Pécheurs

First of all: this is not a horrible movie, but it sure as hell isn't what the ratings make it out to be. It's sort of like From Dusk Till Dawn, but then with a predictable and not so good second half. And, as is the problem with a lot of movies these days: it's about an hour too long.

I really liked the first half. Up until the scene wherein Sammy makes music at the Juke Joint, which seems wildly out of place to me. It wasn't funny, smart and totally unnecessary in my opinion. Everything after that was cliche, full of the standard horror tropes and just not that good in my opinion. The acting is pretty good, the imagery is beautiful, but all in all it really falls short as a horror movie and overstays its welcome by a long shot.

It feels like The Sinners was directed by two different Cooglers-one responsible for the first half, and another for the second. If I had to rate them separately: the first half is a solid 8, the second a disappointing 4.

The film starts off brilliantly. Set in the Deep South during the 1930s, it plunges us into a world of chain gangs, overt racism, and raw human struggle-all wrapped in the soul of music. The characters are distinctive and memorable, the performances are top-notch, and the world-building is rich and atmospheric. It's a western, a drama, and a musical all at once, and somehow it works. For a while.

Then comes the second half.

This is where things fall apart. The pivot to horror-specifically vampires-feels abrupt and half-hearted. There's barely a story holding it together, and the horror/action sequences barely last 10-15 minutes. They lack any real suspense or memorable set pieces. The execution feels rushed and undercooked, especially after such a powerful setup.

The final 5-7 minutes attempt a bold anti-Klan message, and it's likely this moment of violence and symbolism that won over many critics. But for me, it was too little, too late.

What's most frustrating is the wasted potential. This could've been a truly unique vampire film-rooted in history, rich in theme, driven by character and song. Instead, it leaves you wondering what could've been if the second half had lived up to the promise of the first.

I saw the ratings for this film and I watched really looking forward to watching it. Even the people who work the counters in the cinema assured us of how good it was.

The first half of the film have the makings of an 8/10 film, and it seems like it's going to go that way, especially with such a good cast. But as with most films these days, it takes a turn and gets quite daft in the second half. Somewhat like Dusk til Dawn, but not half as good...But that's just my opinion.

Go watch it, but at least give it an honest review. It's not an 8/10 movie as iMDB has it scored. I scored it a 6, which I think is fair.

For years I've been emphasizing the importance of music in movies; how an amazing musical score can significantly elevate a movie. It shouldn't just be background dressing. It should be brought to the forefront. It should drive the story. It should be a character in itself. It should give you goosebumps in the big moments. Sinners is one of the best examples of this.

Aside from the music, I could tell I was watching high-quality filmmaking within five minutes. The directing, camerawork, editing, and sound design are pristine. The entire cast does a great job, but Michael B. Jordan shines. He is a superstar.

Sinners is also surprisingly funny, without taking away from the seriousness. And the horror elements are... satisfying. This movie goes hard.

Advice: Certain scenes have an expanded aspect ratio that will only be shown in IMAX. If you can't go to an IMAX, any premium screen will do (Dolby Cinema, UltraScreen, EMX, etc). This movie benefits more than most from the larger screen and louder speakers.

Also, I missed A LOT of the dialogue, you may want to ask for a closed caption device.

(1 viewing, opening night IMAX 4/17/2025)

I'm a big fan of Ryan C and also most of the cast so I had high expectations this would be well directed and acted.

Unfortunately the back story is decent for the one part based on the twin brothers but then mid way it switches to another film that has some crazy vampires with no back story so it's very confusing.

I loved the first half as it had great blues and 1930/40 vibes but if you're looking for horror/ vampires you can skip the first hour as it really has little impact on what suddenly appears in the last 30 mins which is another film with cool effects and vampire mayhem -

But be prepared to scratch your head wondering what was the writer smoking and it just accelerates into something bizarre yet original in its scatological premise.

At least from Dusk till dawn makes a mockery of its premise while this film is being played straight laced so it felt more like it was an after thought to blend the two - and for me it just did not work and was confusing like writer was unable to connect the dots.

Go in with super low expectations and maybe you'll enjoy it as our group all came out with similar results of paying kudos to great directing, cgi and acting but it was a confusing bizarre experience.

5 stars for directing and acting.