Sinners Review 2025: Ryan Coogler Delivers a Horror Epic

Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton
Reviewed by: Deonne Moore for Flokkos

Ryan Coogler doesn’t just make movies—he makes moments that settle into your spirit and refuse to leave. With Sinners, he doesn’t merely enter the horror genre—he reshapes it entirely. What he delivers in this Sinners movie is a profound Southern gothic spell, deeply soaked in sweat, sin, and spiritual reckoning. This is our full Sinners review for 2025.

Set against the humid backdrop of 1930s Mississippi, the Sinners film follows the journey of Sammie Moore, a preacher’s son and gifted bluesman portrayed with piercing soul by newcomer Miles Caton. Caught between the world of Saturday night juke joints and Sunday morning pulpits, Sammie serves as the emotional core of this horror epic. He’s a man profoundly torn between his faith, the rhythm of the blues, and a history that resonates beneath every note he plays.

Michael B. Jordan takes on a compelling dual role as the Smokestack twins, Smoke and Stack. They are war-hardened hustlers who return home with shadowy wealth and a formidable plan. Jordan navigates this double act with remarkable charisma and control, masterfully walking a fine line between confident swagger and underlying sorrow.

While Sinners certainly touches upon elements of gospel, folklore, and the powerful role of music, make no mistake: this is definitively a horror film.

However, it’s not a horror movie that relies heavily on predictable jump scares (though a few moments might still catch you off guard). The true power of this Sinners review lies in its palpable tension. It’s that slow, heavy dread that creeps up your back like the oppressive humidity of the Delta air. The fear isn’t about cheap scares; it’s about what’s already ingrained within the characters and the setting, waiting to be tragically unearthed.

Coogler paints with atmosphere, making every frame feel like a sermon and every shadow seem to hold a secret. The cinematography brilliantly captures the American South, not through rose-tinted nostalgia, but as a living, breathing, and undeniably haunted entity. And the music, crafted by Boo Mitchell with Memphis-recorded score, doesn’t just set the tone—it actively summons something primal and powerful.

The standout scenes, particularly the performances inside Club Duke, are part musical performance, part spiritual possession. When Sammie sings and plays in this Sinners movie, it’s not for mere applause; it’s a visceral cry for the ancestors, for the spirits, and ultimately, for survival.

While Ryan Coogler’s story arcs stretch wide and deep, they maintain a surprising focus. He dedicates crucial time to building compelling characters and allowing significant moments to linger, ensuring that when the inevitable chaos hits, it lands with devastating impact. There is perhaps one subplot that might slightly overstay its welcome, but the sheer ambition of this Sinners film outweighs any minor overreach. When a filmmaker swings this big, not every single frame can be perfect—but the ones that are? They are truly unforgettable.

The Verdict:

10/10 — Flokkos Certified.

This Sinners review concludes that the film is far more than just a genre exercise—it is a ritual, a powerful statement about music and memory, spirit and survival. It speaks eloquently in blues riffs and scripture, and it screams in silence when it needs to. Long after the credits roll, the unsettling resonance of this Ryan Coogler horror epic still hums within you. He didn’t just direct a horror movie; he delivered a reckoning.

Sinners is not just a genre exercise — it’s a ritual. A film about music and memory, spirit and survival. It speaks in blues riffs and scripture. It screams in silence. And long after the credits roll, it still hums.

Ryan Coogler didn’t just direct a horror film. He delivered a reckoning.