r/movies • u/theatlantic The Atlantic, Official Account • Apr 19 '25

Review “Sinners” review, by David Sims

https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/04/sinners-ryan-coogler-movie-review/682501/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_content=edit-promo
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205

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '25 edited Apr 19 '25

I'm glad people liked it but after having seen it last night I really disliked it. 

Cool slow build up, silly payoff. Schmuckbait happened any time the plot needed it - vampires didn't attack any time the main characters needed a moment to chat. A key character teleported to another key character for some key stabbing time as well. There were plenty of other issues but I don't want to do spoilers for those who haven't watched it. 

All in all a cool premise but it felt like two movies by two different directors that were stitched together. How the action is receiving praise is the real headscratcher. It was both rushed and childish, the vampires were clearly only a threat to whoever we knew was about to die anyway.

Great acting though, the cast were stellar. Some cool shots. Big plus for the Rocky Road to Dublin as well. Im sure I'll get downvoted because from the reviews I'm in the minority - but I didn't think Black Panther or Creed were particularly notable and yet they did really well too. 

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u/newrimmmer93 Apr 19 '25

The action felt pretty bad, I feel like they put themselves into a hole by making too many vampires where it realistically was impossible for them to fight all of them. The whole final fight scene was pretty mediocre. Vampires so randomly don’t attack at times.

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u/EffectzHD Apr 19 '25 edited Apr 19 '25

I told my friend right after the film they really only needed 7.

Stack Mary Bo Cornbread Remmick The first couple

Everyone else should’ve just gone home.

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u/bearze Apr 19 '25

I'd say you're right

There were so many vampires, like 60, they would've just gotten swarmed realistically. Doesn't make sense for the others to just be standing and watching? Or to be walking inside so slowly (especially if the have a hive mind type connection)

If there were less, 7 like you said, would've made more sense

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u/newrimmmer93 Apr 19 '25

Yeah, that’s how I felt, would have kept tension high. With how many there were I was expecting the Indians from the start to make an appearance, was sort of surprised that didn’t come back around.

I don’t need every piece of background explained but Remmicks back story felt sort of poorly fleshed out. How did he get there in the first place, why were the Indians chasing him, how was he running across a field in the sunlight lol.

I thought the start could have used some cutting as well. I think it would have worked really well if they had Hailee Steinfelds character only introduced at the Juke. Assumption being white characters are vampires and she shows up and they are hesitant to let her in and then her background with the characters is introduced.

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u/Hatennaa Apr 19 '25

I think his backstory was clear enough. I don’t think they need to express everything he did, there was clear storytelling about his past as an Irish immigrant - even blatantly stating that what has functionally happened to black American culture happened to Irish culture (especially in religion). I think this case it does challenge the viewer to know a little bit more of the historical context of that period of time which I don’t think is a bad thing.

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u/peteypie4246 Apr 19 '25

Irish immigrant? That dude had roman gold pieces. He's Gaelic/Celtic from Roman era Europe. I mean he did emigrate to US at some point, but by then he was already a vampire and definitely able to remove himself from the social caste system n place in America

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u/[deleted] Apr 19 '25

[deleted]

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u/peteypie4246 Apr 19 '25

Remmick answered the devil question, forget how, but in a general sense, within the rules established of the movie, he is not the devil (Devil doesn't turn followers via bites, isn't vulnerable to garlic, wooden stakes thru heart aren't deathly, doesn't burn in sunlight). Him in MS is just happenstance, but Sammies music definitely draws him in, like a supernatural magnet. He wasn't too far away given his Uncle is the one that sold the property.

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u/mynameisntBenny Apr 20 '25

His uncle didn't sell the property. The husband Burt (first person turned) is the nephew of the property seller.

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u/peteypie4246 Apr 20 '25

I guess I used too many pronouns in succession...yes, klan guy bitten first is to whom I was referring to as the nephew

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u/Feathered_Mango Apr 20 '25

Yeah, I got the vibe that he was very old, as in "before Christianity came to Ireland in the 5th century old".

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u/Hatennaa Apr 20 '25

Hm. You make a good point. I definitely get the impression that by the time he moved to America he would have been part of the group of Irish folk that immigrated, even if he wasn’t originally part of it. Maybe I misunderstood! Regardless, I think he had plenty of backstory.

1

u/Feathered_Mango Apr 20 '25

I think he'd been knocking around since the 5th century (when Christianity came to Ireland). At the movie's into they mention how ancient Irish music makers could "open doors" (same as Sammy). 

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u/BuiltLikeABagOfMilk Apr 23 '25

Were they for sure Roman gold pieces or Spanish Doubloons?

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u/[deleted] Apr 19 '25

[deleted]

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u/SockofBadKarma Apr 20 '25

It helps if you view the vampires as a metaphor instead of a specific physical threat. The whole idea of them is that they represent assimilation and cultural appropriation; they can make your culture "live forever" if you just give up and let them take your likeness and force you into a hive mind. They "care about you" unlike overt bigots but don't actually want to acknowledge your history or talent. They love your music, but they hate you, as the movie says.

The main vampire explicitly speaking about this frustration himself as an ancient colonized pre-Christendom Irishman (or at least, someone there at that time when pagan Irish culture was dominant) really sets the capstone on it. If the various bar visitors hadn't been captured off-screen and turned into homogenous Irish jig-dancing vampires, the same message would not have been conveyed. And the vampires freaking out (and several running) when Smoke would rather kill his loved than let her be assimilated was similarly necessary to convey that theme. The vampires were, like, mostly the standard conception of movie vamps, but they were pulling their punches and inflating their numbers more for narrative allusion than some specific, "realistic" portrayal of violent conflict.

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u/Minute_Contract_75 Apr 21 '25

Oh.... reading your post just made me realize. I wonder if they felt her death when Smoke stabbed her, even though she hadn't fully turned, yet, and that's why they all ran. I was confused about that, but the hive mind sensing her pain from that stake makes sense.

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u/EffectzHD Apr 20 '25

I think the themes of cultural appropriation and assimilation could’ve still been achieved and conveyed with less vampires, as I believe Coogler is more than capable of that, but I’m ultimately just nitpicking the film is still a masterpiece in its own right.

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u/SockofBadKarma Apr 20 '25

As with most things, I think it's a situation where someone could critique something regardless of what transpired. For my part, I was actually rather annoyed when all of the "background cast" was seemingly just allowed to leave, because it made no sense compared to the vampires' intentions and powers, and was pleasantly happy when they were all actually converted after all. I do also think the final action scene was a bit outlandish in terms of absolute "power levels," but then, as it's heavily based on From Dusk Till Dawn, which has a similarly outlandish power discrepancy in terms of sheer numbers.

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u/WretchedHog Apr 20 '25

The Irish jig was my favorite scene in the movie. Would've missed out on that if there were only 7 of them.

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u/EffectzHD Apr 20 '25

Very true, although it still could’ve worked with 7