Sinners

Sinners is the fifth feature film from writer and director Ryan Coogler, and the first to be based on an original story of his own. The most buzzed-about film of the year, Sinners racked up 16 nominations and multiple wins at the 2026 Oscars, including Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan. Sinners is a Southern Gothic and slasher horror, a vampire story and an ancestral spell. It’s both a historical and supernatural epic. Best of all, it’s a film that revels in the Black American experience. Even with its flaws, it’s one of the most innovative and unexpected films of recent years.

Sinners follows former Mississippi residents, twins Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan), as they return to their hometown after working as gangsters in Chicago. The film takes place over 24 hours, as the brothers recruit old acquaintances for the opening night of their new establishment. They’ve purchased a lumber mill which they are turning into a juke joint, a 1930s term for an establishment dedicated to dancing and drinking. Meanwhile, both earthly and supernatural threats hover on the horizon, and when the sun sets, merriment and hell break loose.

The first portion of Sinners is a slow unfolding. In this meandering progression, other characters and the audience are drawn into the twins’ orbits. Smoke and Stack are hardened criminals, but we begin to see their vulnerabilities as they face old heartbreaks and traumas. Excitement and dread around the juke joint party mount.

From the opening scenes, every frame of Sinners is imbued with vibrancy and tactility. The immersive cinematography of Autumn Durald Arkapaw uses 65mm Panavision and IMAX cameras to capture Mississippi cotton fields, the shining metal curves of the twins’ 1930s car barrelling down long country roads, the rich brown wood and rust of the lumber mill, the maroons and blues of tailored suits. This visual sumptuousness is enhanced by gorgeous costuming by Ruth E. Carter and meticulous production design by Hannah Beachler. In an interview in Variety, Beachler describes how she designed the details of Annie’s home, including painting the shack a particular shade of blue that was used by the Gullah Geechee enslaved Africans to protect against evil spirits. The cinematography showcases a landscape that is expansive, beautiful, and also isolating. The characters are small figures in a vast, open space, exposed on all sides.

One of the film’s many technical achievements is the way Jordan’s two brilliant performances are blended on screen. Jordan infuses the twins with subtle differences in body language, tone of voice, and expressiveness. There are excellent performances all around, from Hailee Steinfeld’s sassy Mary to Wunmi Mosaku’s embodied performance as Annie (Smoke’s old flame and Hoodoo practitioner), and Delroy Lindo’s irreverence with a touch of gravitas as piano player Delta Slim. Jack O’Connell sparkles as the charming yet destructive vampire Remmick. Talented singer and actor Miles Caton debuts as the twins’ cousin Sammie.

A soulful, blues-soaked explosion of music is at the centre of the film, particularly in the extended sequence in which Sammie sings with such spiritual power that ancestors and descendants are summoned. Music becomes a visceral spell in this time-bending and eccentric scene. A sultry, ominous score, composed by Ludwig Göransson, weaves through the entire film. As the film gradually shifts into the supernatural, Coogler bends genre and storytelling restraints, embracing the bizarre, the passionate, and the violent.

With the escalating action and violence of its second half, Sinners stumbles somewhat in pacing and editing. A purposeful, slow build of anticipation tumbles into chaotic confrontations and quick escalations. Some of this works, taking us by surprise, while some of the dramatic action and violence feels fragmented and choppy in its editing.

Sinners, even with its disjointed moments, is a singular film. It hums with life, with tactile details, soulful visuals and exciting rhythms. The film’s energy is enhanced by a frightening yet spiritual undercurrent of death. In Sinners, Coogler’s ambition is evident. This is a story of emotional and historical depth, as well as imaginative boldness.

Zebib K. Abraham

Zebib K. Abraham is a writer and psychiatrist.