After spending most of his career on the Creed and Black Panther franchises, filmmaker Ryan Coogler delivers his most original work yet with the vampire flick Sinners. According to the first reviews of the movie, it’s not only his best, but one of the best releases of the year so far. The highlights are Michael B. Jordan’s dual performance as twin brothers, the ambitious mix of genres and ideas, and the inventive use of music in the film.
Here’s what critics are saying about Sinners:
Is it one of the best movies of the year so far?
Sinners is a masterclass in filmmaking.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
It’s one of the best films of the year.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
The best movie I’ve seen in 2025 so far.
— Matt Singer, ScreenCrush
One of the most devilishly entertaining movies of the year.
— Karl Delossantos, Smash Cut Reviews
Sinners is a bloody, brilliant motion picture.
— William Bibbiani, The Wrap
I’m already prepared to hail Sinners as the movie of the year from this point onwards.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun, nor felt so reinvigorated by, a major studio genre movie.
— Alistair Ryder, The Film Stage
What makes it a must-see movie?
Sinners perfectly blends multiple genres to create a movie like you have never seen before.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
It works surprisingly well… due to Coogler’s very specific vision and his ability to deliver on it.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
The most impressive feat director-writer Ryan Coogler achieves is finding a balance between genre and meaning—and one begets the other.
— Karl Delossantos, Smash Cut Reviews
What sets Sinners apart is its thematic depth. The film’s exploration of duality is masterfully layered.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog
Everything about Sinners is excellent, but where it fully shines is in its story, expertly brought to life by Coogler.
— Britany Murphy, Muses of Media
Sinners is the rare film that possesses you body and soul.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse
We simply don’t get original blockbusters with this level of passion and on this scale anymore, at least outside of a Christopher Nolan or M. Night Shyamalan production.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
Is it reminiscent of any other films?
In some ways, this is a black version of Robert Rodriguez’s ’90s head trip From Dusk Till Dawn.
— Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
Sinners gives Coogler an opportunity to delve further into genre along the lines of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, but more films like Desperado, Machete, and their Grindhouse entries, than their vampire collab, From Dusk Till Dawn.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
Obvious comparisons will likely be drawn to From Dusk Till Dawn. But unlike that 1996 Robert Rodriguez-Quentin Tarantino joint, Sinners isn’t winking at the audience from behind grotesque violence and droll B-movie tropes.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Sinners has films like John Carpenter’s The Thing in mind as well.
— Aaron Neuwirth, We Live Entertainment
I won’t be surprised if the first wave of critical reactions are similar to those which greeted Us, aiming to interpret the film as chasing a singular metaphor when it’s a messier beast with far more on its mind.
— Alistair Ryder, The Film Stage
How does it compare to Ryan Coogler’s other movies?
Ryan Coogler may have just given us his magnum opus… perhaps his masterpiece.
— Karl Delossantos, Smash Cut Reviews
This could be one of Ryan Coogler’s best films to date.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog
His new work, Sinners, feels like a filmmaker liberated.
— Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies
Sinners is Coogler utterly unleashed… He’s unshackled from the comfort of IP or franchise fare.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse
It’s his most impassioned, spiritually resonant work to date.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
Coogler solidifies himself as one of the best working today.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
With Sinners, he ascends to the next level.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
How is the action?
Sinners leads to a number of incredibly satisfying action set pieces, one that could garner audience reactions akin to Hitler’s assassination in Inglourious Basterds.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
[It has] tight action sequences that keep you emotionally and physically engaged.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog
Its action is explosive.
— Siddhant Adlakha, Polygon
It’s a rip-roaring thrill ride.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
How does it look?
Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography lends the carnage a strange elegance.
— Clarisse Loughrey, Independent
The movie is exquisitely shot, with Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography immersing us in the sunlit splendor and leafy ominousness of back-country Mississippi.
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Once again, Arkapaw ignites the screen with her beautiful shots, giving viewers more than just the performances and music to get lost in.
— Britany Murphy, Muses of Media
From an aesthetic standpoint, the film is incredibly self-assured — much of which is owed to cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw and her use of celluloid contrast. It has the deepest shadows you’ve ever seen during daylight, injecting each scene with a sense of mystery.
— Siddhant Adlakha, Polygon
The cinematography is exceptional, filled with bold compositions.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog
Does it do a good job of immersing the audience in its setting?
Coogler takes his time building out the world of Clarksdale, Mississippi, poring over the sights and sounds of the Jim Crow South… It crucially clues us in to who the Smokestack twins are, where they come from, and what they’re fighting for.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse
The world-building, while a slow burn, is immersive and detailed in a way that is so enjoyable to explore.
— Karl Delossantos, Smash Cut Reviews
How is Michael B. Jordan’s dual performance?
To no one’s surprise, Michael B. Jordan is incredible in this movie. He does a wonderful job of creating two very different characters for the twins.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
Michael B. Jordan’s performance in Sinners, particularly his portrayal of the enigmatic SmokeStack twins, is a standout in his career.
