'Sinners' Review: A Slow-Burn Vampire Tale That Sings Before It Strikes

📷 Michael B. Jordan & Miles Canton - Sinners (2025)

By Elliot Lines - April 16, 2025

Film

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A slow-burn that bleeds style, soul, and sharp-toothed terror - Sinners is Coogler’s boldest swing yet.

Ryan Coogler is no newcomer. After impressing with his 2013 debut Fruitvale Station, he dove into the Rocky franchise with Creed, then followed up with an MCU film in Black Panther that broke the mould. Sinners marks his first original feature, one not based on true events or pre-existing content, where his strengths as a writer and director bring weighty themes to life within a bloody, genre-bending narrative.

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.

Sinners opens with a young, blood-covered Sammie (Miles Canton) stepping into his father’s church, clutching only the neck of a guitar. We’re then taken back to one day earlier, where we meet the Smoke and Stack twins (Michael B. Jordan), a pair of notorious gangsters returning to their hometown. From there, we’re taken on a tour of 1930s Mississippi, meeting a cast of characters who aid the twins in their quest to open a new music bar. It’s in these moments that Coogler begins to build his world—one that feels both lived-in and with issues. Through detailed scenes, he establishes the rules of the land while weaving in themes of racial oppression into this 30s landscape.

Ryan Coogler asks for the audience’s patience—but it comes with a big payoff. This slow approach allows depth to build into the small town setting, giving you time to connect with the characters, understand their histories, relationships, and motivations.

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For the first two acts, Sinners plays like a sweaty, sexy celebration of music and sensual release for these characters—that is until Remmick (Jack O’Connell) comes knocking. The film then flips on its head, transforming into a brutal fight for survival against a pack of bloodthirsty vampires. While many classic vampire tropes are present—garlic, wooden stakes, silver—the film doesn’t suffer from its inspirations. The terror isn’t just in the sharp teeth, but in the unnerving dialogue, the discomforting singing, and the vampires’ need to be invited in—adding a layer of unpredictability.

Michael B. Jordan (Creed III) takes center stage in Sinners, playing the dual roles of Smoke and Stack with subtle but clear distinctions. Despite their similarities, it’s always evident who’s who. The real transformation comes when Stack is bitten by Mary (Hailee Steinfeld)—a turning point where Jordan leans into his darker side, adding an eerie, unsettling layer to his performance.

📷 Jack O'Connell - Sinners (2025)

Jack O’Connell (Little Fish) also shines, bringing an eerie yet weirdly charming presence to Remmick, the group’s lead vampire. Similarly, Hailee Steinfeld (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) undergoes a striking shift after being bitten, delivering a performance that’s both chilling and captivating as her character descends into something far more sinister.

Sinners features and focuses heavily on music, using it as a guiding force from the very beginning—most notably through Sammie, brilliantly portrayed by Miles Canton. The mood is often shaped by the film’s musical numbers or by Ludwig Göransson’s score (Oppenheimer), whether it’s setting the stage for moments of release or ratcheting up the tension when Remmick homes in on the bar. One standout moment comes with the performance of “Pick Poor Robin Clean”, where the three vampires chillingly sing in an attempt to gain entry to the bar. It’s a spine-tingling scene that marks the true beginning of the film’s descent into horror.

Sinners may take its time getting going—which won’t be to everyone’s taste—but that slow burn allows its themes to sit at the heart of the story before the final act sinks in with a powerful bite. Ryan Coogler’s visually striking entry into the vampire genre might just be one of the best yet.

Sinners releases in cinemas April 18

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