Flowers for 'Sinners'

A Film Review (no spoilers) written by "The Kultured Queen"

Sinners movie poster designed by Gravillis Inc. and inspired by the visual style of "The Sugar Shack" by Eric Barnes.

First thing's first, blessings and salutations to Ryan Coogler! For the seasoned cinephile like me, Sinners easily goes down as one of the best films in recent history; no question, no competition, and no discussion.  It is a beautiful representation of Black American life with all its complexities, woven between layers of fantasy, horror, African spirituality, and soul stirring music. More significant than the stellar storytelling, cinematography, and groundbreaking performances is the fact that this film solidifies Ryan Coogler's status as this generation's legend. Joining the likes of Spike Lee, John Singleton, Kenan Ivory Wayans, and Robert Townsend before him, Coogler's signature perspective and commitment to his craft are showcased in this film like never before.

Speaking of film, can we give a round of applause for the decision to shoot this movie the old-school way? As a lifelong enthusiast, there is just something so comforting about viewing the grain of movies shot on real film; it's a perfect kaleidoscope of perfected imperfection when projected on the silver screen. I love that viewers of the 70mm IMAX version got to take home souvenir film strips one weekend during the film's theatrical run. Then, the creators opened a second set of dates for viewers to take in the film as intended by it's creators. The icing on the cake has been learning that the movie will also be released on DVD. While I'm sad that I wasn't able to make the two-hour trip to my nearest IMAX 70mm theater, I am glad to see Coogler bring visibility to a fading art form in our digital world. In a landscape that prioritizes HD perfection and cloud-based everything on handheld devices, it's nice to see projects that place tangible media artifacts back into circulation.

The impact of Sinners is vast as a poignant, record-breaking story that links past, present, and future with a special resonance among its Black audience. The timing of its release, 100 days into a presidency that mirrors the rise of Hitler (and is truthfully a horror story of its own), Sinners hits the conscious Black audience in a very significant way. We are a people tired of carrying the weight of systemic abuses while still longing for justice. We are frustrated in a way that is debilitating, yet we still want fairness. We're tired of fighting but know deep down that our survival depends on our will to fight on. The fire burns deep in one's soul while watching Smoke and Stack Moore dominate onscreen so well that you forget that they're played by the same man.  

I can't write a review praising this film without also praising it's phenomenal cast and crew. The performances in this film were mind blowing, earth shattering, an honor to the ancestors who fought to open doors so people like us could dominate the industry behind the silver screen. From the seasoned legends to the newcomers, every single artist brought the highest level of virtuosity to their role in Sinners. Michael B. Jordan, embodying the yin and yang of the Moore twins and their approaches toward ambition; Wunmi Mosaku as the industrious, ancestrally protected, spiritual warrior Annie; Miles Caton as the blues-loving pastor's son standing at a personal crossroads; Jayme Lawson as the underestimated, sizzling temptation Pearline; Hailee Steinfield as the conflicted, passionate Mary; and the incomparable Delroy Lindo as bluesman turned griot, Delta Slim. It was a powerhouse production driven by a solid cast, and each star held their own.

And then, there's the love element. As an unapologetic lover girl waiting for her Smoke, I'll keep saying this until my last breath: there is nothing on this Earth more magical, beautiful, or powerful than Black Love. Few artists know how to present Black couples without over sexualizing the love between them. Few can capture its sultry fire and sweet delicacy. It was refreshing to see that Coogler and his cast did both. While some viewers have expressed shock at some of the explicit dialogue between the characters (who are set in the 1930s), I'd argue that the love scenes in this movie were some of the most tasteful I've seen in a long while. There was no nudity or over the top choreography to rival your favorite extracurricular website; there were just organic portrayals of folks expressing physical love with a passion that defied their circumstances. The intimacy of it all was perfectly captured to create a slow burn; every look, gentle touch, and hitched breath was a brick of anticipation. It was thoughtful, humane, and still sizzling enough to make you want to call that man or woman you have no business talking to. I'll cap my comments there, but in short, they did that and it made my heart smile.

Side note: If you think your great-granny and grandaddy didn't know the words associated with hunchin' and munchin' back in the day, then look up Lucille Bogan. Dirty blues was definitely a thing, my love; colorful language about doing the do is nothing new.

The final thing that I loved about Sinners was it's deep symbolism. There were so many gems of Black history, culture, resistance, spirituality, and survival masterfully tucked into this work; light and darkness; spirits and ancestors; intentions vs. impacts; hainte blue and blood red; good and evil. Most filmmakers are lucky to hit one or two of those things, but Sinners hits them all. While my schedule only allowed me to see it once on the big screen, I left the theater knowing that I'd need to see the movie at least two more times to truly feel like I'd caught all the underlying messages. Based on the social media discourse, that probably still won't be enough. This film is one that will be studied and unpacked for years to come.

If you didn't get to see Sinners in theaters, I strongly encourage you to add it to your watchlist at home. Use it as a tool to increase conversations and complex thought about your own family history. At a time when our history is targeted by erasure every day, it's important that we do the work to ensure that our stories are never forgotten. We owe it to our ancestors. We owe it to our children. Most of all, we owe it to ourselves. Sinners may be a fictional story with supernatural flares, but there were plenty of real life Smokes, Stacks, Slims, Annies, Marys, and Preacher Boys trying to assert their own agency and identity when society told them to stay in "their place." As the freest Black Americans to ever exist, it's important for us to identify those people in our own families, internalize their stories, and carry their legacy forward in an honorable way.

Light the torch by watching Sinners today.

"If you don't know where you've come from, you don't know where you're going." - Maya Angelou

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