— Britany Murphy, Muses of Media
A career-best performance.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
It’s smart, intuitive work.
— Clarisse Loughrey, Independent
It’s wonderfully nuanced work.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
Stellar work.
— Karl Delossantos, Smash Cut Reviews
I will freely admit that Jordan playing both twins did get a little confusing.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
Are there any other standouts in the cast?
Delroy Lindo has a standout moment in a deeply emotional monologue that quietly steals the spotlight.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog
Lindo steals the show as Slim — but Caton’s Sammie is the true one to watch.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse
The real star of the film is 20-year-old Miles Caton.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
The real standout is Miles Caton, who is shockingly delivering his debut performance here as Sammie.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
Viewers are sure to be drawn in by newcomer Miles Caton as well. I was shocked to learn that this is his first feature film, as he holds his own in scenes with powerhouse actors.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
The real standout is Nigerian British actress Mosaku.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
The entire ensemble assembled goes above and beyond to prove Coogler to very much be an actor’s director, getting top-notch performances.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
Is this heavier than the usual horror film?
It’s the rare studio production that engages your intellect while it scares you senseless.
— Matt Singer, ScreenCrush
Sinners is the rare mainstream horror film that’s about something weighty and soulful: the wages of sin in Black America.
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Yes, it’s a vampire film, but it’s also got a lot more on its mind. Coogler uses the conceits of the genre to craft a haunting allegory about the virtues we inherit and the vices that fester in the dark.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse
The result is a horror film that feels deeply cultural, resonant, and original, using the lens of music and ancestral trauma to reframe the vampire mythos into something hauntingly personal.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog
It boasts a powerful message about society and how people can drag others down while offering up a terrifying vampire story.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
While Sinners never makes light of the history of the South, it’s not at the cost of the fun that can be had with this crossover between blues players, drinkers, and vampires.
— Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies
Coogler doesn’t reinvent the vampire movie with Sinners, but in a current era of American cinema where messages are force-fed, a thoughtful social satire which gives viewers time to dissect––and never lets its loftier thematic aims get in the way of its junky thrills––is a breath of fresh air.
— Alistair Ryder, The Film Stage
How is its take on vampires?
Ryan Coogler has made a sexy and sweaty vampire flick unlike any other.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
The vampire design? Subtle, creepy, and just different enough to give Sinners its own unique place in the genre.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog
It’s remarkable that Coogler has found a fresh angle on the tropes here. There’s a little bit of “the same but different” when it comes to the creature design.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
Coogler shows as much interest in the metaphorical potential of the vampire as Robert Eggers did with Nosferatu earlier this year.
— Clarisse Loughrey, Independent
The film’s visual idea of the vampire is simple but fun, mostly normal in appearance other than an uncanny glint of light in their dark eyes – using this subtlety to stoke paranoia in the increasingly confined sawmill.
— Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies
Is there too much going on?
There’s a lot going on here… As much arthouse as grindhouse, it’s a blood-drenched mix tape that shouldn’t work. But it does.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
The two halves sound strikingly different, but it never feels like a completely bifurcated film: you can’t have one without the other.
— Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies
The film is inevitably too much at times, and not always in full command of its many competing flavors, but that too muchness is also the greatest strength of a visionary studio product that sticks its fangs deep into an eternal struggle: how to assimilate without losing your soul.
— David Ehrlich, IndieWire
How is the music?
The eventual turn to its riotous second half is underlined by a typically inventive soundtrack from Ludwig Göransson.
— Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies
Composer Ludwig Göransson provides a sonic backdrop unlike any other.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse
An even more important aspect of Sinners than vampires is its music… I expect this to be another hot and popular soundtrack.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
Music is as integral to Sinners as its bloodsuckers… It’s blues music that is the film’s lifeblood.
— Clarisse Loughrey, Independent
The music in Sinners is not just a background element, but a character in its own right, shaping the narrative and the characters’ experiences.
— Britany Murphy, Muses of Media
The film celebrates the power of music — its ability to transcend time, connect generations, and carry the weight of grief and joy alike, making it almost its own character in the film. Academy Award-winner Ludwig Göransson’s score is one of his best.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
Are there any problems with the movie?
For many, the movie could as well do without the supernatural element, and I admit I’m one of them.
— Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
The movie does feel like it goes on for a little too long, even with a pretty satisfying ending that appropriately ties up a few loose ends.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
If Sinners had one flaw, it could be in its pacing.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse
The only real drawback is the pacing.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog
There are some oddities in a bold swing like Sinners, such as not one but two post-credit scenes that feel unnecessary, and the aforementioned pacing of the first half may lose some viewers before Coogler sinks his fangs deeper into the material.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
If the ending drags on somewhat indulgently (including both a mid- and post-credits scene, amazingly), well, Coogler more than earns the right.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
Sinners opens in theaters on April 18, 2025.
Thumbnail image by ©Warner Bros.
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