Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” (2025) was a hit when it came out, the movie had individuals returning to watch it more than once.
The movie entails two twin brothers, both played by Micheal B. Jordan, who have had an interesting background before returning home to Mississippi. After their return home, the twins start their own juke joint. While doing so, they face many challenges, like almost being killed, trying to fight the urge to submit to the offer at stake.
This movie has a mix of hidden gems and understanding. It demonstrates cultural assimilation, how someone is trying to slip in and take the spark/culture for themselves. When Remick, an Irish vampire, promises all these people that they can live forever, but at what cost?
The Music
Not only was this movie a great representation, but it also had many great scenes, like Remick, who is the lead of a dance circle, in “Rocky Road To Dublin,” Where all the vampires dance around Remnick in a rhythmic yet mesmerizing way. Aside from this scene, another scene that stuck in the hearts of many was the blend of classic genres.
Smoke and Stacks’ little cousin Sammie sings a song called “I Lied to You,” about the son of a preacher lying to his father, as this relates to Sammie’s life. The song starts to travel through years, decades, and centuries of music, whether it was Afro-beats, disco pop, or rap. It all warped together like all the genres were meant to be played all at once. These scenes made me feel closer to my historical background.
The Correlation
This movie hits home for a lot of people. There are scenes dating back to slavery, a racist hate group, cultural assimilation, summers in Mississippi, and more. Many people often relate this to spirituality, saying it illustrates the seven deadly sins, like:
Pride: when they believe they can defeat the supernatural on their own.
Greed: Smoke wanting to charge slaves excess amounts knowing they don’t make much.
Wrath: Smoke beating their father to death after his father beat Stack.
Envy: Remick wanting Sammies musical “powers.”
Lust: Intimacy with married women.
Gluttony: Delta Slim suffering from alcoholism.
Sloth: this one could be up for interpretation but an example is Stack refusing to kick his old girlfriend Mary out of the juke joint.
In my opinion, “Sinners” deserves an Oscar because of its historical significance and black representation. Sinners was nominated for 16 Academy Awards. This film has received the most nominations in Oscar history. This movie was not just a movie about vampires; it was a movie about the struggles and envy that lives in this world to this day. No matter what timeline this movie was set in, it still has so many strong connections to things that multiple cultures deal with every day. This movie shows that everyone makes mistakes, and that those mistakes can stick with you.
