‘Sinners’: One Year Later, It’s Still Awesome
What is left to say about this film that hasn’t already been said? Not only did Sinners achieve critical and box office success, but it also set records that will stand for a very long time in awards season, becoming the most nominated film at the Academy Awards with 16 nominations. Sinners won four awards: Best Actor (for Michael B. Jordan), Best Cinematography (for Autumn Durald Arkapaw, becoming the first woman to ever do so), Best Original Screenplay (For Ryan Coogler), and Best Original Score (For Ludwig Göransson).
Sinners defied all expectations, especially for a horror film, a genre that is typically ignored by the award bodies. Ryan Coogler works magic in crafting a tight, well-paced, and thrilling tale full of rich characters, stunning visuals, universal themes, an all-timer soundtrack, and nail-biting suspense. The film is destined to become a classic. So, a year since its release, with the hype having died down, how does the film hold up? Does it truly deserve all the hype and recognition? Well, the answer is obviously yes on a lot of fronts, but what would be the point of this article if it did not offer some criticism?
Sinners is an American horror film written and directed by Ryan Coogler and was released on Friday, April 18, 2025. It boasts a massive ensemble cast starring Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, Jack O’Connell, Jayme Lawson, and Hailey Steinfeld. The film takes place in the year 1932 in the Mississippi Delta and primarily follows the Smokestack Twins, Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore (both played by Jordan), who return to their home in the Jim Crow South to start a juke joint to raise money. They enlist young Samuel “Sammie” Moore, an incredibly talented blues musician who joins the twins despite his father’s protest. Many characters converge in the juke joint, all with relationships and emotional baggage, but nighttime brings a terror unlike anything they have ever seen as an evil vampire known as Remmick descends to convert everyone into vampires.
There is a lot to unpack in this film, and it is a testament to Coogler’s screenplay that everything is as well-balanced as it is. From the themes to the characters to the tension, it all should feel overwhelming, yet Coogler effortlessly pulls off the tightrope act. At no point does the pacing suffer, with the film maintaining strong momentum throughout, and no better is this showcased than in the film’s first half.
To ensure the stakes are sufficiently high and the audience well-invested, Coogler wisely decides to spend the first half of the film building the characters. There is not a single whiff of vampirism until everyone is first introduced and developed, and even after Remmick’s introduction, the film focuses on the character drama first and foremost. The audience becomes invested in the internal struggles and coming-of-age of Sammie, the plots and schemes of the twins, and the ever-evolving relationships that spring from that. All this build-up results in a nerve-wracking second half where all the characters the viewer has grown to love start dropping like flies. The time period as well is excellently realized, with the cast all having excellent chemistry, aided by top-notch set and costume design.
The film’s pace escalates, racking up the tension as the story transitions into a classic “base under siege” scenario. The influence of films such as Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn and Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark make themselves apparent, but Coogler adds so many layers to the conflict through the themes and ideas that it all feels completely new.
No better is this ability shown than with the concepts of vampires here. Everyone knows the many cliches of vampires, from weaknesses to strengths. It is all present here. But Coogler takes the simple concept of vampires needing permission to come in and creates masterful tension through it. The idea of family and feeling a part of something runs throughout the story, and it is present within every character, especially with Mary. By applying that idea to vampires, traditionally bloodsucking monsters, it creates a strong parallel on how malicious colonizers or exploiters would manipulate populations by “inviting” them in with the promise of wealth and joy, but proceed to enforce their own mentality and way of living. This is all epitomized by the film’s main antagonist, Remmick, who may as well be a walking metaphor for cultural assimilation. He is a tragic character in his own right, having been a victim of the very thing he represents, but he also lacks the awareness to truly understand the consequences of his actions, instead believing his way of hive-minded unity to be superior. This level of detail is present in nearly all the main characters, which is a testament to Coogler’s writing.
Remmick’s narrative foil and ultimate protagonist of the film is Sammie. Coogler masterfully creates a dichotomy between the two, with both being near opposites of each other. This is best represented in the characters’ respective musical numbers (name another horror film that has musical numbers), I Lied to You and Rocky Road to Dublin. The former may as well be the true climax of the film, tying all the themes and ideas together. Coogler’s direction, Goransson’s composition, Caton’s vocals, and Arkapaw’s cinematography contribute to a scene that represents how music transcends all time and space, reaching far into the past and the future. The freedom of artistic expression and original ideas is well and truly alive for Sammie with this song.
