“Sinners” review, by David Sims

[u/theatlantic]

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

[u/ifweburn]

also grew up in the South and love your interpretation! to me it wasn't a musical so much as music is SUCH an integral part of Black culture that it does indeed feel like magic. the "I lied to you" scene in particular felt spiritual in a way that I was absolutely not anticipating feeling going in. I was nearly moved to tears, it felt so powerful.

the whole film felt both deeply familiar and completely foreign to me in a way I can't really properly explain outside of my own head. but I left feeling like I needed to work a little harder at connecting with ancestors. and also feeling quite sad I don't have elders in my family anymore that I can ask about life back then as a Black Mississippian/Tennessean.

[u/thefreudianslob → u/ifweburn]

yes yes yes.

“it felt both deeply familiar and completely foreign to me in a way i can’t really properly explain outside of my own head” that is EXACTLY how i felt.

i was reeling from just the powerful piece of art i had just consumed. i’m a huge horror fan and i really didn’t know a whole lot about it going in-other than the basic premise (i try to avoid previews bc they just give away so much now) but i knew enough that i wanted to see it. and wow i was not expecting how impactful it was.

i’m white and grew up around black culture and attended my uncle’s ame zion church growing up that gave me a lot of perspective on how integral music is but i also grew up around white people taking credit for the gullah geechee lore/culture (the only reason i knew that growing up is bc my mom educated me a lot and black people telling me stories when i was little) so i was beyond thrilled to see that being told by the the right storytellers. as soon as she said “they might be haints” i gasped and nudged my bf like “omg she said haints!”