Sinners

This movie was unbelievable. In the good way, obviously.

It’s impossible to ignore the music. The voices and melodies were so beautiful, and even though the songs were very folky, the production of it made it feel so cinematic and grand. This is fitting because music is such a huge part of this movie; again, the blues were the only thing the enslaved people were able to bring from Africa. And every time the music swelled, the way the screen expanded was just mind-blowing. The cinematography was so unique and innovative in this movie.

The themes of Sinners is something I think each person should figure out on their own. This movie is rich with details on race relations, family, religion, and so much more, so every person who watches it will leave the movie taking away something different. Personally, the ideas regarding music affected me the most. Sammie’s struggle between joining the Church and pursuing his dreams in music was so compelling. Him fighting the vampires felt like him fighting against the white people who wanted to enjoy his voice and music without respecting him as a black man. I mean, the entire reason the vampires came to the party was because they heard his voice and wanted his music. They however didn’t want his individuality and right to be free, and tried to make him part of their cult. This idea echoes the quote by Delta Slim, one of the characters:

“See, white folks, they like the blues just fine. They just don’t like the people who make it.” 

I feel like that was the guiding theme of this movie, but again, there were so many fascinating, intricate characters that each person who watches it will pick up on a different message. But I think everyone can agree, Michael B. Jordan absolutely wrecking the KKK at the end was insane. 

All in all, this movie is a 9/10. To explain my rating scale, a 9 means the media is absolutely amazing, I would recommend it to everyone, and it’s basically flawless. However, the criteria for pushing the rating to a 10 is that the media has to change me as a human being. It has to merge with the foundation of all my thought, become my favorite of all time within the genre.