Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from writer/director Ryan Coogler and Warner Bros. Pictures is the story of brothers and SINNERS.

It’s Charleston, Mississippi in 1932, Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) are twin brothers who are leaving Chicago behind returning to the south. They immediately set up shop by purchasing property to open up their own juke joint. Looking for talent, they turn to their cousin Sammie (Miles Caton) to bring his guitar playing blues voice and fellow musician Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo).

In town, they gather what’s needed for an opening night with the help of Bo Chow (Yao) and his wife Grace (Li Jun Li) and doorman Cornbread (Omar Miller). Smoke is taking time to revisit Beatrice (Tenaj L. Jackson) and asking for her help with the opening. Stack runs into Mary (Hailee Steinfeld) but wants to avoid any problems and at the same a woman named Pearline (Jayme Lawson) catches Sammie’s eye.

Opening night is a raging success and Sammie performs bringing the music to a whole new level. So much so that it catches the attention of Remmick (Jack O’Connell), a stranger who wants one thing – to take each person and make them part of his deranged family. When Smoke and Stack realize something isn’t right, the fight against evil begins.

Jordan as Smoke and Stack play two brothers with different temperament and that makes it easy to tell them apart. Believing they can start a successful business, the opening night shows promise. Each brother is watching the business and could never imagine that coming home means dealing with the devil. Jordan makes playing both characters look easy and brings in the believability that he is the two brothers.

Caton as Sammie is a young man who wants more than to be the son of a preacher and farm hand. He sees music as a way out of the life he is in much to the dismay of his father. The music is everything and Caton brings the blues to a whole other level. Lindo as Slim is there for Smoke and Stack and sees something special in Sammie. Lindo has always been a powerful presence on the screen and in this film, he continues his reign.

Steinfeld as Mary is a strong woman who refuses to give up on her feelings of love for Stack. She knows that to make him admit his feelings, Mary has to go to the juke joint no matter what the group might say. Jackson as Beatrice is a woman who understands what is happening and is motivated by her love of Smoke. I loved watching Jackon’s performance as it is steeped in a history with Smoke that is poignant and mysticism.

Yao and Li Jun Li are a couple that also have a history with Smoke and Stack so when they brothers ask for help, a little negotiating happens and they also enjoy the opening night. There is a moment where Li had the entire audience groaning with, “no she didn’t!” and then we all broke out laughing. Miller as Cornbread is hired for his strength but that doesn’t mean he is safe from what is outside the juke joint door.

O’Connell as Remmick has a goal, to get as many people on his side of the fight as demonically possible. Filled with song and dance, Remmick makes it clear that he wants Sammie most of all. I loved watching O’Connell morph into this character that is so dark and charming at the same time. His character has an agenda and isn’t going to let Smoke, Stack or anyone else get in his way, especially when he has a small army behind him.

Other cast include Helena Hu as Lisa Chow and Sam Malone as Terry, Saul Williams as Jedidiah, Andrene Ward-Hammon as Ruthie and David Maldonado as Hogwood.

SINNERS has the feel of the 1996 film DUSK TILL DAWN and the director is keenly aware of that. He has every reason to be proud of his script using southern history and mysticism as a catalyst for storytelling. Coogler sees directors Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema are an inspiration. Coogler says, “I’m excited to announce that SINNERS was captured on film, that’s a format I fell in love with when I was in film school.” Using a big-boy format, Coogler shot the film on two different large-film formats of Ultra Panavision 70 and IMAX 65 film camera.

That means the film is being shown to audiences as big as the story itself. A running time of 137 minutes, there isn’t a moment that isn’t filled with the story becoming bigger and bigger with twists that are wrapped up in music. Coogler keeps the cinematography simple letting the story take over with a juke joint as a character itself. It is a protection wall between those inside and what’s outside. The cast is absolutely stellar as we learn about each character and the part they play in each other’s lives. All of that is important when it comes down to surviving the night.

SINNERS is a film requires patience as it unwraps. It is a combination of African American beliefs about music, bringing in Chinese culture, Native American culture (which really didn’t need to be there) and Irish folklore of their Abhartach or An Dearg Due. Using the background of the Jim crow south, there is a lot to take in on the screen. It is the cast that become the weavers of this complex story and it is stunning to watch them at work.

In the end – dance with the devil!

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