Additional Coverage:
- Why ‘Sinners,’ a Jim Crow-era vampire film, is a personal endeavor for director Ryan Coogler (nbcnews.com)
Ryan Coogler’s latest film, “Sinners,” a vampire story set in 1930s Mississippi, explores themes of race and belonging against the backdrop of the blues. The film, starring Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, is a deeply personal project for Coogler, inspired by his late Uncle James’s love of blues music.
The twins, Smoke and Stack, leave Mississippi to fight in World War I, eventually settling in Chicago and working with Al Capone. They return to their home state with newfound wealth, aiming to open a juke joint featuring their cousin Sammie, a musician played by newcomer Miles Caton. The cast also includes Delroy Lindo as blues musician Slim, Wunmi Mosaku as root woman Annie, and Hailee Steinfeld as Mary.
Coogler explained to NBC News that the film is a tribute to his uncle, whose passion for blues music deeply impacted him. This passion led Coogler on a journey of discovery, researching the genre and ultimately concluding that it is “our country’s greatest contribution to global culture.”
The film’s score, composed by Coogler’s longtime collaborator Ludwig Göransson, further emphasizes the importance of the blues. Göransson’s own father, a Swede, was a lifelong blues fan, a fact that resonated with Coogler. A trip with the Göranssons to the Dockery Plantation in the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the Delta Blues, cemented Coogler’s vision for the film.
Coogler aims to showcase the brilliance and perseverance of the people who created the blues, highlighting its influence on major cities and dispelling negative stereotypes. “Sinners” promises a bold cinematic experience that celebrates the blues and the culture that birthed it.