Sinners

As I sit here on Sunday, March 15, 2026, it's been 5 ½ months since I saw Ryan Coogler's Sinners at the local movie theater.  In that time, my memory of the film has faded, and I'm left primarily with my overall impression, and specific moments that burned themselves into my long-term memory.  Some of the best films ever made take place in the South:  To Kill A Mockingbird, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Help, and Black Snake Moan.  These films don't simply use the South as a location, rather the history, the culture, the sound of cicadas, and the spanish moss draped from a cypress tree, all work together to add depth and texture to each film.  And, it doesn't matter whether the film is a period piece or contemporary, there's the persistent weight that is a consequence of the sin of enslavement; even in the Coen brothers' lighthearted retelling of Homer's The Odyssey, there is an oppressive heaviness intrinsic to the Southern setting.  I mention these facts only to establish that Sinners finds itself in good company, and continues the tradition of great films that came before.  Sinners doesn't have the poignant power of To Kill A Mockingbird, but it does have something to say, so it's more in line with Black Snake Moan.  In a similar way, Michael B. Jordan doesn't quite rise to Nicolas Cage's portrayal of the Kaufman brothers in Adaptation, but Jordan's dual role is interesting and nuanced in its own way.  Likewise, Delroy Lindo is at the top of his game, and is representative of how good the casting and performances are; Coogler understands that all the pieces are important, from the acting, to the cinematography, the color palette, and the special effects - this film is masterfully assembled.  Did you notice that I didn't even mention anything about vampires?  That's because this would have been just as good of a film if it weren't for the vampires, which brings me to a point that I've made many times before:  Vampire movies should not be about vampires.  Vampires are dumb.  Vampires are an allegory for evil in society that is parasitic and infectious, so a good vampire movie must know that.  Coogler knows.