Details from IMDB:
Sinners
Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
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Initial Thoughts:
I should have watched this movie a long time ago; it’s been out almost a year, but I realized with the Oscars today that it wasn’t too late (and a ringing endorsement from Geekshow yesterday), and I gave it a watch this morning. Plus, I think Ryan Coogler is a great director, and Michael B. Jordan is excellent in every role he takes (and it has vampires!), so there are lots of reasons to watch this. I think the older I get, I just have to be in the mood to watch a particular movie, and this morning I was up early enough and in the mood before going outside to shovel.
Main Points:
So this movie is full of important historical (and sadly current-day) issues involving racism and what life was like in Jim Crow USA for much too long. I don’t think I’m the right person, as a white man, to comment on them much, so I’ll just say I think Coogler does a great job of showing what I imagine life was like then and how Black people sadly have to deal with racism/hatred on a daily basis. I’m not a big fan of jazz music (or blues), but I’ve got to say the music was excellent throughout. As another reviewer said, the movie is more about music and the power it contains than about vampires. That said, I think he did a great job with vampires, and I quite liked how they all had a hive mind/mental connection, which was a unique take.
Michael B. Jordan is amazing playing dual roles here, and so is everyone else with their roles, including Haliee Steinfeld and Wunmi Mosaku. For a movie that is over 2 hours long, I was never bored, and if Coogler has an idea for a sequel, I’d love to see it. While there is violence and blood, it never felt gratuitous or overly explicit, which I thought was wonderful for a horror movie; what you imagine is much better than showing everything onscreen. There are a couple of scenes that I think would have been better/more natural with nudity (as they are sex scenes here), but I do know not many actors are comfortable with nudity these days. I really felt immersed in this world; it seems very much like a living/breathing place full of vibrant characters and rich stories. I also thought he did a great job with dialogue and some of the scenes are beautiful to watch.
Final Thoughts:
It goes without saying that this movie is certainly not for kids; sex, violence, blood, coarse language and mature themes make it ages 18+. I thought having this take place over about a 24-period period was a good idea, though I do wish we hadn’t gotten the usual “hook-you-and-then-what-happened-the-day-before” trope. I think that’s been overdone. Also, as much as I love post-credit scenes, unless there is a sequel, they did feel a little tacked on (that said, if you want to know the whole story, watch right to the end). I also thought that flashbacks to earlier scenes in the movie weren’t needed. I remembered what happened, but I guess it’s the phone effect (people not paying enough attention) that puts that kind of stuff in there. Overall, I give this a solid 8 out of 10, and I hope it wins Best Picture tonight at the Oscars. I watched this at home on Crave (Canadian streaming service) in case you were interested.