Sinners (2025) in Review
By Cara Collins
As a die-hard vampire lover from a young age, I knew Sinners would be right up my alley from the minute I saw the trailers. The horror-thriller – set in the pre-war Deep South – captures elements all unwavering supernatural lovers can immediately sink their teeth into (no pun intended). From spirituality to systematic oppression, this horror-filled action was one of my favourite new releases. As a fan of all things supernatural in the work of film, I went into the film with high expectations; with all being exceeded. From Creed (2015) to Black Panther (2018), it’s no surprise that director Ryan Coogler has released yet another blockbuster hit.
It’s refreshing to see a movie about traditional vampirism explored through a lens of cultural accuracy and African American traditions. One thing that stood out to me vibrantly was the extensive use of symbolism throughout the film. From the simplicity of the name representing the contradictory nature of the narrative (with you questioning who is good and who is evil) to the dynamics of the character’s cultures explored; the symbolism is tied within each scene. The dwindling feeling of hope is captured by Coogler in the slow but powerful decline in beauty within the imagery, representing the dying kindness of the inherently racist Southern America. This created such a gorgeous dynamic and a feeling of uneasiness that truly set up the movie as a new favourite thriller.
The choice and significance of portraying an Irish vampire (Jack O’Connell as Remmick) particularly interested me. The representation of a colonized and oppressed Irishman in the face of an America – ravaged by racism and similar oppression – is something that I had never seen previously depicted in the horror genre. The compelling nature of weaving traditional Irish folk music, with blues music that originated in the Deep South created such a compelling dynamic to the score of the film. The score married each scene together, with the lyrics tragically and beautifully representing the action within each chapter (I’ve had the soundtrack on repeat since seeing the film). The shift in tone with the character of Remmick doing the infamous dance and song to Rocky Road to Dublin, was a scene I initially partially cringed at, but grew to love as the scene continued. Although initially appearing comedic what the scene really represented was the petrifying reality that all the vampires shared a sense of consciousness, making the antagonists of the film that much more terrifying.
Michael B. Jordan’s dual role impressed me to no end, not even realising the same actor was playing twins until about ten minutes after they were introduced. As Ryan Coogler’s regular muse, I was instantaneously intrigued when I heard he would be playing a character in a movie related to vampires; his role being a mystery even throughout the promotional trailers. Although I sometimes find the issue of not being able to disassociate the actor from the character, I thought Jordan did a fantastic job of not only differentiating himself from previous Coogler-written characters, but also between the twins he played in the film.
Overall, I cannot wait to rewatch this movie with online discourse revealing symoblism in scenes that make a second, third and even forth watch very likely. Coogler’s use of vampires as a critique of religious fanaticism, especially that of Irish descent, is something I find so intriguing, and was a theme I thoroughly enjoyed exploring. The film was so unique and worth every minute of the two-hour duration; one I would definitely recommend to not only those who grew up as Twi-hards but to anyone looking for a movie with a dynamic cast and complex themes that keep you on your toes until the very end.
