Sinners (2025) Film Review: From Dusk Till Dawn-inspired period piece is a bloody mess

---

Set in 1932 in the Mississippi Delta, twin brothers (played in a dual role by Michael B. Jordan) return to their home from Chicago to start again, only to be confronted by a supernatural evil that threatens everything they hold dear.

Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, 2018; Creed, 2015) presents us with a slow burn tale of epic proportions, which sets up plenty of intrigue, but ultimately squanders its potential with messy execution.

The movie has a huge identity problem and tries to balance too many ideas at once, leading to an inconsistent tone and confusing moments. The blending of horror elements with other genres, like comedy or action, has proven to be a success many times in the past for films with well-rounded characters and enticing screenplays, however, this movie tries to juggle too much. Unfortunately, it is one of those examples of the trailer being better than the actual final product, teasing an inspired vision of terror featuring a mostly black cast in a period setting, which almost feels misleading in hindsight. The horror element does not actually come to fruition until the last half of the film, taking major inspiration from Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn (1995), but with less effective results.

Michael B. Jordan and Miles Caton (in his film debut) star as cousins battling evil forces

The film is long, clocking in at just under two and a half hours, yet somehow the characters never really feel fully developed, despite clear efforts on the writers' part to add meaningful backstories. The pacing feels off kilter, with the characters given quite bland, basic traits or histories, which is a huge detriment to the emotional stakes the movie tries to convey later on when the group is pursued by a sinister cult of (SPOILERS!) vampires. The very unsubtle racial allegory of a group of white skinned blood suckers targeting black people is far too obvious and too on the nose to take seriously.

Admittedly, the movie does explore an interesting mythology by showcasing South American blues music and its deep roots within the black community. Some of the best sequences of the film revolve around mesmerising performances that celebrate all eras of music, with a particular long take bringing together different periods and styles to an exhilarating effect. However, the 'horror' feature of the film sticks out like a sore thumb, presenting a group of uninspired, borderline laughable vampires (complete with signature red eyes and flashy fangs), who are not scary at all, even with all of the gore on display. Their motivations are half-baked, and any attempts at drama following brutal kills and conversions fall short due to the uninteresting characters.

Despite a unique setting, captured well with a strong set design and costumes, and some decent performances by Jordan, Caton, and Steinfeld, Sinners is a tonal mess which combines musical, horror, action, drama, and more to baffling results. Points go to the smooth soundtrack and well-realised location, but one cannot help but compare to From Dusk Till Dawn, which boasts better vampire effects and more impressionable characters. A valiant effort on Coogler's part, but a bit of a misfire!

Check out the trailer for Sinners (2025) below, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments! (I know that this review is a bit of a controversial hot take!)