At first glance, Sinners might seem like an unusual mix—blues music and vampire horror—but Ryan Coogler is uniquely positioned to unite these two genres.
Sacred Hymns and Devil’s Blues
The opening scene in a black church features the singing of pure gospel hymns. It’s a sacred song urging us to “shine the light of our hearts upon the world.” Meanwhile, the blues music played in the joint retains strong African tribal elements, filled with undulating rhythms and potent energy.
This powerful contrast—between gospel and blues, sacred and secular—forms the core of Sinners and anchors its narrative.
Blues music originally stems from the “Voodoo” musical culture brought by enslaved Africans. It was music to awaken spirits and liberate souls. That was the root of the blues. To the Christian church, it was nothing but a heretical cult, the devil’s music.
The bluesman who made a deal with the devil at the crossroads
There’s a famous legend about the legendary blues guitarist Robert Johnson. It’s said he sold his soul to the devil at a crossroads in exchange for extraordinary guitar skills. His signature song, “Cross Road,” is precisely about that pact.
“At the crossroads, I knelt down and prayed.
Devil, give me some magic in my hands.
And in exchange, take my soul away.”
The Fear of Cultural Appropriation Symbolized by Vampires
The vampires introduced in Sinners serve a deeper purpose; rather than mere monsters, they personify the white appropriation of Black culture.
The Choice of Irish Immigrants
Of particular note, the film’s vampires are portrayed as Irish white people, echoing the influx of Irish immigrants to America following the Great Famine of 1845-1849.
The Great Irish Famine (Potato Famine):
An unprecedented catastrophe struck Ireland from 1845 to 1849. The spread of the potato blight fungus (Phytophthora infestans) devastated Ireland’s staple crop, the potato.
At that time, Ireland was under British rule. Most people were poor tenant farmers who ate only potatoes, so the blight was devastating. The famine killed about one million and forced over another million to emigrate. Ireland’s population dropped by about 25%.
Immigrants who fled the famine to America faced harsh realities. As Catholics, the Irish suffered severe discrimination in Protestant America. Signs saying “No Irish, No Blacks” were common. The Irish were white but not treated as such.
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Though Irish immigrants began on the discriminated-against side, they ultimately assimilated into white society and became discriminators, as depicted in the film by Irish vampires seeking to appropriate African American culture.
Remick’s words to the talented blues singer Sammy are symbolic.
“Give us your music. Give us your story.”
Remick, the vampire leader, says to Sammy, “Give us your music. Give us your story.” This shows whites appropriating Black culture. The blues later became rock and roll through white musicians. Bands like Led Zeppelin became famous for playing Black bluesmen’s songs almost unchanged.
A breathtaking musical scene born from cinematic lineage and a tale of cultural appropriation
An unforgettable musical scene, a miraculous moment where past and future collide
Everyone who watches the film ‘Sinners’ unanimously speaks of the breathtaking musical scene that arrives midway through. On the joint’s opening night, as the excitement reaches its peak, the talented blues singer Sammy (Miles Ken) begins to sing. Then, something extraordinary happens.
Spirits from the past and the future appear simultaneously.
Tribal warriors from ancient Africa begin to dance. A DJ from the future plays hip-hop. Past, present, and future Black music appear together.
This scene is filmed in one long shot, capturing the full excitement and energy of the moment.
It also represents a groundbreaking visual achievement. It is the first film in history to be shot entirely with a combination of IMAX 70mm and Ultra Panavision 70 cameras.
As Sammy starts to sing, the frame widens. It shifts from Ultra Panavision widescreen to a full IMAX screen. This change visually shows the expansive nature of music across time and space.
This scene demonstrates that blues music is not mere entertainment but the soulful cry of people brought from Africa as slaves, a cry that has been passed down continuously to modern hip-hop and R&B.
Music goes beyond time and place. It can connect people from the past and present, the living and the dead, bringing everyone together.
From Blues to Rock ‘n’ Roll: White Cultural Appropriation
Yet, after this beautiful performance, a darker story thread begins to unravel.
