alexnloy

Sinners has a lot to like. The atmosphere, cinematography, music, and acting are all top-notch, while the plot and dialogue leave a bit to be desired.

The comparison has been made plenty of times already - but yes, this movie largely follows the same plot beats as From Dusk Till Dawn. A pair of criminal siblings head south to put some distance between themselves and their latest score. They end up in a rural tavern with lots of drinking and music, only to have the party crashed by some bloodthirsty vampires.

What makes this stand out from the Tarantino/Rodriguez classic is the setting. Instead of dusty 1990s Texas, it's sweltering 1930s Mississippi.

The movie works best when it leans into this atmosphere, particularly in the beginning. The fantastic cinematography lends an authenticity that instantly reminded my of Flowers of the Killer Moon. You feel the heat, you see the sweat, and it transports you into the past for a time.

Music also plays a key role. One of the main characters is an aspiring musician, and two big musical performances steal the show in surreal scenes that can only be described as something like Baz Lurhmann meets David Lynch. Without a doubt the highlight on the movie.

The actors all do a great job. Michael B Jordon is a tough act to follow in his duel roles, but Hailee Steinfeld and the great Delroy Lindo also have their moments. Jack O'Connell is also quite memorable as the Irish vampire.

The biggest flaws come from the script. The derivative plot has already been mentioned, but that could have been overlooked had the dialogue and characters been really great. Unfortunately, both are average. The twin brothers follow almost the exact same arc as the brothers in From Dusk Till Dawn - beat for beat.

The dialogue also seemingly gets more modern as the film progresses, which can take you out of the fantastic gothic setting. Coogler also seems to have a bit of an obsession with cunnilingus. It was amusing the first couple of times, but after like SIX blatant references it started to get a little tiresome. Come on Ryan, even Tarantino limits his foot-fetish stuff to once or twice a film.

Ultimately, Sinners is a very enjoyable film. The unique setting and great production values outweigh some clunky writing. Definitely recommended.

This episode presents the interesting idea of placing a new character into a classic movie with AI. Unfortunately, the main character simply does not fit the role at all, while the supporting cast acts circles around them.

The bright spot in this episode is Emma Corrin. She absolutely nails the period-piece role to the point where it makes the main character seem like she's not even in the same film.

I have no problem with Issa Rae. But she made approximately zero effort to play the character differently than the one she always plays. Dumping her into a 1950s era setting with her modern accent and mannerisms just didn't work at all. It boggles the mind how they let this one slide. Honestly, they probably should have swapped Issa with the confectionary girl from the previous episode, and let Issa do episode 2. At least she would have fit into the setting.

Akwafina is also there for some reason. She doesn't fit very well either, but it's a smaller role so it doesn't quite stand out as much as Issa.

There are a lot of cool ideas that could spawn from this concept. It's a very clever idea that has legs, it just needs a cast that fits the setting.