Sinners
Before the sun went down, I think that was the best day of my life.It’s seriously just getting better and better. It’s such a risked-filled, bold, and rich American epic that fires on all cylinders. Not only it’s EASILY the best film of the year so far, it’s genuinely one of the all-time great modern American films. One of the few examples of such in recent years. It tackles so, so much while also being widely entertaining, visually stupid to look at, and audibly gorgeous to listen to. The amount of mythos, history, culture, and character richness that is shoved into this gorgeous, stunningly looking film is nothing short of monumental. I’ve seen some minor criticisms about how it’s maybe a little over-stuffed, but I would push back on that— I would say that it’s thematic maximalism. It’s so rich, so densely packed with so much beauty in its structure, score, cinematography, genre-blending elements, and incredible character work. It has so much to say— it truly feels inherently spiritually American, but there’s enough there to remind you that these themes are not localized only to America or the American South, these are historic, systemic issues that are pervasive everywhere, and using the vampires as the allegory to showcase that is such a clever decision. I think that’s honestly one of the coolest things about creating vampire stories such as this. They lean on the history of the creation of vampires being about xenophobia, the fear of the different, and the villainization of people who are not accepted in society, and it all works so very well for this 1930s American South story. Communities all around the globe have time and time again found themselves at the mercy of those who seek to take elements of their cultures away that aren’t their own for personal or commercial gain. In the case of Remmick, he desires to take Sammie's musical gifts to convene with his own ancestors, while simultaneously decimating the Delta in the process. This is where Coogler's additions to the wider Vampire mythos really earn their stripes. By establishing this idea of cultural vampirism, Sinners takes the beloved monster and contorts it into a very real and present threat to artists and communities everywhere. There are just so many layers to this film of the racism and exploitation from southern white Americans at that time period that are blended so goddamn seemingly. And it’s not even a vampire flick at its core, it’s a film about traditional African music, blues, rock & roll, hip-hop, and even fucking Irish step dancing that just happens to have vampires in it. Coogler and Göransson have both come up in the world of film on an even path, each bolstering the career of the other through frequent collaborations. Sinners sees that collaboration soar to heights beyond their already stellar achievements. It shouldn't come as a shock by now how Göransson can construct an impeccable score, perfectly in keeping with the tone of the project and full of deeply emotive soundscapes, but where Sinners goes above his prior works is in the pure sheer scale of its narrative importance— it’s a veritable orgasm for the ears with just how sonically diverse and lively this piece is. It all coalesces in a transcendental mix of genres, ripping through time until the euphoria of the sequence literally burns a hole through the roof of the fucking joint. Every single element of this film is simply operating at a level that is just fucking unbelievable. Genuinely works on EVERY front. It spares no restraint in grabbing onto you and never letting go, be that in its intoxicating, electric, and euphoric score and soundtrack, well-realized sets and costumes, gorgeously looking cinematography, genre-blending, or the rich vampire allegory. A big, bold exhilaratingly thrilling love letter to music that I just can’t get enough of.
#omer