FILM REVIEW: Sinners Is a Bold, Beautiful Blend of Horror, Music & Black Soul
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is not just a film—it’s an experience. Visceral, stylish, and emotionally layered, this genre-defying story takes us to 1930s Mississippi, where twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore (both played by an astonishing Michael B. Jordan) return home to open a juke joint. But what begins as a soulful celebration of music and brotherhood quickly descends into a dark, supernatural reckoning—vampires, yes, but not quite the kind you expect.
Coogler, always at the cutting edge of Black cinematic storytelling, crafts something truly unique here. Sinners is part Southern Gothic, part horror musical, and part supernatural allegory. The juke joint pulses with life, Göransson’s blues-infused score wraps itself around every scene, and the cinematography paints the Deep South in equal parts magic and menace. It’s the kind of world-building you sink into.
Critically acclaimed and commercially successful, Sinners grossed over $48 million domestically and $63.5 million worldwide during its opening weekend—an impressive feat for a wholly original, non-franchise film. In a post-pandemic box office landscape dominated by reboots and sequels, that kind of performance signals something deeper: audiences are ready for bold, new stories told through unapologetically Black perspectives.
But beyond the spectacle, Sinners resonates because it’s doing something much more profound. At its heart, the film is a powerful commentary on race and cultural appropriation. The vampires—seductive, eerie, and all-consuming—aren’t just threats in the night. They’re metaphors for the historical and ongoing exploitation of Black culture, particularly Black music. As the brothers wrestle with whether to commercialize their sound or protect its integrity, Coogler holds up a mirror to the music industry—and to society at large.
There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a film that doesn’t dilute its message. Sinners is confident and uncompromising, offering a nuanced critique of how Black art is often co-opted, commodified, and sold—while the originators are left to fight for recognition and survival. It’s a narrative that speaks directly to Afripolitan audiences who understand the global pull of Black creativity, and the struggle to own and define it on our own terms.
Ultimately, Sinners is more than a horror film—it’s a cinematic reckoning. It’s stylish without being superficial, smart without being preachy, and thrilling in ways that feel fresh and vital. For Coogler, it’s another evolution in a career defined by courage, complexity, and cultural precision. For us, the audience, it’s a reminder that our stories—when told with care, creativity, and conviction—can shift genres, break records, and still speak truth to power.
A must-watch. Don’t miss the post-credits scene!
Sinners is in theatres across Nairobi now.
Get your tickets here.,
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