Sinners: Movie Review

Cast: Michael B Jordan, Miles Caton, Delroy Lindo, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku
Director: Ryan Coogler

Ryan Coogler's impressive world-building skills come to the fore in this genre-hopping story that revels in its originality before concluding in a messy mix of blood and gore.

Essentially a riff on From Dusk Til Dawn's Mexican stand-off in parts, this seductive blues-soaked story stars Michael B. Jordan doing double duty as twins Smoke and Stack who return to their hometown having made their fortune in Chicago.

Deciding to set up a juke joint, the boys set about recruiting talent to invigorate their opening night - from a local heavy to a blues player (Delroy Lindo) and their own cousin, a talented player called Sammie, aka Preacher Boy (a soulful Caton).

But what Smoke and Stack don't realise is their desire to be bigtime players in their small town - along with the divine playing of Preacher Boy - has attracted the interest of some dangerous visitors, headed up by Jack O'Connell's Remmick.

Sinners feels like one of the more original films of 2025 and is all the better for it.

Whilst not every element works in this, the atmospheric set-up, the lived-in feeling of the side characters and the sense of era wonderfully evocative from the get-go. Whether it's the slight difference between the twins (one smiles a little more, the other's more studied), Jordan allows for the subtleties to shine as his director allows for time to build around him.

And while much of the story could be seen as a metaphor for the white man stealing the blues music of the deep south, as well as colonialism, Coogler demonstrates some artful directorial flourishes throughout to keep viewers engaged.

One particular touch, set in the middle of the first night at the juke joint is just so jaw-dropping you wonder why it's not been done before. Without spoiling it, it's audacious and speaks volumes to the legacy of music and the impact of the music of the deep south. Music plays a major part in Sinners and its mix of blues and tribal lore are utterly compelling.

It's these moments that stand out in Sinners, landing head and shoulders above the more traditional horror elements that surface toward the end. And unfortunately, the film's denouement after a stand-off that seems without conclusion feels rushed, a minor creative misfire in a truly tremendous movie.

It's often said there's not enough original cinema out there. 

And while Sinners swirls the ingredients of very familiar fare throughout, the final concoction is a heady, steady mix that's well worth diving into.