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“Ryan Coogler Did It Again!”

I remember reading an article on X a few years ago about the potential plot of Sinners.I thought to myself, this is interesting, but was disappointed because I thought the storyline would be too much like Marvel’s Blade with Marshlla Ali (We’ll get into that another time.) I was wrong. Sinners was what the culture and film industry needed. From the way Coogler shot the film, in a wider view that allowed for more visibility, he even encouraged audiences to see the movie multiple times to appreciate the difference in the IMAX showing. Culturally, when was the last time there was such a buzz around a black film? I had to think, then I had a quick flashback of y’all wearing dashikis to see Black Panther. That was supposed to be funny, by the way! But that blackness, just the feeling of pride, for us by us, is what I felt about Sinners.

What I Loved:

“The perfect film is like the perfect meal, everything complements each other.” A quote by me.

Time pieces are a top-five genre to me and can be really dope when done right. Sinnersis a perfect example; the movie gives you a view of what life looked like back in 1932. Coogler and his team spent countless hours researching to make sure Sinners felt authentic. The film showed the Mississippi Delta up close and personal, the rural dirt roads, the costume designs, all the small details that make time pieces what they are. Even though Sinners is considered a horror film, the main theme that tied everything together was the music. We all know the scene that transcended us out of our seats in the theater when Miles Caton (Sammie) performed “I Lied to You.” This scene shows the cultural and ancestral connection of black music through time. To write that scene, to vividly show how black music evolved from villages of West Africa all the way to your local club…. That scene felt spiritual. Coogler and Ludwig Goransson are the perfect pair when it comes to music scores, but to take the movie score over the top, they tagged in one of my goats, Raphael Saadiq. The score is beautiful; it’s just one of the many things to love about this movie that made it feel so authentic.

(Watch that scene again!  Sinners: "I Lied To You" )

Let’s Get Into The Plot:

To me, the character arc and plot in Sinners are almost perfect, each character significant in their own way. Smoke and Stack, played by Michael B. Jordan, who I think has gotten a bad rap for his acting over the years, did an outstanding job of playing two different characters. Both Smoke and Stack were chaotic in their own ways, but twin gangsters who were like an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other were the perfect pair for your main characters. Then you include the villain Remmick, played by Jack O’Connell, whose character represented so many themes in the film, but also throughout history and even today. His determination to take Sammie’s soul, his manipulative pleading with the folks at the Juke joint to let him in. Over time, vampire stories have lost the plot that for you to be bitten by a vampire, they have to be welcomed, which is gold to me, given Remmick’s goal. Annie said, “There are legends of people who possess the gift that pierce the veil between life and death, conjuring spirits from the past and the future.” I think the goal of Remmick was take Sammie’s soul to bring Remmick’s traumatic past and piece it with the present for a world for the future. I loved Sammie and Annie’s character to me; they were the purest characters in the plot. Being a PK (Preacher’s Kid), I enjoyed Sammie’s storyline a lot. I could relate to him. Deciding between God and your God-given talent because it was considered a sin would put anyone at a crossroads. Sammie made his decision, which almost cost him his life, but he took a chance. Annie, played by Wunmi Mosaku, was the saving grace; her hoodoo literally saved Smoke and Sammie. Annie represented community, love, and wisdom. She was the glue that kept the plot together.

The ONLY thing I didn’t like about Sinners is how the terror came about. It took like an hour and a half to build the plot just for Grace Chow to scream for Remmick to come in and sh*t hit the fan! We needed a little more plot or a Remmick back story before the horror started. I’ve watched Sinners a few times, and it randomly dawned on me that not only did Smoke have to defeat Remmick and save Sammie’s life, he also had to kill off the Klan, too. The Juke Joint was destined for danger, but it sure felt good for Smoke to go out with a bang. I think that was the perfect ending; it gave closure.

The MVP

Delroy Lindo…“Blues wasn’t forced on us like that religion, we brought this from home.” - Delta Slim

I know we loved the cast, but he was my favorite character in Sinners and was a part of my favorite scene. See, Delta Slim’s character was the elder of the characters; he had so many layers. He reminds me of your elder family member, who you know has some stuff for them. Delta Slim was witty, stubborn, wise, and traumatized. See Delta Slim’s story was like so many other black men and women’s stories in the South. Traumatized from his brother’s wrongful hanging, Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) delivers one of the best monologues I’ve ever heard. You felt his grief and pain; it was gut-wrenching, so much so that all he could do was begin to play him a blues tune. See that right there was just so I don’t know how to put it in another word, but “black”. Me being a church kid, it felt like someone giving a testimony of all they been through, but all they could do was sing it because words would not articulate that feeling.

Delta Slim, you are the MVP of Sinners.

In Closing:

I hope Sinners sweeps the awards this season. I think we all hope it does. I don’t know when the culture will get another Sinners, but when it does happen again, I’ll be front and center. Support your black director’s producers and writers.

See you all soon!

Thanks for the read!

-Benzo.B