Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, is a film that combines thriller, action, and horror. It stars well-known actors/actresses such as Michael B. Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld. If you’re into movies about vampires or blues music and Black culture, this is the perfect movie for you.  

  The movie follows the story of Smoke and Stack, a set of twins from Mississippi in 1932, where sharecroppers and Jim Crowe laws are present. Smoke and Stack return home to Mississippi after working with the notorious Al Capone in Chicago. When they return, they decide to buy a sawmill from a racist landowner using their stolen money. They want to open this juke joint to create a safe space for the Black community. In the process, they bring along their little cousin Sammy, a talented musician and son of a preacher. Sammy’s father is heavily opposed to Sammys playing of music and risky behaviors with his cousins. He says to him, “If you keep dancing with the devil, one day he’s gonna follow you home”.  

This film incorporates a unique soundtrack worked by composer Ludwig Göransson. It features mainly blues-inspired tracks like “I Lied to You” and “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” with beautiful vocals by Miles Caton. The use of blues, created by Black musicians, serves as a symbol of reflection and resistance of the Black experience during this time. In the scene containing “I Lied to You” we are taken through an experience that transcends into the past and future of Black music using hip hop and African influences. It doesn’t just stop there though, this movie uses music of other cultures such as the Scottish/Irish folk song “Will Ye Go, Lassie Go”. 

Due to Sammys music being able to travel across generations of time, the vampires are drawn to the energy of the juke joint. So, on the night of the grand opening, they have unexpected visitors. To find out what happens after that, you might just have to pay a visit to your local theater.