Sinners

Sinners impresses early with its stunning cinematography and solid performances. The film sets a moody, atmospheric tone and builds tension with a deliberate, slow-burn approach that hints at something truly impactful. Unfortunately, that promise is never fulfilled. When the vampires finally appear, the film takes a sharp downturn. Their behavior is nonsensical, lacking any real menace or intelligence, and they end up feeling more like a parody than a threat. It's a baffling creative choice that undermines everything the first half works so hard to build. Despite its strong technical elements, the film stumbles badly at the finish line. A stylish misfire-watchable, but disappointing. 6 out of 10.

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)

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.

First half of the movie was very good. Great character set up. Second half of the movie the plot progressed very quickly with nothing particularly interesting happening. Not much of a story line involved and movie ended abruptly. The acting was great, Michael B Jordan did a wonderful job playing smock and stack and some of the supporting characters were great as well. The movie was filmed perfectly. Music was obviously great as well. Plot and storyline did not move the needle for me. Post credit scene was cool!

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.