Meanwhile, Remmick inverts this, recounting an Irish jig from his past rather than inventing one. Instead of colorful musicians and ghosts of the past, Remmick dances with his enslaved vampires, all of whom robotically dance to his drumbeat. These moments best represent the central conflict of the film: free artistic expression and individualism versus cold recollection and collectivism. The will of the individual is pitted against the overwhelming force of a hive mind. Sammie performs blues, a cornerstone of Black culture, whilst fighting against the Christian values forced upon him by his father. Something is always being forced upon the characters, all of whom strive for freedom and the right to live without judgment or oppression. This makes it all the more tragic when most of them end up a thrall in Remmick’s army, losing their individuality.
Of course, none of this would land if it weren’t for the excellent performances on display. Perhaps the most talked about role is Michael B. Jordan as Smoke and Stack. His work won him an Oscar, and it is well-deserved. Both Smoke and Stack feel distinct and three-dimensional, with interesting stories and great moments. Jordan really puts everything into making the audience believe these are two separate entities. Coogler’s script makes them foils to one another, and their only true similarity is, of course, their appearance and penchant for violence.
But perhaps the most overlooked performance in the awards season is Miles Caton as Sammie. He is the film’s ultimate protagonist and is the character with the most fleshed-out arc. His young, idealistic dream of freedom and music is brought into doubt as nightmares unfold in front of him. Caton plays every aspect of Sammie perfectly, and his coming-of-age is both heartwarming and tragic. Plus, his singing and musicianship are amazing, making every emotional beat and moment of catharsis hit as hard as possible.
On the opposite end of performances, there is Jack O’Connell as Remmick. The man has a knack for playing vicious cult leaders. O’Connell sings and dances remarkably well, putting forth a demeanor of both genuine joy and warmth, masking his sinister and malicious intentions. He stands as one of the strongest antagonist performances of 2025.
As for other supporting performances, the other two standouts are Delroy Lindo as Delta Slim and Wunmi Mosaku as Annie, both of whom received Oscar nominations. Lindo plays the wise alcoholic expertly, offering the film plenty of levity and humor whilst also having some of the film’s best lines. Annie, on the other hand, really comes into her own in the second half. She rediscovers her relationship with Smoke and takes control of the situation. Her knowledge of Hoodoo allows her to tackle the vampiric threat head-on, and it is a joy to watch as she rallies the rest of the cast to combat.
It is in that very build-up to and the battle itself where the film starts to fall short of its standards, but before addressing that, the soundtrack deserves its plaudits first. Ludwig Goransson continues his winning streak and proves he is easily one of (and one day might be) the best film composers working. Themes and motifs are used so beautifully, the songs and score each tell a story of their own, and it all lends itself to this oppressive tone of a gothic western. No matter the moment, whether calm or terrifying, Goransson knows exactly how to enhance it. This film’s soundtrack stands as one of the decade’s best, and it will be a joy to see what Goransson does next.
Now, back to the film’s final act, all the tension and rising stakes culminate in a massive battle in the barn. To get some praise out of the way, Coogler makes excellent use of the IMAX aspect ratio here to really bolster the sense of scale. He and Arkapaw use this trick a few times for musical numbers, and it really works brilliantly to enhance these moments and cue the audience to expect something massive and exciting. As for the final battle itself, it is unfortunately lackluster. Certainly, the characters should be allowed to make a proper final stand, but the initial build-up to it can feel somewhat contrived, and the action, at times, feels weightless. The ferocity of the vampires suddenly disappears as they take their sweet time in attacking the main characters, falling into standard horror tropes. After all the inventiveness, stunning visuals, and excellent tension, this fight feels underwhelming as a payoff to all of it. It felt like a mandated action sequence rather than a proper climax, which pits Sammie and Remmick against one another. It is still visually fun, and some of the imagery, especially when Remmick and Sammie have that long-awaited final confrontation, is truly excellent. Hats off to the makeup department for Remmick’s monstrous final appearance. But it is the only part of the film that falls short, and it would not stand out as much if the rest of the film were not as excellent as it is.
The film finds its stride again in the epilogue, where the focus is placed on the characters, specifically Sammie. After another somewhat underwhelming but also quite cathartic shootout involving Smoke and the Klan, Sammie is forced to reckon with his future, making the choice between what he wants and what his father wants. The final scene, where Buddy Guy effortlessly plays an older Sammie, is a fantastic note to end on. His reunion with the vampiric Stack, who showcases some semblance of free will after Remmick’s death, and the pair’s discussion of the night as the last time they were truly free (before the vampires) is perfect. It brings the themes of the story together and ties things off nicely.
In conclusion, Sinners is as every bit as good as it was a year ago. Two lackluster action sequences do not take away from the fact that this is one of the best horror films of the decade. It is visually stunning, its characters are well-realized, the dialogue is sharp, the music is sublime, the tension is electric, and the themes and ideas are sprawling and detailed. It is destined to be a classic for years to come.