Sinners

Sinners features a sequence that is either the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen a director do or the bravest. 

A perfect encapsulation of what you can do in film if are willing to trust your gut and acknowledge that there are no rules in this thing. Great films have only creators following their particular muse towards glory or crushing failure. 

As you can see, when it comes to it, I’m leaning toward the bravest thing I have ever seen. 

Whatever else Sinners might be, horror, action or gangster picture, it is ultimately a vampire musical. 

Like the works of The Coen Brothers or Quentin Tarantino — O Brother Where Art Thou and From Dusk Til Dawn are both touchstones for this extravaganza — filmmaker Ryan Coogler mostly just wants to entertain you. 

That means the music is rollicking and the action is kinetic, horrible and beautiful. This is also pretty much everything you want in a vampire flick and it’s instantly among the greats including Dusk Til Dawn, Near Dark, various Draculas and The Lost Boys. 

It is also, as is appropriate for a vampire flick, intensely romantic, sexual and haunting. 

The movie is great but the marketing hurt it by letting us know about two characters who get turned into vampires. 

And there is a bit of a build and set up before we get to the fireworks factory. But all that is worth it once we get to the killing and the singing and dancing. 

I saw it in IMAX 70 millimeter. And I’m not telling you that for any reason other than to brag.