Sinners

Summary

“There are legends of people born with the gift of making music so true, it can pierce the veil between life and death.”

Warner Bros. has released Ryan Coogler’s Prohibition-era Vampire film Sinners on 4K UHD. Warner took a big leap of faith on the picture by granting Coogler a $90 million budget, which is increasingly less common for films that are working with new intellectual property. This is even less common when considering that this film would be firmly R-rated, which meant that less teenagers would be able to see it in theaters (unlike the massively successful Black Panther.) Hollywood insider reports were nebulous about the potential for success of the film, but luckily, based on strong critical and audience reception, the film did over $366 million at the box office worldwide. Warner’s big swing for the fences paid off, and audiences were treated to a strikingly original and interesting take on the vampire film. I had not seen the picture when it played in IMAX, but I was excited to watch it in 4K UHD. I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed the film given all the hype surrounding the picture. I am happy to report that the picture did not disappoint at all.

As the film begins, a narrator talks of legends of people who could play music so true it could pierce the veil of life and death, conjuring spirits from the past and the future. In ancient Ireland they were called Fili. In Choctaw land, they call them firekeepers. In West Africa, they are called Griots. The gift can bring healing to their communities but it also attracts evil.

Clarksdale, Mississippi- October 16, 1932

A red Patterson-Greenfield automobile pulls up to a small white church. An injured young man with blood on his clothes carrying the fretboard of a busted guitar walks into the church. The pastor sees Sammie (Miles Caton) and calls him forward. He calls on Sammie to drop the guitar and leave those ways behind, as Sammie is haunted with visions of what he had witnessed the day before.

One day earlier –

In the cotton country of the Delta, Sammie finishes picking cotton and makes his way back to his family’s modesthome. Across town, twin brothers Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) have driven their red Patterson-Greenfield automobile back from Chicago. They meet with an older white man named Hogwood to purchase the old saw mill. That saw mill had seen some bad actions in the past. They give Hogwood the money with a stern warning that if they see him or any of his Klan buddies on their property, they will kill them where they stand. Hogwood denies that the Klan exists anymore and accepts their offer. Sammie meets with his father Jedidiah (Saul Williams) at the church. His father had taken Sammie’s guitar to the church. Sammie plans to play music that night after a long week of work. His father warns him against playing for drunkards and tells him that if he continues to dance with the devil, the devil will follow him home. Samuel hops in the car with Smoke and Stack. They go down the road and park. They reveal a truck hidden in the brush that is full of cases of beer. They have plans to turn the sawmill into a juke joint. Smoke and Stack split up to find everything they need. Smoke goes into town to get signs made for the juke joint from the Chow family and have them provide the catfish for feeding a hundred people. He also shoots a bum in the ass and another in the leg for trying to steal from his truck. He pays for them to get patched up and then finishes his negotiations with Lisa and Bo Chow (Helena Hu and Yao.) Stack takes Samuel with him to locate Blues harmonica and piano player Delta Slim (Delray Lindo.) By offering high pay and cold Irish beer, they manage to convince Delta Slim to play with them that night. They get word out that they are going to have the joint humming that night. Sammie meets an attractive but married woman named Pearline (Jayme Lawson.) She might come to see the show that night. Stack also bumps into his former flame Mary (Hailee Steinfeld.) She had waited for him, despite him telling her off. He had wanted a different life for her. Stack next stops by the cotton fields and enlists Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller )to work as the bouncer that night. Smoke makes his way out to his see Annie to enlist her to cook the catfish that night. He also puts some flowers on the ground of their dead child. They have sex after some heated discussions. With all arrangements made, the night is about to start. Across the cotton fields, a white man named Remmick (Jack O’Connell) runs up to a small house. Smoke is coming off of him from the sunlight. The homeowners open the house with a shotgun pointed at Remmick. He explains that he is being chased by Choctaw. The homeowner asks if he is sure it wasn’t just “fair-skinned niggers.” Remmick offers gold to the homeowner and sees their Klan hoods in the corner. The Choctaw arrive and knock at the door. They explain to the woman that the man they are seeking is not what he seems and is very dangerous. With sunlight fading, the Choctaw leave the home. Bert (Peter Dreimanis) has already had his blood drained by the time Joan (Lola Kirke) makes it back to the bedroom. Bert stands up and tells her not to worry as she screams at his transformation. The music that Sammie plays at the juke joint draws the vampires to the sawmill, and the stage is set for a hectic night.

Sinners is obviously the work of someone truly writing for their own pleasure. Ryan Coogler has been a talent to watch since his first film Fruitvale Station, and I think that Sinners is his most enjoyable and most inventive film yet. In Sinners, Coogler manages to use the angle of music – specifically blues music and Irish music – to craft a vampire film that has a truly special feel. By setting the picture in the Delta in the Thirties, Coogler was able to examine a time that was defined by the great migration as many black folks left the Delta to cities such as Chicago to escape the hardscrabble situations of the segregated South. Coogler was inspired to write this story by his own family that lived in the South, including an uncle of his that loved the Blues (and Buddy Guy, in particular.) While the script has some similarities to vampire films like From Dusk Till Dawn (vampire film largely set inside a bar,) there is a lot of deep thought and care that went into the writing. Big risks are taken within the picture that I thought paid off, even when one sequence was so surreal that it couldn’t help but remind the audience that this picture was a work of fantasy. This is strident filmmaking that comes from a place of true confidence gained over years of writing and directing. I also appreciate that the script of the film diverts into some truly interesting places that I could not have predicted, with a fantastic finish.

