Sinners

Screened at Regal Cinemas, Rancho Mirage, California.

It's hard to be "that person," the one who doesn't fully get why people are so enamored by something that grabs the zeitgeist, be it a film, an album or a book. So Sinners is especially strange for me because I did like it. I loved the cinematography, I loved the cast and what they brought to the film. I loved this was an original piece of work, and not another "IP"; in fact, I highly implore the filmmakers to move on and not turn this into a franchise. Don't ruin what you have here and muck it up by chasing that "ROI." Sinners stands on its own, quite strongly - so leave the art be and let it take on its own life as it has with audiences. I loved the soundtrack as well, filled with excellent blues music - we're not talking along the lines of Blues Hammer from Ghost World - this film has Buddy fucking Guy in it, to give you an idea of how important the music is to the fabric from top to bottom.

I just wasn't 100% sold on this as a whole, in terms of some of the "masterpiece" headlines and reviews I've come across. And perhaps that's OK, as this is Mr Coogler's first foray into the horror genre, so nailing it is a lot to ask. I just kind of feel that while the first half, maybe even the first two acts, are all very good, especially immersive (can't stand that word) with its attention to detail and the overall lush atmosphere it creates, the final third felt like a bit of a downgrade in comparison, even while it was definitely entertaining and satisfying. But here's the thing, my guess is one of the big reasons this has proven popular with general audiences is because of that final third. It's likely where they connected with this the most, and felt it delivered on the promise of a horror film. So in that sense, there's something here for everyone, but for me it causes a bit of a disconnect which keeps me from stating something like "this isn't just the best horror film of the year, it's the best film of the year" ...... in April.

I liked it. I recommend it. I strongly suggest seeing this in the theater, mostly for the music. I am thrilled by its success, including for director Ryan Coogler as I was a big fan of his first Black Panther film (haven't seen the follow-up). He has a lot of greatness ahead in him, it feels rather obvious. I just wish I could bump Sinners up to 4.5 or 5 stars as others have, as sharing in the excitement would be quite special. Instead, I'm looking forward to that opportunity, which wouldn't surprise me in the least if it arrives in his next project.