I am so excited to write this review because… wow. Sinners has absolutely taken over my life. As someone who has adored Harry Potter since childhood, I honestly never thought anything could dethrone it — but here we are. ⚡️
This movie climbed right up to the top spot for me, and it hasn’t let go.
Before anything else, let me clear this up:
Yes, Sinners is a horror/vampire movie… but if you think that’s all it is, you’re missing 90% of the magic. There is gore (horror fans, you’ll eat well 🩸), but the film is so much richer than the genre suggests. It digs into colonialism, exploitation, cultural identity, survival, and Black resilience, all while weaving together Chinese-American, Black, Choctaw, and Irish histories in a way that is intentional and powerful. 🌍
Honestly? Sinners is shaping up to be the movie of 2025 — and with Ryan Coogler directing, I’m not surprised.
If you know Coogler, you know he loves a journey filled with subtle details and brilliant little easter eggs. 🥚
Sinners
– Director: Ryan Coogler 🎥
– Rating: R 🔞
– Release Date & More: April 18, 2025 (Watch in SELECT theaters over Halloween in October 2025) 🎃
💥 The Smokestack Twins & the World of Sinners
Set in the South during the Great Depression, the story follows the charismatic Smokestack Twins — both played by Michael B. Jordan — as they return home after working with Irish and Italian gangs in Chicago. They’re trying to open a juke joint after… let’s just say “borrowing” money from the wrong people. (Valentine’s Day Massacre tie-in? IYKYK. 😉)
We follow them over the course of a single day:
- Smoke → serious, Irish-styled, business-focused
- Stack → carefree, Italian vibe, discovers talent, including his cousin Little Sammie 🎶
Then Sammie performs.
And everything changes.
His music is so pure that it cracks open the veil between life and death — which brings a group of vampires out of hiding, led by Remmick, a 200-year-old Irish vampire with a deeply complicated past. 🧛♂️
🩸 A Slow Burn That Pays Off
Some people criticize the slower first half, but I actually enjoyed it. We get to meet the characters and see the weight of their histories. The real action and gore come later — but the payoff is worth every second.
This film doesn’t just say “Look, vampires!”
It uses them to explore different types of evil:
- Supernatural evil → vampires
- Human evil → the KKK
- Spiritual/emotional pressure → Sammie’s strict preacher father
There’s more depth here than the genre usually gives credit for, and that’s why it stuck with me so much.
🧛♂️ Remmick: The Villain Who Isn’t Simple
One of my favorite parts of the movie is how Coogler uses Remmick to explore the parallels between Irish and Black American histories.
Remmick understands oppression — he’s lived through the British invasion of Ireland. He even references this pain while reciting the Lord’s Prayer, and it’s honestly chilling. 🙏
He’s drawn to Sammie because of the way Sammie’s music can conjure ancestral spirits and reconnect him to a past he’s been cut off from for centuries.
But the tragic part?
He’s become the very thing he hates.
By transforming people into vampires against their will, he erases their cultural identity — essentially replacing them with a hive mind. People debate whether that symbolizes “white men erasing Black culture,” but the truth is more layered:
Historically, the Irish were viewed as non-white, inferior, and disposable.
During the potato famine, the British took most of the good food for themselves, leaving the Irish to starve.
Coogler doesn’t simplify this — he lets it be complicated.
🎵 The “Devil at the Crossroads” Vibe
If you love folklore, you’ll catch this immediately.
Sammie’s raw, spiritual music mirrors the classic story of meeting the devil at the crossroads — power traded for destiny, gifts that can bridge the living and the dead.
It works beautifully with the film’s themes.
🔥 The Choctaw Nation & Hidden History
This movie surprised me with how far it went in honoring real historical moments. The inclusion of the Choctaw people is more than symbolic — it’s tied directly to the 1840s, when the Choctaw Nation sent money to starving Irish families during the potato famine.
In Sinners, the Choctaw characters appear as Firekeepers, spiritual protectors who can sense Remmick’s danger and step in as warriors of light. Their scenes gave me chills.
🧚 Still Not Done… Because There’s SO Much More
There’s so much more to explore in this film; I haven’t even touched on the Irish Fae yet, the romantic relationships of the twins, or the Chinese-American role in the south!
And yes — like any good Coogler movie, stay for the end-credit scenes. There are two, and they tie everything together.
🌍 Final Thoughts
Sinners is a horror movie, but at its core, it’s about resilience, culture, identity, and the weight of history. The more I watch it, the more layers I find. It’s the kind of movie that stays in your mind long after the credits roll.
If you’re even slightly curious, give it a try. You might walk out with more questions — and honestly, that’s part of the magic.
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Cupcakes & Tea with Elizabeth 