Sinners

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

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Introduction

Sinners was good… but not as good as the reviews you might have seen online. It was a little bit all over the place, and it felt like two movies mashed up together. Let’s break it down later on. The movie is directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed).

“Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their Mississippi hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.”

Characters

Michael B. Jordan delivers exceptional work here, doing the parts of Smoke and Stack, one being the more disciplined and in order, while the other one being the more reckless. They both have distinct personalities and different manner of speaking, and Jordan was able to separate both of them, being careful not to overlap their speech patterns and it worked wonderfully. Also, notice how MBJ being Smoke, his hands sometimes shakes, it shows the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), proof that he was indeed a soldier once.

Hailey Steinfeld‘s character felt like a forbidden fruit. Bringing that sultry, sexy, tempting look on the dance floor, no wonder Stack gave in. I also like the way she speaks, it fits the timeline and where she came from.

Music transcends time

(Spoiler alert)
The old mill blues scene where Sammie (played by Miles Caton) started singing and playing his guitar, and a narrator speaks in the background about how some people can play powerful spiritual music that conjures up the past and the future. And we see the blend of musical instruments and different dances from different cultures. It was an awesome one-shot sequence.

Another scene, probably my favorite of all in the movie, was when Remmick and all the vamps were playing the song “Rocky Road to Dublin” and doing an Irish dance, I thought that was creepy and cool. Reminds me a bit of Megan and Abigail. Horror characters with dance numbers.

Vampire design

Nothing special really, a little bit the same with the design of Abigail. I’m not saying it wasn’t good, just pointing out that its not an original design. Although towards the end, when Remmick got struck by the guitar and his face shifted into a more hideous looking design, I thought that was awesome.

It was also a nice touch that whatever knowledge, feeling, thoughts and pain Remmick feels, it reverberates to his followers.

What I didn’t like (Spoiler)

• Sinners is like 2 movies smashed up together, Movie A is about the early 1930s Mississipi life, harvesting cotton, plantations, KKK, and the twins, then we go to Movie B, where an Irish Vampire jumps out of nowhere and starts forming his band.
• The Irish vampire jumps out of nowhere (above the camera), with his skin smoking and burning from the sun. No backstory whatsoever, just that he was being hunted down by a group of Indians who we never heard from again.
• During the battle inside the old mill, the vampires were winning, yet they backed off when Smoke stabbed Annie, why? I don’t know. Then they charged again after giving them time to escape.
• Remmick wants Sammie for his musical prowess because…? No one knows.

Conclusion

Sinners had some good and awesome moments, specifically those scenes involving dance and music. Unfortunately it failed in the storytelling department. There were too many elements mashed up together that ultimately lead to obvious plot holes. The casting of MBJ played a big part in the movie’s marketing and reception, and I don’t think Sinners will get this much attention if they had a different actor for the role.