Michael B Jordan and director Ryan Coogler continue their powerhouse combo and venture into new territory with their supernatural horror Sinners. But it doesn’t start off in that genre with an initial mystery drama feel as a young musician Sammie (Miles Caton) staggers into his father’s church clutching a broken guitar and a deeply scratched face. His story is not one of a Leicester Square busker having been battered by an irate office worker having endured ‘Streets of London’ being caterwauled once too often. Instead the film rewinds a day or so to the arrival of Smoke and Stack, twin brothers both played by Michael B Jordan returning to the Southern home town from Chicago in 1932 where they have made money working for Al Capone. Their intention is to open up their own music joint enlisting friends and family with their cousin Sammie as one of the music maestro’s to draw in the crowds.
Having bought a venue from the local bigot, who denies that the Klan even exist anymore, the venue is opened to huge success but it’s not without its first night problems. Mary (Hailee Steinfield) one of the twins ex-lovers turns up unannounced and gains entrance despite debate over her ethnicity making her eligible to join in with the all black audience. But worse still is Remmick (Jack O’Connell) a country singer with a penchant for Irish songs seemingly with a repertoire of only a few songs that are likely to be Wild Rover, Gypsy Rover and to pad it out probably a hybrid version of the two, ‘Have a wild gypsy up your rover’. But as the night progresses what has been for the first hour a drama now becomes a vampire movie with the twins and several others fighting for survival.
Yes, Sinners is essentially an arthouse version of From Dusk til Dawn but without Tarantino dialogue and is far more sombre in tone with themes of racism, spirituality, suppression, immortality, sexuality ( and the film is ripe with randy readiness by its characters) and West African ancestory amongst others. Despite its very obvious connection to ‘Dusk til Dawn’ it’s also very much its own thing with Coogler’s assured direction and handling of set pieces notably the joints opening night a whirling dervish of music and dance that intoxicates with the crowd jumping, jigging and jiving. It’s a terrific sequence that absorbs and takes in modern day influences before all Hell is about to be visited upon them. Jordan is on top form as the twins and there’s an excellent supporting cast with Jack O’ Connell effectively creepy and Delroy Lindo equally good as a drink addled musician. It might frustrate horror fans that the bloodletting doesn’t begin until an hour into the movie but when it does it’s ferocious and often gruesome.
The social commentary takes a back seat when the blood begins to flow but this is an ambitious departure from the actor and directors previous but this is an ambitious allegory in scale that looks great in Imax.
related feature : Sleepwalkers – BLU-RAY
related feature : Monster movie, ‘Elevation’ stars Anthony Mackie and we talk creatures with director George Nolfi
Here’s the Sinners trailer…….
The post Sinners – REVIEW appeared first on Any Good Films.
from Any Good Films https://ift.tt/zPHces6
