Any self-respecting movie fan knows Ryan Coogler’s Sinners has taken the box office by storm by bringing the century-old vampire genre back to life. One reason the film resonated highly with viewers was its use of classic genre tropes in a way that reflects the attitudes of the 21st century on topics like sex and spirituality. 

The Sexy Vampire and What It Means About Us

In pop culture, the vampire has come to represent a sex symbol. Robert Pattinson’s vampire in Twilight had perfect skin with a captivating, brooding aura. This was one of the many performances to ride on the cape-tails of Bela Lugosi’s classic portrayal of Dracula, who allured audiences with his aristocratic look and deep, hypnotic voice (which was all the rage at the time).

The charming vampire captivates the viewer. We know they are dangerous, yet we feel drawn to them, making them endearing.

Sinners is happy to follow this trend, placing its star, 2020’s Sexiest Man Alive, Michael B. Jordan, at the forefront of the film and its advertising.

In the film, Jordan plays the dual roles of identical twin brothers working as mafia hitmen known by their nicknames, Smoke and Stack. Unsurprisingly to anyone who’s ever seen one of Jordan’s movies, he plays the sharply dressed twins with smooth charisma.

In one scene, the twins advise their shy cousin Sammie (Miles Canton) on various aspects of manhood. When the topic of women comes up, Stack extols the wonder of going down on a woman, using an ice cream-themed metaphor to explain to his cousin how to satisfy a partner. Smoke and Stack’s desire to fulfill feminine needs is presented as an extension of their attractiveness.

Seen in a historical context, the role of the sexy vampire represents what a society is attracted to at a given time. Positive critical and commercial reactions to the film imply that audiences see generosity in the bedroom as a trait of the modern fantasy man. This possibly reflects the trend of broader recognition of women’s sexual health in society.

The Vampires Are More Hungry Than Evil

The vampires in Sinners are predatory, but cannot be effectively categorized as pure evil. Yes–they are dangerous, but they operate out of a desire to feed rather than an innate cruelty. They appreciate art, and interestingly enough, becoming a vampire is shown to strip a Klan member of their racial prejudice.

During the film’s finale, Stack, now an immortal vampire, shares a sentimental moment after being reunited with his now elderly human cousin almost 60 years after the film’s climax. This scene carries the bittersweet caveat that, although the two got to share a moment, after Stack leaves, he will return to preying on the living.

Ryan Coogler’s avoidance of clearly defined ideas of good vs. evil likely reflects a shifting attitude towards what people fear. Remember, global warming doesn’t happen because of some deliberate evil.

Being Spiritual Without Committing to a Specific Set of Beliefs

Sinners is a very spiritual movie that borrows ideas from various sets of beliefs, often being ambiguous about what’s true and what isn’t.

At the beginning, Sammie’s pastor father, Jedidiah (Saul Williams), makes a prediction that becomes true by the end; but whether or not this is an act of divine intervention is left unanswered. In another scene, Smokes’ wife, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), describes placing a protection spell on her man, stating it’s how he survived his dangerous lifestyle. Whether or not the spell worked is as ambiguous as the significance of the priest’s prediction.

In the earliest films, vampires were often unholy entities who served as physical embodiments of evil. In these films, Christian symbols, seen as representations of purity, were used to combat them. In 1931’s Dracula, the Count recoils when his nemesis, Van Helsing, reveals a pocket-sized crucifix.

Other than holy water being listed alongside the numerous vampire weaknesses, the movie doesn’t emphasize Christian symbols repelling vampires.

Some things about the film’s mythology are clear. Spirits of the deceased are shown to exist, and humans can channel them. It is explained that when one is turned into a vampire, their soul is unable to leave their body and pass into the afterlife. When the afterlife is described, it is done so in a way that avoids tying it to an identifiable religion.

The movie acknowledges spiritual practices without leaning too heavily into favoring a specific set of beliefs. This likely reflects the rising tendency, especially among younger people, to consider oneself spiritual without adhering to specific religious practices.

Sinners succeeds because it understood the themes that defined the vampire genre, but found a way to breathe new life into them by adapting them into a way that resonated with modern audiences. For further reading on Sinners and its deeper themes of legacy, freedom, and assimilation, check out this companion piece on Just N Life