Ryan Coogler is on fire. Don’t be alarmed. it is a good kind of fire, like the heat a bright young filmmaker brings to every project. I think every project of Coogler’s is either an A or A-, which is a strong consistency rate. most directors can’t have that level of output, and for Coogler, he’s been doing it through other people’s stories, until now. Sinners is his first original film, not based on a previous work or someone’s life story, and it shows us the kind of director Coogler could be when not having to work within the confines and expectations of the franchise system. Truthfully, it is more than refreshing to see this original of a film, but to know that it succeeded with a black director, and a predominantly black cast, proves that great stories and great films rise up over any perceived barrier of which movies are made for certain people or not. Sinners is a gothic American fable, and it is one we can all sink our teeth into.

The spoiler-lite version of the plot is that we revolve around twin brothers, Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan), who have recently returned home to their Deep South roots after spending some time in Chicago. they have aspirations of opening a juke joint, and playing excellent music, while selling some Irish beer they brought back from Chicago. We see them recruit musicians, including Slim (Delroy Lindo), to play, and fight typical institutionalized southern racism to get to opening night. But just when you get comfortable in the groove of the music, and the flow of the story, some mysterious travelers show up looking for entry… because they are the type that needs to be invited in.

From that point, what starts out as a story about realizing your own American dream, creating your own space, and choosing the friends and family to surround you as you create brilliant art, becomes a tale much darker. Vampires. Now, Smoke, Stack, and the rest in the club are faced with the horror of fighting back, or becoming Vampire food. The charming lead vampire (Jack O’Connell) tries to woo his victims by promising them that he’s not just here to feed, but to offer his gift of transformation, which could be a more alluring premise than just dying. Coogler manages to deftly change tone and genre on a dime, while keeping a lot of the themes and sounds still rocking. This film has a terrific score, as well as some killer songs. If there is an original song in here, I hope it finds itself to the Oscars.

Sinners has been called a musical, but it really isn’t, at least in the traditional sense. the musical numbers aren’t breaking out into song, but rather organically worked in, like in Scott Cooper’s Crazy Heart, where music is a part of the story, because the characters are musicians. this is my favorite score of the year so far, as it has such a strong feeling for many different genres that Coogler was interested in exploring.Ludwig Gorensen might find himself getting a nomination come next January.

Speaking of awards potential, delroy Lindo is a scene stealer, and after not getting his first nomination for Da Five bloods a few years back, it is hard to not root for him here. Equally, I’d love to see Michael B. Jordan finally hear his name called, as his dual performance is impressive, creating two very different men. jack O’Connell is charming, as required, and Hailee Steinfeld delivers a mature performance not seen from her yet in her career. Basically, the acting is on point.

But, my only qualm with the film is that Coogler does have this huge ensemble, and when we reached the horror section, and lives are in danger, I felt like there were lives taken from characters I didn’t know very well. I would have loved to get to know them, but most of the actors I didn’t know going into this also lacked a little in character development. It might have been nicer to include a few more stolen moments for a handful of supporting players, so their eventual fates have more resonance.

On the audio description front, we have to always start with the writing. I thought the writing was solid, but the narration was a bit flat for my taste. I know some people prefer narrators to lack emotion, except this film has this explosive second half that I felt the narrator wasn’t connected to. the mix is great, I just wanted a narrator who knew the nuance this film honored by managing to traverse genres, and subvert expectations in doing so. it ends up being just a fine track for a great film.

I have no idea what it would look like, but if Ryan Coogler figured out how to put Sinners on Broadway, I think that could be the coolest thing to happen to the Great White Way. otherwise, I hope he continues his trend of original works. I don’t need a Sinners 2. not because the film isn’t good, but because it is complete.

Fresh: Final Grade: 8.9/10