Directed by Ryan Coogler, Sinners follows twin brothers who come back to their hometown, which they had previously left due to Jim Crow racism that left them feeling alienated. They return from Chicago with questionably sourced income and prospects to open a place where Black folks can gather, drink, dance, and spend money. The twins, Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan), reconnect with several people from their past, including their musically driven cousin Sammie, a feisty baby mama, and a former lover. They’re sold an old sawmill and decide to name the establishment “Juke Joint,” unaware of the sinister events to come on opening night.
Reclamation of Black music and its origins is an incredibly represented theme throughout Sinners. At the beginning, viewers are introduced to the twins’ cousin Sammie, a musical prodigy who showcases this prowess throughout the film. The soundtrack to Sinners is an extension of this talent. There’s a resonator guitar which haunts the background of the film. Grammy and Oscar award winner Ludwig Göransson composed Sinners’ score, taking influence from blues and amplifying tension through the use of percussion and strings, which escalates the horror theme. “I Lied to You,” written by Raphael Saadiq and then performed by Miles Caton (Sammie), is a standout song from Sinners and earned a 2026 Academy Award nomination, winning the Hollywood Music Media Award and also receiving nods at the Grammys. With the soundtrack being completely originally written for the movie, it’s hard not to feel even more deeply moved by and immersed in the plot. Early Black musicians are at the forefront, innovators of all the music audiences deeply love and enjoy today, and this movie really draws attention to that.
The movie is explicit with its intent; the viewer isn’t left questioning the message of the movie. White Irish vampires steal the souls of Black people, with the vampires acting as a symbol of hostile assimilation and music as a way to preserve culture and resist that assimilation. The vampires want Sammie to join their conglomerate, particularly for his original musicality. While the Irish vampires sing preexisting songs, the film’s protagonists sing original songs, providing an unreplicable and unique musical identity. The antagonist and leader of the vampires, Remmick (played by Jack O’Connell), helps advance this musical plot within Sinners. He sees Sammie’s music as something of value and aims to take that for himself.
Seen in the performance of “Pick Poor Robin Clean” at the doors of the Juke Joint, an originally Black jazz song by Luke Jordan (1927), the vampires prove their lack of authenticity in a lackluster and synthetic-sounding performance. Later during the film, the band of vampires performs an original Irish song, “Rocky Road to Dublin,” which is comparatively lively and accompanied by a traditional Irish dance. “Fellowship, equality, and love” are claimed as attributes of the vampire clan, with Remmick reflecting on how his own family’s culture was eroded, showing how he himself has experienced colonization. Remmick knows how it feels to have your culture taken from you, which is why he seems to understand these insecurities. Yet in this attempt to break away from this history of enforcement, he instead mimics these assimilative actions. Rather than a request, it’s a demand that the vampires gain new membership, repositioning Remmick as a colonizing figure and destroying cultural roots in his favor.
This points to another large theme of the film, which is resistance to assimilation. While the vampires offer protection from darker forces such as the KKK, joining with the vampires results in a loss of self and independent cultural identity. Meanwhile, Sammie’s father likewise implies this abandonment of cultural identity. His father is a preacher, and Sammie is pushed toward Christianity instead of fighting for his own cultural heritage to be fortified. This reflection between Remmick and Sammie’s father is implied through pacing and cuts in the film.
Sinners begins with slower pacing. At first, it can feel confusing and not incredibly engaging, but by the end, it becomes clear why the beginning matters so much. The slower pacing is necessary for engagement with the movie as a whole. When the pacing suddenly speeds up, it becomes more shocking and abrupt. Pacing and cuts in the movie are part of what keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. For example, when the vampires attack individuals, the scene cuts away. Although the viewer is sure of what happened, the audience doesn’t see it, leaving an impending sense of uncertainty about when the action and tension will finally be released.
These tense horror moments aren’t only significant for frightening the audience but also for revealing further plot and thematic developments. In a climactic moment when Sammie is about to be turned by Remmick, he begins to pray; Christianity, being something which he had long resisted, now invites him to assimilate. Rather than being in opposition, Remmick joins in the prayer, showing how Sammie hasn’t completed his character arc. Sammie instead uses the guitar, coming back to his own culture in order to defeat this assimilative force.
The subtleties of color symbolism in the film are also striking, highlighting the thoughtfulness in production. Level-headed characters often wear blue and cool tones, with scenes with less dramatic tension also having blue lighting. Meanwhile, more feisty and impulsive characters are dressed in red. The differences between the two twins are stark. While Smoke retains his cultural legacy, Stack loses that part of himself, never able to see the light of day again, his soul forever trapped. Native resistance resurgence in the film is also prominent, as Indigenous peoples are seen hunting Remmick at the beginning of the film, consistent with colonial violence and its historical consequences.
It’s difficult not to compare Sinners with other recent blockbusters. Films like Tron: Aresand Barbie are entertaining but retell stories audiences already know. They can feel more like ways to pass the time rather than films that encourage deeper contemplation afterward. Sinners feels different. Although stories of Black culture being stolen have been explored before, this blend of music, historical culture, and vampire horror feels distinct.
Considering that the Oscars are coming up, I truly hope that Sinners receives the awards and recognition it deserves. Sorry to all the Timmy fans, but Michael B. Jordan was robbed at the Golden Globes, especially considering his performance as two distinctly different twins and those incredibly tense moments at the end of the film. Most of all, Sinners deserves Best Original Score, as the soundtrack isn’t just background music but is directly integral to the plot. Sinners stands out for its originality during a year filled with mostly repetitive movie soundtracks, and that’s exactly why it deserves to be recognized on the biggest stage of all.
There’s intention riddled in every moment of Sinners. As a viewer, it’s hard not to feel starstruck at this continual intensity. It’s clear that a remarkable amount of effort was put into all aspects of the writing, filming, and music: due to this, it’s one of the best horror movies I’ve ever watched! At a base level, a vampire musical may seem odd, but this movie strongly surpasses this predisposition. Though I don’t have much tangible credit for my cinematic knowledge or credibility, I do watch a lot of movies, and I’m picky. I would highly recommend watching this movie if you’re on the fence, given the genre mixture that Sinners is.
This complex metaphor of cultural heritage shows that Sinners isn’t just a vampire movie and it isn’t simply representation that makes this movie great. It’s the historical grounding and complex vampire allegory, with multiple references to colonialism, that elevate the film beyond genre expectations.