Sinners
For a few hours… we was free.
Movie. Of. The. Fucking. Year.
Before I get into what I adored about this movie, I want to say that everyone needs to go buy a ticket and see it in theaters. First, the theater experience is essential to truly feel how epic the story and filmmaking on display here are. Second, we need to support original films and bold ideas from directors! This is the kind of movie people have been complaining doesn’t get made anymore. Now’s the chance to support it!
And I’ve been on quite the movie slump recently, with no interest in spending time on movies. But Sinners might of shocked my movie watching back into motion. It’s movies like these that reaffirm what I love about cinema.
Now, about the movie itself—it’s incredible.
The production and costume design transport you to the South in the 1930s. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the decision to shoot this on film really enhances the visual quality. The ensemble is fabulous, with each character feeling fully realized without clunky exposition. The film remains engaging from start to finish.
But by a landslide, the best part of the movie is the sound and MUSIC. The story centers around the power of music (particularly blues) and the score, along with every single musical performance, puts you in a trance. There’s one performance in particular that sets the stage for the third act and makes you feel like you’re floating. It’s unbelievable.
The story is genre-bending and unpredictable. A thematically rich tale of the smoke screen of assimilation, temptation, community, love, and the complexities of what it means to be a human. It’s an audacious, bold masterpiece that is sure to go down as one of 2025’s best.
2025: Ranked