Blues music was born from the labor of people brought from Africa as slaves, working the cotton fields along the Mississippi River basin. Even after slavery ended, they continued working the cotton fields as sharecroppers, singing these songs after their labor. That was the blues.
Meanwhile, the Irish immigrants mentioned earlier also came to America due to the potato famine, and lived in poverty. The Irish folk songs (Celtic music) they brought eventually evolved into folk music and country music. And because they were poor, the music of blacks and whites living in the same areas fused together, giving birth to “rock and roll.”
The vampires arrive at the joint looking for Black blues music. They say, “Let’s jam,” but what they really want is to take the music for themselves.
The vampires feed on people’s blood to grow their group. In the film, this act symbolizes the theft of culture.
A tale of heart and soul woven by twin brothers and a rising star
Michael B. Jordan portrays contrasting twins.
Michael B. Jordan plays both twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, in this movie. He does an outstanding job showing how different the two characters are.
Smoke is the more level-headed, business-minded brother. He carries guilt over losing a child and tries to escape that pain. He was estranged from his ex-lover Manny, a voodoo practitioner, for seven years. He reunites with her upon returning home.
Stack is the more charismatic brother. He draws people in. He once loved a white woman, Mary. Interracial marriage was forbidden then. He feels guilty for forcing Mary to marry a white man.
Both brothers are “sinners.” Their crimes include being gang members, failing to protect their child, and failing loved ones. Each bears a heavy cross.
Michael B. Jordan’s performance is particularly noteworthy for the subtle nuances he brings to portraying Smoke and Stack. It’s not exaggeratedly distinct acting, but rather a subtle difference that truly allows you to tell the twins apart.
Their voices, eye contact, and body language are all a little different, but they still feel like twins. This skillful acting helps the audience connect with both characters and feel their struggles and growth.
The Soul Liberation Embodied by Rising Star Miles Keaton
Miles Keaton emerges as the film’s unexpected standout performer.
I was surprised to learn that ‘Sinners’ is his film debut, and that it seems to be his first acting role. Checking IMDb, his only other credits besides this film are talk show appearances.
Despite this, Miles Keaton holds his own alongside veteranactors such as Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo. His presence supports the idea that some viewers may feel “Sammy is the true protagonist of this film.”
Sammy has a strict Christian pastor for a father who forbids blues music as “the devil’s music.” His father demands that he abandon his guitar and become a pastor. But Sammy believes in his talent and seeks freedom through music.
At the film’s climax, Sammy stands up to his father and says, “I won’t give up my guitar.” He leaves town to follow his dream of being a blues singer.
A place of salvation, vampires, the KKK, where fiction and nonfiction horrors collide
Church and joint, two forms of salvation
In the final scenes of Sinners, two places are contrasted: a church and a dance hall called the Juke Joint.
Both are places where people look for salvation, but what that means is very different in each place.
The church is where people pray to God and look for spiritual salvation. But for Sammy, it was also a place that took away his freedom. His father, the pastor, saw Sammy’s musical talent as “the devil’s temptation” and made him give up his guitar.
The joint, in contrast, was full of music and alcohol. Serving alcohol was illegal during Prohibition, and the church condemned blues music. But for these reasons, the joint became a place of freedom.
It gave people a break from daily discrimination and oppression, letting them express themselves through music with African roots. The joint was the one place where Black people could truly be themselves.
Near the end of the film, scenes of the church and the joint are alternated. The film uses similar shots to highlight the differences between the two places.
The pastor preaches in the church while Smoke faces his final fight in the joint. Both are searching for salvation, but in very different ways.
The film often uses this match cut technique. One memorable example is when singer Parleen performs in the joint while vampire Mary attacks Stack. At first, it looks like a sexual moment, but it turns out to be an attack, which is frightening. Showing these two scenes with almost the same framing makes a strong impact on viewers.
A Siege Thriller Born from Classic Vampire Lore
The vampires in the film ‘Sinners’ adhere to truly classic vampire lore.
The rule that they cannot enter without being invited is often ignored in other vampire films because it’s difficult to handle, but this film takes it seriously.
The scene at the joint’s entrance, where the vampires ask to be let in, mixes suspense and humor well. Because of this rule, the second half of the film becomes a siege thriller, with people trapped inside the joint while vampires wait outside.
