No Filter: ‘Sinners’ was for the culture

By Izayah Morgan

Opinions Editor

Movies, especially horror movies, have connected the most with me since I was a child. Specifically, the psychological horror subgenre that explores the minds of individuals and groups is fascinating to me.

“Sinners” was another installment to director Ryan Coogler's catalog, with Micheal B. Jordan returning to star in another Coogler film (previously “Fruitville Station,” “Creed I-III,” and both “Black Panther” films). He stars in a dual role playing twins, Smoke and Stack, who specialize in combat, and return home to Mississippi after working for Al Capone in Chicago. 

The film follows Sammie More (Miles Canton), as he leaves his home and responsibilities of the church to pursue the opening of a juke joint Smoke and Stack want to open. 

Throughout the beginning of the movie, we gather multiple characters: Slim (Delroy Lindo) a sleazy but hilarious musician; Annie (Wunmi Mosako) the love interest of Smoke; Mary (Hailee Steinfeld) the fleeting lover of Stack; Pearline (Jayme Lawson) married and love interest of Sammie; the lovable Cornbread (Emonie Ellison); and the lovers Lisa and Bo Chow (Helena Hu and Yao respectively).

During the recruitment of characters we see everyone’s personalities, specifically Smoke being the more “straight man” of the twins and Stack being the more hotheaded one. After the gathering of all the characters, the juke joint is finally opened.

It is a place of comfort many Black Americans flock to after a hard day. Setting the reminder that even though we were labeled as “free,” barriers existed to prevent that freedom. That freedom would come out in the night, i.e. the purpose of the juke joint. 

Sammie would eventually become the star of the show. Throwing what can be only described as a mesmerizing musical experience in the juke joint. His music was so powerful it called upon the past and future interpretations of Black music - a performance that left me teary-eyed and silenced the theaters.

For a moment, it felt like everyone was truly free. Unfortunately that freedom only would be enjoyed until people came to steal it.

During the movie, we are introduced to Remmick (Jack O’Connell) who is running from a group of Native Americans hunting him. He stumbles upon a white couple, who are a part of the KKK.  Appealing to their white supremacist views, they allow him refuge. Eventually, Remmick turns the two into vampires.

Eventually, they stumble upon the juke joint and the power of Sammy's music. Wanting to take it for himself, he attempts to take Sammy by force. This takes up the whole second half of the movie where Stack, Mary, Cornbread, Bo, and almost all of the juke joint participants are turned into vampires. 

This leaves Smoke, Annie, Slim, Pearline, and Lisa to protect Sammy. The night ends with only Smoke and Sammy remaining on the human side and Stack and Marie on the vampire side. The movie finally ends with Sammy returning home only to leave the church to pursue music, where he becomes a mega star.

The movie is a masterclass in music but presents heavy themes of many things. Such is the nature of holding on to religions that have been used to subjugate not just Black people but other groups as well.

The power of music, and through each generation of music within the culture (Blues, Jazz, Rock & Roll, Rap, and R&B), was heavily expressed in the middle of the movie. In this power is a freedom of expression - until the rich music executives and the larger white power structure wants to appropriate that culture, making it lose the original glow it had. This is what Remmick represents.

We learn at the end of the movie that Smoke and Stack unknowingly bought the juke joint from the grand dragon of the KKK - and he was not going to let them have it for long. Eventually, that night of freedom would have to end for the patrons. They would either be assimilated into the power structure or killed by it.

It's not all blues, however, as the power structure and assimilation were defeated for that moment and because of the sacrifice of many Sammy was able to see his dreams. And just like our ancestors not so long ago it allows me and other Black people to live out our freedom.

I suppose freedom may come at the cost of making us seem like sinners to others, but if they were already going to and did inflict those sins on us, what does that make them?

Sinners is definitely for the culture.