Sinners, the latest psychological drama from director Ryan Coogler, is a film that lingers long after the credits roll. With its stark visuals, brooding atmosphere, and powerhouse performances, it’s a cinematic masterpiece that deserves attention. At its core, Sinners is a morality play, but it’s the dense symbolism of the movie that elevates it beyond the level of simplicity. 

Cinematographer Autumn Durald builds a world that was both bleek and suffocating. The use of natural light- or often the lack of it- could reverse the tone of the film within half a second. In scenes as crucial as these, the characters are often framed in stiff medium shots, their bodies confined within door and window frames, creating visual prisons that symbolize their emotional and spiritual confinement. There is a considerable use of empty space to powerful effect. For instance, in one shot the protagonist stands in the bottom left quadrant of the frame, under-shadowed by the vast, empty church interior behind them.​​ This shot imbalance serves to create a sensed experience of religious smallness and the crushing seriousness of institutional faith.  

Sinners presents a radical allegory by juxtaposing two monstrous forces, the Klu Klux Klan, and the coven of vampiric cultists, as mirror images of institutionalized evil. Their contrasting yet complimentary depictions give us a cycle of violence while demonstrating the seduction of extremism and how hatred reinvents itself across generations. 

In my opinion, this film weaponizes vampire mythology to critique the rise of modern, decentralized spiritual movements, particularly the prosperity gospel-adjacent rhetoric of many non-denominational megachurches. The vampire coven isn’t just a cult; it’s a dark version of contemporary spiritual fraud, repackaging ancient hunger as enlightenment. 

The vampires’ rituals mimic the sensory overload of modern worship: low-lit spaces with moody LED lighting, hypnotic chanting over hymns, and a charismatic “pastor” (the vampire elder) whose sermons promise literal eternal life. It also frames them as spiritual colonizers, using connection to diminish one’s personal experience while coercively inducing others into a way of life that they didn’t have a choice in, and imposing white ideologies on the Black populace. The vampires themselves strongly symbolized cultural appropriation and the dangers of giving into temptation 

In Sinners, the vampires coven’s twisted recitation of the Lord’s Prayer isn’t just blasphemy, it’s plotted in detail to depict the extent to which extreme factions borrow consecrated phrases and use it as an instrument of power.

The Movie spent half of the time setting up the characters, building a connection and understanding of who they are in order to add more intensity when the inevitable horror strikes. This helped form a deeper connection between the viewer and the movie making it special in its ability to ensure heartache. 

The director’s vision is cohesive and bold. The pacing is deliberate, some may find it slow, but the gradual build-up servs the film’s meditative tone. Every frame feels intentional, and the director’s control over mood and tension is complete. The ending, though ambiguous, feels earned, leaving room for interpretation without sacrificing emotional impact. 

Performances were perfect. 

One of the most compelling performances of this movie was Micheal B. Jordan’s ability to play two characters, the twins Smoke and Stack. Both characters had their own unique personalities and mannerisms, but both conveyed a very intimate relationship with one another. I was very impressed to see how effectively he acted out both of these characters and made them totally different in all senses. Without previous knowledge it would have been almost impossible to tell that these two characters were played by the same person and not by twins.

Overall, Sinners is a visually thematically dense film that lingers in the mind. Its strength lies in its symbolic depth, stunning cinematography, and powerhouse performance. While its slow burn might not appeal to everyone, those who appreciate well thought out, atmospheric, thought-provoking cinema will find it deeply rewarding. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars