Sinners Review

Sinners 

Dir: Ryan Coogler 

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, and Delroy Lindo 

2h 17m

“Lord, it’s one kind favor I’ll ask of you / See that my grave is kept clean.” 

- Blind Lemon Jefferson (1927)

The blues is a cornerstone of musical heritage, an expression of cultural identity, and a statement of resiliency and resistance. The history of hardship and suffering, the rebellion and fortitude played and sang with heartbreak and sadness, pride and passion, all saturate every note and tune of the music. Blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist John Lee Hooker said it best, “The blues tells a story. Every line of the blues has a meaning”. 

“Sinners,” the new film from writer/director Ryan Coogler, tells the story of twin brothers Smoke and Stack, played expertly in both roles by Michael B. Jordan, returning to their hometown in Clarksdale, Mississippi, to open a juke joint in 1932. The blues, often called “the devil’s music,” is the heart of Coogler’s film, the soul that evokes the ears of evil on the club's opening night. Coogler’s storytelling here is filled with depth and complexity, an analysis of the Black experience told through heartfelt music and fascinating characters. “Sinners” is a bold and authentic genre film that bleeds delta blues and pays homage to the power of music for culture and community. 

Returning after some years of learning the business of gangsters in Chicago, twin brothers Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown in Mississippi with cash, booze, and a hustler’s mentality. Smoke and Stack buy an old sawmill on the edge of town and plan the opening night for their juke joint that same evening. The juke joint is a space for their people to be free after their hard day's work, a place to drink, eat, listen to, and dance to music. The brothers enlist the talents of their cousin, Sammie (an exciting introduction to Miles Caton), a young musician who sings the blues with a deep and soulful voice, the support of elder bluesman Delta Slim (the ever-interesting Delroy Lindo), and the guidance of Smoke’s longtime love Annie (a confident Wunmi Mosaku) who cooks and provides spiritual guidance. 

 The opening night brings out the entire community, ready for a good time. It also brings unwanted guests, a trio of musicians seemingly called in the night by the music played so beautifully by Sammie. The guests, who make it abundantly clear that they must be invited into the gathering, don’t just come for the blues; they have also come for blood. 

Ryan Coogler’s story of the factual and fictional horrors of the Jim Crow South is a remarkable intertwining of culture, history, and music told through the lens of genre film. The horror here revolves around vampires, a subgenre of horror so well-worn in film history that it resembles how blues influenced the landscape of rock n’ roll music. Coogler’s intent throughout “Sinners” is to craft a metaphor, evoke satire, and draw social commentary while creating a bombastic clash of imagery, music, and character. Whether the strong metaphor of Black musical artistry that is being preyed upon by outsiders who crave the soul of life experiences put to tune or the more subtle analogy of the lore of vampirism as a symbol of freedom and slavery. It’s all expert storytelling crafted in ways that will resonate differently with every viewer, just like blues music. 

 Michael B. Jordan, in a highlight performance of his career, plays Smoke and Stack as distinct yet separate characters. Each character's southern drawl, unique swagger, and costuming let Jordan ease into the personalities. Smoke is the leader; he is more confident and imposing but also tender and more in tune with the emotions of everything happening, especially his relationship with Annie. Stack supports Smoke’s leader, who is more impulsive and aggressive but charming with a hint of kindness that comes out with interactions with Sammie. Support characters like Delroy Lindo, who shines as the alcohol-influenced, harmonica and piano-playing bluesman, and Hailee Steinfeld, as the one-time love interest of Smoke who is adopted into the community family because of the kindness of her mother, round out the depth of the storyline. 

Ryan Coogler continues to impress with the skill behind the camera; the quality of the filmmaker's work here is singular in both its voice and vision, a true testament to the artist’s growth over the years. “Sinners” may feel familiar in its genre execution, but its story and characters are unmatched for horror films in recent memory. Watch it on the biggest screen because, just like the juke joint in the movie, this film deserves to be seen, heard, and experienced in a unique space with a community. 

Monte’s Rating 

4.00 out of 5.00

Creed 3 Review

Creed 3

Dir: Michael B. Jordon

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, and Mila Davis-Kent

1h 56m

 

The tagline for "Creed 3", the latest entry for the franchise started 47 years ago with "Rocky," is "You can't run from the past." Making his feature debut and third round playing the title character Adonis Creed, Michael B. Jordan doesn't run from the iconic past. Instead, "Creed 3" acknowledges the influence of the "Rocky" saga while stepping out from the shadow of Rocky Balboa with a film that stands firmly on its established trilogy foundation. Michael B. Jordan delivers a film with energy, allowing for excellent character development with a retired Adonis Creed and a new heavyweight contender played with nuanced menace by Jonathan Majors. Adding some flashy techniques to separate the boxing fight style from past films and "Creed 3" delivers consistently for 12 rounds.

Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has dominated the boxing world, leaving a legacy that sports enthusiasts honor while establishing a family life that no way near resembles his troubling upbringing as a youth. Creed owns a gym and mentors the current world champion while creating an outlet for up-and-coming fighters to train. Bianca (Tessa Thompson), Adonis' wife, is a successful music producer, and Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), their daughter, is tender and tough, just like her parents. When a childhood friend named Damien (Jonathan Majors), a boxing prodigy and mentor to young Adonis, is released from a lengthy prison sentence, Adonis feels compelled to help his old friend. Damien is ready to return to the ring. With nothing to lose, Damien is determined to reclaim what was taken from him at any cost, even when it means forcing Adonis out of retirement for another match.

 

"Creed 3" noticeably takes a decisive step to fight on its own, away from the "Rocky" franchise and without the iconic force of Sylvester Stallone to assist in any way. Aside from one mention of Rocky and a brief needle drop of the original score, "Creed 3" is its own story. And for the most part, it successfully builds an entertaining, if never too unfamiliar, arc of spectacle and emotion that lets Michael B. Jordan confidently own the character and directing responsibilities.

Jordan flexes his directing skills with the performers, specifically in scenes involving the primary supporting leads, Tessa Thompson and Jonathan Majors. Thompson may not have much to do on the page, but the actress brings a charm as a mom and confidence in scenes as a wife trying to understand the complicated trauma of her partner's past. Jonathan Majors steals the show throughout the film, playing a soft-spoken yet intimidating former friend to Adonis (who he calls "Donnie"). Majors is physically menacing both in and out of the ring; the actor consistently maintains an anxious and cautious posture, as if, at any moment, someone might attack him. As the film transitions, with Damien trading niceties for intimidations with his childhood friend, Majors' swagger turns tentative to threatening, making his villain the best of the "Creed" series.

 

In the ring, Jordan takes the opportunity to introduce a new style to the boxing composition. The flare with the fight scenes is inventive and action-packed, with slow-motion hits that make every punch feel like an explosion and cuts that keep the pacing frantic and unexpected for the viewer. There is even an artistic touch with the final bout in a ring shrouded in a haze of smoke and shadows intercut with flashbacks to emphasize the internal battle with the past for both fighters. It works in creating screen drama but takes away from the energetic emotion of the fight.

 

Michael B. Jordan proves a promising director to watch in the future. Jonathan Majors' performance is a big reason for the successful drama established for the film, and the family dynamic adds an emotional quality that makes the fight, in the end, have more significant stakes. "Creed 3" confidently moves with only a few knockdowns, establishing a film willing to fight its own match.

 

Monte's Rating

3.50 out of 5.00