WARNING: THIS CONTAINS MILD-TO-HEAVY SPOILERS FOR SINNERS
America is a melting pot of voices. Generations of diverse traditions and beliefs build on one another to create our national diaspora. This rich tapestry of heritage informs our history, and from that history, a cultural legacy emerges. In his latest gothic horror hit, Sinners, Ryan Coogler offers more than a refreshing take on an age-old monster. The film provides an insightful exploration into the legacy of Black culture and community in the U.S. and how assimilation disguises itself as freedom and allyship.
Coogler has rarely shied away from tackling such topics. From Fruitvale Station to Black Panther, his filmography often delves into racial injustice, the long-term effects of colonization, and the nature of Black identity. However, with Sinners, Coogler takes an ambitious bite into vampirism and breathes new life into a familiar genre. According to Box Office Pro, the movie raked in a staggering $61 million global opening and made waves across social media, and for good reason! Sinners oozes style and substance, unapologetic in celebrating African-American stories and history.
Set in the 1930s American South during the height of Jim Crow, the film follows gangster twins “Smoke” and “Stack”—both played by Michael B. Jordan—as they return to their Mississippi hometown. They hope to use their large sum of criminal money to open a juke joint for their community, a place for Black music, dancing, drinking, and more. They invite their cousin Sammie, also known as “Preacher Boy” (played by newcomer Miles Caton), to liven the party with his expert blues music.
Performance-wise, Jordan delivers two standout acts. Despite looking the same as both Smoke and Stack, he manages to convince audiences that he is two different people, each with distinct mannerisms and tones. Caton makes a fantastic acting debut with his soulful vocals and jaw-dropping guitar skills. The film even boasts a charismatic supporting cast. Delroy Lindo crafts a comedic yet heartfelt blues veteran with “Delta Slim.” Wunmi Mosaku as “Annie” is that one smart, no-nonsense horror movie character that quickly becomes a fan favorite. Hailee Steinfeld provides layers to “Mary” as a multi-racial woman with identity issues. Each character has a checkered past or personal baggage that brings them to the juke. To attend is to be free of the injustice of their reality, even for just one night.
The core ethos of Sinners lies in what speaks to Black experiences and communities. Ironically, its most talked-about scene has nothing to do with vampires–it’s a celebration of Black culture. The scene begins with Sammie performing an original song called I Lied to You. His expressive, booming voice echoes through the juke. What follows is an almost otherworldly experience. His blues music suddenly blends with African drums, hip-hop beats and snares, and electric synths. The camera weaves through the dance floor. African tribal dancers, a rock-and-roll musician with an electric guitar, a DJ spinning records, and even twerking clubgoers enter the dance; a jarring sight for a 1930s period piece.
Metaphorically, the sequence acknowledges the power of music as a cultural device for transcending the boundaries of past and future. Music itself is timeless. Black cultures and communities have shaped the landscape of music throughout American history. The scene is a testament to the legacy of Black resilience and innovation. It’s an exhilarating moment of stasis that immerses viewers in that celebration. It’s a love letter to a cultural legacy so dense and diverse that it can never be contained by time, always evolving.
This isn’t to say vampirism isn’t vital to the narrative. It uses vampires as a foil to the escapism that the juke offers: assimilation. Coogler’s bloodsuckers adopt more traditional behaviors in vampire mythos, as they can’t enter a home unless invited. This trait works as a thematic tool. It’s no coincidence that the first three vampires who show up at the juke are white; they even acknowledge this as a reason they’re denied entry. They beg for permission to enter; visitors to the juke as they are visitors to Black culture. The vampires are outsiders, cultural tourists looking to participate in a legacy not made for them. They only seek to turn everybody there into one of them. In other words, their goal is to invade, pervert, and assimilate, a reflection of colonization and cultural appropriation.
Where Coogler gets creative is how the vampires think. They are not wholly independent creatures; they act as a hive mind, led by the main vampire “Remmick” (played by Jack O’Connell). Remmick doesn’t scare the survivors into inviting him in. Rather, he tempts them with promises, a higher standard of unity that vampirism offers that humanity does not. As a vampire, worldly frustrations and vices are eliminated, and concepts like bigotry and pain are beneath an undead being. Remmick offers protection from injustice in death, a path to equality for a community faced with constant inequality. Assimilation masks itself as allyship, a way to fit into white society at the cost of their cultural agency. Annie describes the soul as being “trapped” by vampirism in the film.
There’s a unique moment where Remmick and his vampire brood, now filled with mostly Black partygoers, perform an Irish jig outside. While a silly idea for a horror segment on the surface, their identical, conformist way of dancing is a creepy contrast to the diversity of moves and styles in the I Lied to You scene. Remmick makes note of his Irish heritage and how he, too, was a victim of bigotry, as most Irish were during the nineteenth century. What differentiates his experience with prejudice from those of Black Americans is his intent to assimilate and control Black spaces. He’s perpetuating a cycle of societal abuse. Within the vampire collective, Black agency and identity are removed, replaced by his dominant force. Vampirism and assimilation, by proxy, seek to own, not befriend.
It’s revealed that Remmick was drawn to the juke by Sammie, whose musical talent acted as a spiritual lighthouse amidst the darkness. It’s that quality that vampirism and assimilation share: the draining of a life force. Where vampires seek to infect the juke, assimilation seeks to attach itself to Black culture. It wants to appropriate that legacy of music and creativity, if only someone would let it in.
While there are many more hidden details, Sinners is best experienced in person. It’s a bold and cathartic statement that pays homage to Black storytelling and stands as Coogler’s most thrilling work to date!
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