive promises of unity. Jack O’Connell does well as the main villain here, but there are times when the main aspect does not seem as interesting as the films other interests, despite the nods to Carpenter’s THE THING and Wesley Snipes' immortal turn as BLADE. Again, music as an elemental unifying force seems to be where Coogler’s heart truly lies. It is explored further and even more expansively than expected with Scottish and Irish folk music also being celebrated in a stirring yet unsettling fashion giving this horror film a unique beat all of its own.

Simultaneously filmed on Ultra Panavision 70 and IMAX film, SINNERS looks as good as it sounds with Autumn Durald’s glimmering cinematography demanding to be seen on as large a screen as you can find. While it may not hit the bullseye on the many targets it sets up , it is only once in a blue moon that ambitious passion projects like this get to see the light of day. For something like this hybrid of horror/musical/period piece and action movie to be realised on such a scale is well worth celebrating and experiencing, especially when accomplished this successfully and entertainingly. Just make sure to stay seated during the end credits for a pair of scenes, one which serves as a touching coda and also seems to suggest that there are more stories to be told in this world that Coogler has gifted the viewer. 

Iain MacLeod