Garlic and holy water also appear as vampire weaknesses. Particularly memorable is the scene where the trapped patrons, consumed by suspicion, ask each other, “You’re not a vampire, are you?” and end up eating raw garlic together. This scene can be seen as an homage to the blood test scene in John Carpenter’s The Thing.
The idea that vampires only die when their hearts are staked is also faithful to the classics.
A new idea in this film is that vampires share memories and pain. If one is hurt, the others feel it too. Memories from one vampire are shared with the rest. This makes the vampires a metaphor for white people as a group.
Weakness as Horror, Strength in Social Commentary
Honestly, if you judge this film only as a horror movie, some parts might feel a bit lacking.
The film uses classic jump scares but lacks the extreme gore found in movies like Substance or Dollhouse. Blood and violence are shown with practical effects, but only as much as needed to create fear.
There is a sustained sense of dread born from the feeling that “something is off,” such as the scene where one twin, Stack, becomes a vampire and locks himself in his room. However, in terms of delivering the “overwhelmingly terrifying experience” horror fans expect, it felt somewhat restrained.
But this seems less like a flaw and more like a directorial choice. Sinners isn’t just about horror—it’s using horror to make a point about society.
Fiction and Nonfiction, a Double Assault
And what was truly terrifying about this film was the reality that arrived after the vampire threat had passed. White men, centered around the KKK (Ku Klux Klan), attack the joint.
The horror in this scene comes from showing that the violence of the fictional vampires and the real KKK is just as brutal.
Vampires are fiction. But the KKK attack is a historical fact.
By showing these two side by side, the film says, “Real-world violence is just as senseless and cruel as a vampire attack.” The kind of horror we expect in fiction was actually carried out by white people, highlighting the real brutality of their actions.
Return of the King Ending Issue
There’s one point worth noting about the film ‘Sinners’. It’s that “the movie ends multiple times.”
A Film That Ends Three Times
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ is famous for its multiple endings. Just when you think, “Is this the end?”, another scene begins, followed by yet another. Audiences are left wondering, “When does it end?”
The film ‘Sinners’ shares a similar structure. It effectively ends about three times.
Every Ending is Necessary
However, in ‘Sinners’, every ending carries meaning.
- The first ending resolves the battle against the vampires.
- The second ending depicts the confrontation with the KKK.
- The third ending depicts Sammy’s future.
Each explores a distinct theme, and none can be omitted. While the film is lengthy, its duration serves a purpose.
The mid-credits scene is essential viewing.
Crucially, the mid-credits scene (the additional scene during the credits) is integral to the main story.
Usually, mid-credits scenes are just bonus content or hints for a sequel, but here, it’s the real ending. If you leave before it, you’ll miss the story’s conclusion.
Be sure to watch until the very end.
Summary: The Soul’s Cry Played by the Blues and the Future the Film Questions
Sinners is Ryan Coogler’s first film to be completely his own, making it an important moment in movie history.
Rarely has a work depicted the soul and history of the blues genre with such passion. The breathtaking musical scenes will be deeply etched into the viewer’s memory. The power of the blues music, the vibration of the guitar strings, the breath of the vocals, the resonance of the drums. All of this amplifies the story’s emotions. Because the music functions not merely as background noise but as a protagonist-level presence in the story, I strongly recommend watching it with the highest-quality sound system you can afford.
The film shows deep respect for the culture. It tells how blues music began, was suppressed, was taken up by white artists, and survived. Knowing this history is key to understanding America.
Some parts of the film might seem “anti-white” since the vampires are white, the KKK attacks, and these groups are shown as stealing culture. This may make some viewers uneasy, but the film is simply showing historical facts. If it feels uncomfortable, that’s because history itself is uncomfortable.
Sinners isn’t a film for everyone. Its unique style is best appreciated with some background. But that’s what makes it special. The fact that a major studio released a film like this is a good sign for the future of movies. Shouldn’t cinema aim for a world where many voices and stories are heard?
Sinners is more than just entertainment. It’s like a prayer, believing in music’s power to link the past, present, and future.
