Michael B. Jordan and Miles Caton in “Sinners.” Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures via TNS
The plot of “Sinners” is hard to grasp. It’s a little bit of every genre — a Western, a musical, a horror movie and an action thriller.
In order to truly understand the story, one must go back to the movie’s pre-production phase.
Director Ryan Coogler was fresh off of two successful mainstream franchises — “Black Panther” and “Creed” — when he began working on “Sinners,” an original IP that included his frequent collaborator and favorite actor, Michael B. Jordan.
Coogler leveraged his industry success to secure funding for the $90 million budget, an impressive feat on its own. But what’s more interesting about the production of “Sinners” were the ownership deals Coogler negotiated for himself.
According to a Friday article from AV Club, Coogler negotiated to receive revenue from the film on day one, as opposed to the usual deal in which revenue only comes back to the filmmakers after it’s turned a profit for the studios.
Additionally, in a move that is reportedly sending shockwaves through the studio system, Coogler secured an extremely rare deal that ensures he will see total ownership of the film in 25 years — a privilege usually reserved for the most esteemed auteur directors.
This all makes sense when considering the prevalent themes of Black ownership present in “Sinners.”
In the film, Jordan plays a pair of twins named Smoke and Stack, a wealthy Black duo who return to Mississippi in the early 1930s after making their fortune in Chicago.
The brothers purchase a warehouse from a white businessman who insists he has no ties to the Ku Klux Klan — a claim that’s clearly false to anyone outside the film’s universe — and transform it into a blues club dedicated to celebrating Black culture and community through music.
Among the many people they assemble to help with the club is their cousin Sammy (Miles Caton), who is gifted with a magical musical ability that allows listeners to connect with their family lineage.
Things take a turn for the worse when a group of white vampires catch wind of these happenings and seek to quench their thirst by preying on the blues club and stealing Sammy’s powers.
Even though the plot is quite busy, the themes surrounding the cultural appropriation of Black music and community are still apparent.
Though “Sinners” shifts from a classic Western in its well-crafted first half to a horror film after Hailee Steinfeld’s character, Mary, is turned into a vampire, its recurring theme of ownership ties the entire narrative together, extending beyond the screen to reflect Coogler’s own battle for the film’s rights.
As for the movie itself, it’s a success in the sense that it’s a completely refreshing high-budget film — a rarity these days in a system dominated by reboots and sequels.
Some viewers will prefer the latter half, with its abrupt switch to vampire horror, more than the first half of world-building and character establishment, perhaps due to its riveting action and gorgeous cinematography against a backdrop of the fading Mississippi sun.
In the end, it’s the more character-driven moments of the film that really allow Jordan to shine as Smoke and Stack — both idiosyncratic despite their status as twins — in a doubling that already rivals Robert Pattinson’s cloning role in “Mickey 17” just one month earlier.
However, the film falls short of becoming one of the decade’s greats due to noticeably sloppy editing. Abrupt cuts give scenes little room to breathe, and inconsistent audio mixing often buries the sharp dialogue, weakening its impact throughout.
Though the filmmakers were smart to spotlight the vibrant original score — a blend of blues and folk that peaks in a standout musical sequence at the film’s center — they struggle to strike a balance. The music often overwhelms key moments, leaving little space for the exposition and character development to resonate.
Despite these missteps, “Sinners” has something for everyone.
It’s both a celebration of Black culture and music and a sharp cautionary tale about the modern-day vampires eager to appropriate it. Blending wit, suspense and action, the film shifts between Western, horror and high-octane thriller with ambition — even if it doesn’t always land the transition.
Still, “Sinners” stands out as one of the more memorable and culturally significant films of 2025 thus far.
Rating: 4/5
