Sinners
2025
****
Director: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Li Jun Li, Buddy Guy
In 1932, the SmokeStack twins return from Chicago to Mississippi to open a juke joint with stolen money. The opening evening has a joyous start, but it suddenly takes a dark turn when evil forces begin to gather around the joint. Ryan Coogler's ambitious period picture mixes Southern Gothic, Hoodoo magic, racial tensions, graphic horror, and blues music into an unusual concoction, which feels fresh and vibrant but slightly overhyped. Coogler struggles to wrap things up neatly and ends up delivering about four endings. The film won Academy Awards for Coogler's original screenplay, Ludwig Goransson's terrific score, Autumn Durald Arkapaw's moody cinematography, and Michael B. Jordan's charismatic dual performance.
