Sinners
Plot: Twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan) return home to 1932 Mississippi and run into an unexpected obstacle when they open a juke joint: vampires.
Pros: The movie is well-produced and well-shot. There is a fantasy dance sequence incorporating music through the ages that’s a thing to behold. The cinematography and acting are top-notch.
Sinners, at least in its first hour, is often a thought-provoking drama. Writer-director Ryan Coogler had lofty ambitions. His story isn’t just horror; he tackles race and temptation in the 1930s South.
Cons: For a movie promoted as a vampire flick, it’s not scary. Vampires with red eyes and who dance an Irish jig don’t exactly tingle the spine.
Crucially, Coogler’s metaphors and political themes don’t mesh well with vampire shenanigans.
The elephant in the room: Sinners garnered a record 16 Oscar nominations. This is a movie that wants to be taken seriously but winds up a peculiar mix of To Kill a Mockingbird and From Dusk till Dawn. It’s good, but not 16-Oscars good. Release: 2025 Grade: B
Would I watch it again? Possibly. But I forgot to mention one more con: Like so many Hollywood movies these days, at 138 minutes this one is too damn long.
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