Sinners (2025) Review — Ryan Coogler’s Southern Gothic Horror Grips the Soul

After redefining sports drama with the Creed trilogy and making history with the superhero film Black Panther and its sequel, Ryan Coogler returns with Sinners. This haunting horror Southern Gothic film marks his most ambitious and atmospheric work. Written, co-produced, and directed by Coogler, Sinners is a slow-burning descent into generational trauma, guilt, and an inescapable pull from the past.

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Set in 1932, in the deeply segregated, swampland heart of the Mississippi Delta, Sinners follows twin brothers Elijah and Elias, nicknamed Smoke and Stack- masterfully played by Michael B. Jordan- who return to their crumbling hometown for a new beginning. Instead, they find their land cursed and a supernatural force tethered to their bloodline waiting in the shadows.

Michael B. Jordan's dual performance is a revelation. He took on the challenge of the lead, and he excelled in it.  As Elijah “Smoke”, he captures the stoic determination of a man clinging to hope, while Isiah “Stack” is more broken and impulsive, showcasing Jordan's darker and more vulnerable range. It is a career-defining role that makes you forget that one actor is playing the twins. It never falls into gimmicky, and you believe entirely in both men, even when the lines get blurred. 

Jordan was also supported heavily by the stellar cast. Wunmi Mosaku beautifully portrays the film's anchor, Annie, who is Smoke’s wife. Hailee Steinfeld brings the intensity as she portrays Mary, Stacks' love interest, which is also a career-defining role for her. Miles Caton and Jayme Lawson bring a breath of life to the younger actors. Speaking of which, both of their songs were phenomenal in this film. They are the ones who truly carried the musicality in the film. It is hard to believe that this is Caton's first film role, given how beautifully he portrayed young and aspiring blues singer Sammie. 

Coogler's direction of the film is precise and patient. The way the plot builds up to the main action sequence adds to the suspense that fuels the horror aspect of the film. Working with cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, they frame the Delta not just as a setting, but as a living, breathing organism- dense, suffocating, and ominous. Using natural light, heavy shadows, and a mournful score by Ludwig Goransson (Blank Panther, Oppenheimer) adds to the mounting sense of doom. 

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Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is a brutal, beautiful descent into the human soul. It is not just a blockbuster spectacle, some might expect- it is something rarer. A vampire movie with a primarily African American cast being a standout in 2025 is the real gem of the experience. The film is not only a horror film but also a musical and a romance, providing a history lesson within the atmosphere of this time.  It is understandable why this movie has one of the highest Rotten Tomatoes scores.  My rating for this film is a 9.2/10. 

Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros