Film review: Sinners is a heady mix of sex, garlic and the blues
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Sex and garlic and the blues. That’s Sinners in a nutshell. It’s also about the only thing in this big-budget production from writer/director Ryan Coogler that would fit in one. This movie is loud and proud, big and brash.
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Article content
Sex and garlic and the blues. That’s Sinners in a nutshell. It’s also about the only thing in this big-budget production from writer/director Ryan Coogler that would fit in one. This movie is loud and proud, big and brash.
View more offers
Article content
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.
Article content
And original. I mean, yes, it involves vampires, not to mention a character named Annie (played by Wunmi Wosaku) who knows all the ways to kill them or at least keep them at bay. But they don’t even show their faces (or fangs) until about half-way through the film. Though it’s bloody terrifying when they do.
Article content
Article content
The setting is Clarksdale, Mississippi — birthplace of the blues! — on a sunny Saturday in the fall of 1932. Twin brothers Smoke and Stack, both played by Cooler regular Michael B. Jordan, have just rolled into town after an absence of the better part of a decade. They’ve amassed some cash, and they aim to purchase an abandoned mill, turn it into a juke joint, and get even richer.
Article content
NP Posted
Article content
But the joint needs its juke, and so they round up their cousin Sammie (musician-turned-actor Miles Caton) and harmonica maestro Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo). Cornbread (Omar Miller), whom they pluck out of a cotton field, will be the bouncer.
Article content
They also get reacquainted with several women who haven’t forgotten them, including Mary (Hailee Steinfeld) and the aforementioned Annie, whom I’m guessing saw the original Nosferatu movie at least twice when it came out 10 years earlier.
Article content
Coogler got his feature debut in a big way, with 2013’s Fruitvale Station (original titled Fruitvale), which won the Grand Jury prize and the audience award when it debited at the Sundance Film Festival. Despite being snubbed at the Oscars, it led to Coogler directing the Rocky sequel Creed and two Black Panther movies, all of which he also co-wrote.
Article content
Article content
But Sinners is his first non-franchise, sole-writing-credit film since Fruitvale Station, albeit with a budget two orders of magnitude bigger than that film’s $900,000. It’s a joy to watch, and also to listen to, with a bombastic score by Ludwig Grandson (The Mandalorian, Oppenheimer) that dips in and out of the film, sometimes giving way to performances by one of more of the characters, before picking up the heavy lifting again.
Article content
Stories You May Like
Lights, camera, elbows up: Movies to stream on Canadian Film Day
The Spoils documents the unravelling of an exhibit of Nazi-stolen art
Advertisement embed-more-topic
Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
It also does some lovely light lifting, as when a character’s three strikes on a stubborn match perfectly synchronize with the music’s rhythm. Or when a necklace torn from a body signals the end of a song. These little harmonies are wonderful precisely because they’re not overdone.
Article content
I found myself reminded several times of the 1979 song The Devil Went Down to Georgia, given the film’s portrayal of the intersection of secular music and something evil in the world. And I was knocked silly and sideways by a raucous scene in Smoke/Stack’s establishment, in which Sammie’s guitar music conjures up collaborations with phantoms of past and future performers, including a 19th-century Japanese dancer and a 21st-century electric guitarist. If the TARDIS from Dr. Who had a disco, this is what it would look like.
Article content
That scene was filmed with Imax cameras, and although not every part of the movie uses the full size of the screen, Imax is still the best way to see Sinners if you can. Failing that, go for the biggest screen you can find.
Article content
Sinners opens April 18 in theatres.
Article content
4 stars out of 5
Article content
Advertisement 1
This advertisement has not loaded yet.
Comedy icon Vince Vaughn met President Donald Trump for a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House on April 18th which has been shared on social media.
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Pascal is still the internet's daddy. Summer 2025 is his for the taking.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
PATSY Palmer was saved by the public from being evicted last night, meaning Daley Thompson was the next housemate to get the boot. The EastEnders icon, 52, and the former Olympian and gold medallis…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Gosh, it’s been a long time since the season one finale of Ahsoka — one year and seven months. But two teases came out of the Ahsoka panel tonight at Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo about season 2, which is going into production next week. First, Hayden Christensen is coming back as Anakin Skywalker — […]
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
'Sinners' writer-director Ryan Coogler says he's turning his attention to developing a series reboot of 'The X-Files' as his next project.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
“You need the best people, you need good people,” Affleck said of fleeing TV and film crews.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Martha Stewart appeared to mock Katy Perry's recent trip to space, joining other celebrity critics, including Olivia Wilde and Emily Ratajkowski.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Following 'Sinners', Ryan Coogler revealed that his upcoming 'The X Files' reboot is next on his schedule.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Who survives the night in 'Sinners,' Ryan Coogler's blood and blues-soaked vampire thriller? Variety breaks down the ending and post-credits scenes.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Director Ryan Coogler, composer Ludwig Göransson, and DP Autumn Durald Arkapaw tell IndieWire about creating the musical montage in 'Sinners.'
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Thompson faced the public vote after receiving four nominations.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Celebrity Big Brother evictee Daley Thompson mocked Tiffany Pollard for being 'friendless' leading to the US star screaming at him on Late and Live, calling him 'rotten'
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/katy-perry-martha-stewart-041825-2165e337bb4a47a5abbe0da418a100e5.jpg)
“Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind?” reads text over a video of Martha Stewart floating in a zero-gravity aircraft in 2007
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/katy-perry-martha-stewart-041825-2165e337bb4a47a5abbe0da418a100e5.jpg&description=Martha Stewart Pokes Fun at Blue Origin Space Flight with Katy Perry Lyric: ‘The Drag We Needed!’ “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind?” reads text over a video of Martha Stewart floating in a zero-gravity aircraft in 2007 %23katyperry) |
|
|
Ryan Gosling landed the lead role in the upcoming Star Wars movie, Starfighter. In Touch breaks down everything to know about the future box-office hit.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Sabrina Carpenter is a well-known name in both music and acting. Recognized for her strong voice, acting talent, and dedication, Carpenter has won over millions of fans. She started with a breakout role on Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World and then moved on to a successful music career.
Sabrina has become one of the most talented young stars today. But what is Sabrina Carpenter’s net worth, how much does she make, and what has led to her success? Let’s look at these questions in detail.
As of 2025, Sabrina Carpenter’s net worth is estimated to be around $12 million. This large amount comes from her work in acting, music, and brand deals. Her journey began when she was very young, and her earnings show the result of her hard work and skill.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.