The Ultimate Review of the Southern Gothic Horror Blockbuster, ‘Sinners’

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Published by Gugulethu Nxumalo at April 29, 2025

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What happens when you mix mob money, Mississippi blues, and bloodthirsty vampires under the sweltering sun of Jim Crow America? Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s bold new Southern Gothic horror, answers that question with grit, heart, and a whole lot of sweat and style.

Sinners throws you into 1932 Mississippi with sweat and style. Michael B. Jordan plays twin brothers Smoke and Stack. They are World War I vets who bring Chicago mob cash back to their Delta hometown to open a Black-owned juke joint. They round up a crew of talented musicians, from a preacher’s son turned guitar prodigy (Miles Caton) to a bluesman (Delroy Lindo) and a Hoodoo cook (Wunmi Mosaku), and hope to build a haven under Jim Crow.

Of course, it’s horror, so trouble isn’t far behind; the night descends into a literal battle with a supernatural evil in the bayou. This high-stakes premise lets Coogler fuse real history (the music, racism and hustle of the era) with pulsing vampire action all in one package. Alongside Jordan, the cast features Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Jayme Lawson and Delroy Lindo, ensuring strong performances across the board. The result is a unique Southern-Gothic shocker that balances blues culture with bloodcurdling thrills, and it almost always delivers.

Our Take: Fierce, Fun, With a Few Flaws

Sinners is an ambitious and mostly successful genre mash-up. It’s fun, loud, and visually rich, and it’s a good movie rather than a great one. Critics have been mostly positive, one calls it “scintillating and superb” with “stellar performances, impressive imagery, and an exceptional score”, while another hails Coogler and Jordan for delivering “a vampire movie for the ages.

On the other hand, some note that the film can feel overstuffed. As one reviewer puts it, “Sinners almost works better in parts than as a whole” and is “a little messy” even as it “looks phenomenal” on screen. In short, the highs are very high (amazing style, energy and thematic depth), but you can see where squeezing in every idea makes it uneven. For most viewers, especially fans of bold, culturally-rich horror, the strengths outweigh the stumbles.

Story and Genre

Coogler blends a Depression-era crime drama with a vampire horror, shifting from a period adventure to full-on Gothic terror. It’s jarring at times but thrilling, with a sweaty, bluesy vibe that refreshes classic vampire tropes against a 1932 Mississippi Delta backdrop.

Shot in a wide 65–70mm, Sinners looks gorgeous, drenched in golds and reds, bursting with vivid details. Coogler’s stylish tracking shots and close-ups create a lush, immersive world that feels like a living painting.

Big Themes on sinners

Underneath the scares, Sinners is bursting with cultural heart. It turns the blues, a music born of Black pain, into a force, which feels both metaphorical and literal here. The film tackles Jim Crow racism head-on: witnessing Klan violence and hearing characters discuss lynching is disturbing, but it gives weight. The hustle of Smoke and Stack (using mob money to start a Black business) also taps into an entrepreneurial energy that resonates, it’s a grind to create opportunity against the odds.

For Black and brown audiences in particular, there’s power in seeing Black legends (civil rights-era vampires!) and musicians who fought for, not exploited. One viewer summed it up well: “It’s a love letter to blues, the south, to Black history and its music, and the ongoing struggle we still see today.” That spirit, pride in culture even amid horror, is why this movie feels relevant and different.

Some Bumps

The ambition is great, but it can overreach. You might feel the pacing drag in the long setup (the juke club doesn’t really come alive until halfway through). Having so many characters and ideas also means some get short shrift. As one critic notes, the movie’s “threads” are a bit tangled.

In practice, this means after an exciting beginning, the final act’s intensity can be exhausting rather than thrilling. A few scenes could have been trimmed or made sharper. So yes, Sinners has a few rough edges, it’s messy in places, but I’d argue those moments aren’t fatal. The film’s energy and creativity mostly carry it through.

Overall, watching Sinners was like riding a roller coaster. One minute I was tapping my toes and vibing to the music, the next I was gripping my seat in fear or righteous anger at the injustices on screen. Coogler’s movie made me feel proud to see Black history and blues culture centre stage in a genre flick. I laughed, cheered, and felt chills, and even caught myself thinking about these characters and their story hours later.

Finally, who is it for?

Fans of horror with a twist, especially if you liked From Dusk Till Dawn or Jordan Peele’s movies (genre thrills and social themes). If you’re into vividly shot historical stories, blues music and diverse casts, Sinners delivers that mix.

Furthermore, Coogler/Marvel/DC/‘Wakanda Forever’ fans who follow Michael B. Jordan will appreciate seeing their heroes tackle a completely different kind of story. Millennial/Gen Z creatives and entrepreneurs might also enjoy the hustler spirit, it’s about building something for your community, after all.

However, If you prefer simple, straightforward horror or a tightly plotted tale, this might feel too busy. Parents and younger viewers should beware: Sinners is rated R for graphic violence, gore and frightening supernatural scenes. It’s definitely for adults. And if you’re not into period pieces or slow-build dramas, the first half might test your patience.

Photo Credit: Michael B. Jordan (left) and Miles Caton in ‘Sinners.’ Warner Bros