Sinners (2025): The Musical You Didn’t Ask For but Might Secretly Love

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKGxHflevuk

Alright, kids, buckle up, because I just got back from seeing Sinners - and let me tell you, it’s like someone dropped From Dusk Till Dawn, The Blues Brothers, and a Ken Burns documentary into a blender, hit “Puree,” and filmed the resulting fever dream in 65mm while getting eaten alive by Louisiana mosquitos the size of pterodactyls.

Starring Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, and Saul Williams, Sinners tells the tale of two twin brothers (Jordan and Caton) who return to their small hometown to escape the chaos of their past lives. Problem is, their past lives didn’t RSVP - but evil sure did. And it’s wearing white robes or black capes depending on the scene. Subtlety? That’s for movies that don’t involve vampire-Klan hybrids and live gospel music.

Let’s get this out of the way first: the storytelling in this one is solid. I don’t say that often. Most movies these days feel like they were written by an AI that binge-watched Riverdale during a Wi-Fi storm. But Sinners? No, this one paces itself like a preacher building to a tent revival climax. It takes its sweet Southern time layering tension, letting you get comfortable before the altar call turns into a bloodbath.

I was digging the whole vibe - think Robert Rodriguez meets O Brother, Where Art Thou with a splash of The Faculty. Yeah, I didn’t expect that reference either, but according to director Ryan Coogler, those were the actual influences. Somewhere, a film school student just shed a single tear of gratitude.

Now, let’s talk about the musical numbers. Yes, musical numbers. Don’t adjust your screen. This isn’t a Marvel post-credits bit. Somewhere around the second act, this movie decides it’s also almost a musical. And look - I’m a guy who enjoys a spontaneous jazz solo as much as the next sarcastic blogger, but when your film has more key changes than plot twists, we’ve got to talk.

That being said, the music’s good. Really good. A lot of it was recorded live on set, with the cast performing alongside real blues musicians. There’s soul in it. Real grit. It doesn’t feel like Hollywood karaoke; it feels like they dusted off the ghost of Lead Belly and gave him a SAG card. Jack O’Connell apparently signed on just to belt Irish folk tunes - and honestly, respect. If I ever get cast in a film where I can wear linen and yell sea shanties, you better believe I’m not reading the fine print either.

Michael B. Jordan, as always, is charisma incarnate. Even when he's standing still in a suit that looks like it could survive reentry, he radiates gravitas. According to co-star Wunmi Mosaku, the guy never complains - except, of course, about the bugs. Which is fair, because from what I hear, the Louisiana insects are basically flying landmines with wings.

Saul Williams brings his usual mix of mysticism and menace, and Miles Caton holds his own, delivering a performance that feels equal parts Cain, Abel, and that one cousin who keeps showing up late to the family barbecue with a mysterious duffel bag.

The supporting cast? Oh, you’ll recognize a ton of faces. That guy from that show you liked. That woman from that indie film you pretended to watch. Even a cameo or two that’ll have you whispering “No way” into your overpriced popcorn.

Now, because it’s 2025 and no film can just be a film, Sinners throws a little sociopolitical seasoning into the gumbo. And while I don’t mind a little preaching now and then - heck, I’ve been known to sermonize over bad CGI - this movie at times leans real hard into the “freedom ain’t free” speechifying. Not a sin, but maybe dial it down one hymn, Rev. Coogler.

Also, a note to future filmmakers: if I can spot your foreshadowing with my eyes closed and one AirPod in, you’re being too obvious. There were a few twists in Sinners that I saw coming from so far away, I almost filed taxes in advance.

But the real kicker? TWO post-credit scenes. One halfway through, and one at the bitter end. So, if you're the kind of person who bolts the moment credits roll, this one's going to punish you like a Southern grandmother with a wooden spoon. Stick around, or you’ll miss what may or may not be setup for Sinners 2: The Reckoning Choir.

Visually, this thing slaps. Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas lent a hand in the cinematography, and the result is this lush, grainy, almost operatic tableau that makes every sweat bead glisten like an Oscar nomination. Whether it's the dripping humidity of a backwoods juke joint or a torch-lit showdown with bloodthirsty bigots, every frame feels like it could hang in a museum - or at least a very hip tattoo parlor.

So, to sum it up: Sinners is a bloody, bluesy, borderline bonkers trip into the gothic South with a Tarantino soul and a Baptist heart. It's got bite (literally), a beat, and a point - whether you agree with it or not. It’s not perfect, but it’s trying something different, and I’ll always take a bold mess over a safe snooze.

Final Verdict: 7.0/10.

It loses points for preachiness and predictability but earns them back with style, swagger, and soul. Also, Irish folk songs. Didn’t see that coming.

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