At its core, ‘Sinners’ is a vampire story, but the real horror isn’t only supernatural but it’s painful historical truths. Coogler uses vampires as a metaphor for how Black artists had their genius drained and stolen, turning supernatural fear into historical grief.
The ensemble casts an emotional and grounded dynamic, with Michael B Jordan’s dual performances being one of the standout elements of the film. The cinematography captures a haunting, almost dreamlike version of the American South filled with fog-soaked fields, candlelit churches, and blood-red skies. The contrasting aesthetic of dreamlike and nightmarish are used as visual motifs to underscore the tension between the brothers’ personal struggles and the vampiric horrors surrounding them.
‘Sinners’ cleverly blends supernatural horror with social commentary.