Ryan Coogler’s most recent film, “Sinners,” is not a pure horror movie, as the advertising and synopsis suggest. Nor is it purely a story about music, or a story about black culture. It’s a beautifully crafted combination of all three; it’s; it’s a riveting story of family, death, life, racism and black struggle in 1930s Mississippi, with vampires thrown in. 

Coogler, known for “Creed” (2015) and “Black Panther” (2018,) spent a year working on the film. “Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as two of the main characters, twin brothers Smoke and Stack returning home to the Mississippi Delta after several years working for the Chicago outfit. Together, they purchase an unused sawmill with plans to turn it into a black-only dance hall. With their younger cousin Sammie “Preacher Boy” Moore (Miles Canton,) the twins enlist the help of a number of characters in preparation for the opening night, only to be berated by a group of vampires (led by Jack O’Connell.)

This intriguing concept is woven through with a masterful soundtrack of blues, performed by Ludwig Göransson (who also performed the soundtrack for “Oppenheimer” and “Black Panther”,) and his wife, Serena. With inspiration taken from Robert Johnson, Tommy Johnson, and B.B. King, it fits the tone and setting of the movie perfectly. The beginning of the film references that certain types of music can attract “spirits from both past and future,” and this is seen to be true during Preacher Boy’s initial performance; alongside him appear musicians representing genres from all throughout history, from African diaspora to 1980s electric rock. 

Jordan’s performance as the Smoke-Stack Twins, and all the performances of the main cast, are excellent, with Li Jun Li as Grace Chow, a shopkeeper, and Delroy Lindo as Delta Slim, a pianist, especially standing out. Despite the fact that Preacher Boy only has two scenes with his father (Father Jedidiah Moore, played by Saul Williams) his presence is felt throughout the film; the dynamic between Father Moore and Preacher Boy is real and unfettered. 

I’m not the only one who felt the effect of this film, either. It currently has a 98% on film-review website Rotten Tomatoes, and an 84/100 on Metacritic. The consensus seems to be that Coogler lets his imagination out in full force with “Sinners,” and I’m not about to argue against that; it’s obvious that this film is a piece of art from a group of people who are passionate about their work. 

It’s daring, mystifying, and, above all, real; if you’re in the market for a horror film with genuine humanity, “Sinners” is it.