SINNERS: A Southern Gothic Masterpiece That Bleeds Black Folklore

(L-R) Jayme Lawson as Pearline, Wunmi Mosaku as Annie, Michael B. Jordan as Smokes, Miles Caton as Sammie Moore, and Li Jun Li as Grace Chow | Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

By Ashleeta

Is the Black community ever truly free? What does freedom mean to us, and what is the cost? I stayed up late, brooding over these questions after attending an early screening of Ryan Coogler's SINNERS. It’s a film that stays with you well after the credits roll, and when I first heard murmurs of its beginning, I knew it was a film I had to sink my teeth into.

SINNERS reunites Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan for their fifth film together. It is Coogler's first feature film after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It is a true Southern Gothic full of sweat and regret, a vampire film set in the Jim Crow South. The film's authenticity is its heart, and music is its core. Coolger thoughtfully travels through Black American Folklore and storytelling traditions with intention. It’s a masterpiece.

SINNERS brings Smoke and Stack, two ambitious brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan), back to their hometown, Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1932. Alongside their baby cousin Sammie (Miles Caton), a budding guitarist and Blues Singer, they attempt to rebuild and re-establish their power and influence in their hometown.

Surrounded by a city built on sharecropping, an alternative form of re-enslavement of Black Americans, Smoke and Stack want to distance themselves from the poverty they came from. They want a better life for themselves and their community, but not without profit, so they aim to open a “Juke Joint” as an escape and a sense of some freedom for the Black folks of the town, and more importantly, a source of status and power. However, Coogler doesn’t stray far from reminding us of the reality of the Jim Crow South and what a gamble ambition can be in a town with its roots deeply cemented in white supremacy.

Wunmi Mosaku as Annie | Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

A dishonest deal, with a sectarian landowner isn’t the only threat to their dream of power and, the freedom that comes with. There is something inhuman and just as sinister waiting for them. Coogler takes this opportunity to explore the themes of Hoodoo and other Black American Folklore. Subverting familiar tropes, Coogler chooses a representation of Hoodoo that is authentic and positive. Our introduction to this world is through Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), Smokes' lover and a practitioner of Hoodoo. Here is where the folklore for the film is laid out. Annie establishes this in the trailer: “There are legends of people, with the gift of making music so true, it can conjure spirits from the past.”

Sammie, played by Miles Caton, is the link to this other world. The legend of Robert Johnson, a well-known pioneer of the Delta Blues with a supernatural backstory, seems to have inspired this character. Johnson was said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for mastery of his guitar. It felt like his story had been woven into Sammie’s character. My favorite part of SINNERS is how Coogler celebrates the history of Black music and how we express ourselves through this music. Miles Caton’s voice is deep, rich, soulful, and full of emotion. I genuinely hope the soundtrack gets a release.

The film's visuals evoke the historical Sugar Shack painting by Ernie Barnes, another nod to the rich tapestry of Black culture. Lingering shots of the Southern pastoral backdrop, a sea of cotton, saturated color, and lens flares allow you to feel the heat of the beating sun and the sweat. You can feel the cool dirt, the grit, and the wool of Smoke and Stacks' tailored suits. It allows you to process the previous scene. You get to take in the setting and appreciate every fine detail.

Aside from supernatural elements, creating a safe place for the Black community will always come with struggle. And Coolger wants us to know this. But he also makes sure this is a safe film for Black consumption. The movie is thoughtful, and it's made for us by us. It celebrates us and our influence on culture, style, and music (regardless of whether we ever get credited for it). We get to evolve past the tropes that the Black community regularly fights against, especially when it comes to horror films. SINNERS is an opportunity to enjoy our culture, history, and folklore on our terms. SINNERS opens in theaters April 18th.

If you want to enjoy films with similar themes, I highly recommend: Eve’s Bayou, Beloved, O’ Brother, Where Art Thou, and "Lovecraft Country."