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Sinners film (2025) Rated-R, Written and Directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan.(Courtesy of Wikipedia)
On the way home from watching Sinners (2025), written and directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B Jordan, I felt a flood of conflicting emotions. I was shaking as I cried, laughed and pondered the layered story. I saw it at a full house movie theater of people who were invested in watching the story unfold because the only sounds I heard were screams, laughter and applause. As of this writing, I have seen the movie five times in the theater. This is what movies are supposed to be about - a community experience. I will not expose the plot of this film because it is best to see it for yourself. If you like good movies, then you will probably like this good movie. But, Sinners is not just a movie experience to only entertain because there is an underlining theme which will mean different things to different people. The story is multi-layered which is unfortunately rare in movies now days. I left the movie thinking about how I can enjoy every moment of my life and that I should be careful who I invite inside my life because some people are human vampires. Let's discuss....
When I drove home from Sinners shaking, it was probably because the movie reminded me how scary real life can feel. In my effort to 'live my best life,' I shake off fear to live. Crime happens all around us. Random shootings are scary, but I live my life like it doesn't happen because this is how I survive. I have been called a 'Pollyanna*' by people who don't know that acting like life is okay is how I am able to wake up and do what I have to do to pay bills and live. But, with Sinners, I had an outlet. I connected with the characters who also know life ain't perfect, but they live it anyway.
".....full meal of a movie" Ryan Coogler, The Tonight Show
The vampire archetype is real because chances are we have met one of them. No, I am not imagining things. Yes, I have met people who wanted to suck out all of my life force to feed their egos. They offered to 'help' me and pretended to be my friend, but all they wanted were my resources. All I had to do was invite them in because they can only come in through invitations. Evil people suggest; they don't force. They seduce you with promises of a better life full of love and riches....but it is all a trick. A lie. You have to give up your life. They suck you dry and you are trapped in the sunken place*. Other names for human vampires are tricksters, witches, warlocks and con artists.
"Love and happiness, yeah. Something that can make you do wrong. Make you do right." Al Green from his song, Love and Happiness.
Sinners allows us to have an outside look on the inside of our shadow selves. The Self that is selfish. The Self that enjoys the flesh. The Self that is vulnerable. The Self that is racist. The Self that is tribal. The Self who uses talent. The humanitarian Self. The sexy Self. The Self that grieves. The Self that preys. The Self that survives. The Self that kills. The Self who dares to live. All of these elements of the Self are represented in varying degrees in the characters in Sinners. Are the villains the vampires, racism, capitalism, greed, crime or money? Whatever speaks to you is what you will behold.
"Fellowship and love" from Sinners
Sinners is not a traditional vampire movie. It is a human story with vampires in it. Sinners is not a musical. It is a human story with music in it. Sinners is not a Black movie. It is a human story with Black people in it. Overall, Sinners is about people living their best lives who were interrupted by predators with their own agendas. The predators are alluring and justify their choices. They offer fellowship and love, but you must give up your freedom and sunlight. When watching the movie, notice how money impacts the characters' decisions. This conflict happens daily, but the sun does rise!
Sinners has a lot of buzz and hype, which it deserves. However, I encourage you to see the movie to experience the music, characters and human story.
Be careful who you invite in your life.
It is not a spoiler to say that Sinners uses the vampire genre to tell a bigger story about what it means to be human. Sinners uses death as a reminder of the value of life.
Multiple Viewings?
Why so many viewings? The characters represent family members I never met. Seeing them on film again allows me access. Not many films allow me this type of connection. I want to savor the experience as many times as possible. Allow the tears to fall. The laughter. Enjoying the film with others is classic. Plus, great art needs to be rewarded.
A New Classic?
Critics of Sinners say it is not great because it is very similar to another popular vampire movie. The shade is to say that Sinners is not original. I disagree. Many films have similar elements. A boxing movie has boxing. A romantic comedy has love. A vampire movie has vampires. Action movies have action. Science fiction movies have science fiction. Do you see a pattern? There is nothing new under the sun. The Hero's Journey is a template used to tell great stories. Movies in the same genres have similar themes.
Academy Awards?
Another conversation is whether or not Sinners will win any Academy Awards. It is too early to tell what other movies will be released this year, so time will tell. However, it has been a long time since I have seen a movie that combined different genres in a cohesive manner and also educated as well as entertain. The Silence of the Lambs, another one of my favorite movies, is a horror movie that won five Academy Awards. I was entertained by The Silence of the Lambs as well as educated about the struggles women face in male dominated professions as well as the plight of people in our society who are like Buffalo Bill. Likewise, Sinners was entertaining as well as educational. I learned about the plight of Black sharecroppers who were given 'plantation' money as payment for work. I never heard of plantation money in school even though I have a graduate degree. This new knowledge helped me understand more of the underlying reasons for generational poverty in the Black community. Also, the music in Sinners is another level. I won't hold my breath when the awards season comes around. Yes, it will be great for Coogler and his team to be recognized for their efforts in Sinners. However, it is not uncommon for certain types of art to be overlooked when it comes to awards. In my mind, they have already won!
My favorite song from Sinners:
Questions to consider:
Is Remmick a villain or a misunderstood hero? Why does he want Sammie?
How did Smoke's stance on money change from the beginning to the end of the movie?
How did Annie's beliefs impact Smoke?
How does money influence the characters?
References:
Pollyanna - someone who is excessively optimistic and tends to find the good in every situation, even when things are going poorly. GoogleSearch.
The Tonight Show - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uszxvzA88O4
The sunken place* is a reference to Jordan Peele's film, Get Out.