Coogler worked with cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw to bring to life the Delta landscapes of the Thirties. The film is beautifully shot, with exceptional costume and production design. Shooting on 65MM IMAX film and Panavision Sphere lenses in 1.43:1, 1.78:1, 1.90:1, and 2.76:1 aspect ratios, Sinners feels like a really big film. The music in the picture by Ludwig Goransson is phenomenal. There is a pacing to the music that is the result of truly digging into the history of blues music while blending in elements of Irish shanties, and more contemporary influences (such as heavy metal guitars and other disparate elements.) It is one of the best original scores I have heard in a while, and plays a huge role in how the film actually works. It is the best score I am likely to hear this year.

The acting in the film is strong across the board. Michael B. Jordan manages to play dual roles as both Smoke and Stack, and the digital trickery used in the picture probably led to a good portion of the film’s budget. It is seamlessly done and Michael B. Jordan is great in the role. Interestingly enough, one of my best friends found him less convincing in the picture than myself, but I thought he was very good. Hailee Steinfeld first blew me away in the Coen Brothers’ film True Grit, and she is captivating here. Jack O’Connell plays the Irish vampire Remmick convincingly and capably. He throws himself into the role. Delroy Lindo has always been an asset to any picture and he is wonderful as a harmonica and piano playing blues man. Newcomer Miles Caton not only acts well in the film, but he sings and plays guitar with flair. It is honestly incredible to me that he had not learned any aspect of guitar until he had been cast in the picture. Learning slide guitar in just a few months is not an easy task. The supporting cast are all likewise very good, and I was very happy to see the great Buddy Guy in his cameo.

Sinners is one of the most original takes on a vampire film that I have seen in a long time. I can fully understand why for many this has been the most enjoyable picture of the year. If you haven’t’ checked it out, I highly recommend seeing it. Also – don’t turn the picture off until you’ve seen the end credits scene. It adds a lot to the picture. Highly recommended!

Video

Presented in Native 4K in an alternating aspect ratio of 2.75:1 and 1.78:1, Sinners looks truly phenomenal in Warner’s UHD presentation. The 4K presentation is taken from a 4K scan performed of the UltraPanavision 70 negative, IMAX film, and 4K digital footage. Sinners is one of the most striking on the 4K UHD format. Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw shot on 65MM IMAX film and Panavision Sphere lenses in 1.43:1, 1.78:1, 1.90:1, and 2.76:1 aspect ratios in anamorphic widescreen. Warner have brought it to 4K with exceptional care on a 100GB disc. This is likely the best looking release we will see this year on the format.

Audio

Like the video transfer, the Dolby Atmos track is demo quality. The film’s score by Ludwig Goranssson jumps to life quickly and doesn’t let up for the duration of the film. This is one of the best scores I have heard in a long time and easily the most impressive of the year. Clarity is excellent and the movie will test the range of all your speakers and subwoofers. The ambient effects and numerous sound effects in the action sequences are immersive. Like the video transfer, the audio presentation is top notch.

Supplements:

The supplements run a little over an hour and do a solid job of discussing numerous aspects of the film’s production, diving into the writing, casting, music, costumes, and cinematography with help from those involved.

• Dancing with the Devil: The Making of Sinners
• Blues in the Night: The Music of Sinners
• Thicker than Blood: Becoming the Smokestack Twins
• Spirits in the Deep South
• The Wages of Sin: The Creature Effects of Sinners
• Deleted Scenes

Overall Scores:

Video: 5

Audio: 5

Special Features: 4

Overall – 5/5

Sinners is a confident and bold filmmaking endeavor from director and screenwriter Ryan Coogler. Warner Bros. gave Ryan Coogler the financial backing to craft one of the most interesting takes on a vampire film that I have seen in years. Fans of Near Dark and From Dusk Till Dawn will enjoy this Delta-set Prohibition-era take on the vampire mythos. The picture has a lot of energy and I was surprised to see how much the film relies on music to tell its story. The score by Ludwig Goransson deserves to win the Academy Award this year. It is one of the most impressive scores I have heard in awhile. Shot on IMAX film and 65MM cameras with excellent costume and production design, Sinners has all the makings of an epic. Michael B. Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld lead a great cast that all contribute. I did not know what to expect from Sinners, and I ended up loving it. Fans of the film will be happy to know that Warner has brought the film to 4K UHD with a jawdropping transfer that looks incredible on a big screen. This will likely be the best looking release on the format this year. The film’s Atmos track is also likely to be one of the best tracks this year. Special features are well thought out with more than an hour of behind the scenes featurettes that delve into numerous aspects of the picture’s production. All things considered, I believe that this release has earned our highest recommendation. I hope you enjoy the film as much as my family and I did.