I went into this one with minimal knowledge about the movie. I've had people online and IRL mention that it was a fun horror experience. I didn't have any real expectations, which I generally consider to be a good thing.
It is definitely worth watching Sinners. It's a good, original horror movie that I think has a measure of cross-over appeal with people who don't like horror. The soundtrack is top notch, it includes some classic blues songs, but also an intense original score with some incredible tracks. The setting/setup is novel and refreshing and I liked how the heavy emphasis on the music introduces a fusion of genres of sorts. I enjoyed it even though I am generally not a fan of musicals.
That being said I do think Sinners is a victim of it's own success. It does so many things well, that the weak parts stand out much more. It's a stylish movie with great cinematography, good looking costumes, an original story setup and an ending that arguably offers something different.
So when you have rather unsatisfying action scenes, strange character behaviour and seemingly pointless parts it becomes more noticeable than in a lower budget horror movie.
Some of the action scenes just didn't work well; I found them to be distracting, it's not a matter of realism or lack of thereof. I didn't really understand the behaviour and motivation of the group that was left in the dancehall after the patrons left (should they have all turned when they left at the same time?). I thought the ending scene with the racists coming to the dancehall and getting killed by the remaining brother was out of place.
That being said the weak parts don't undermine the experience of watching Sinners. I am curious if there will be any other movies set in this universe (more so than a direct sequel). The epilogue made me wonder what Smoke and Mary were up to all these years.
Visually stunning. It draws you in and doesn't let go. It's thematically rich with a carefully constructed narrative. Historically grounded, with a supernatural twist that elevates the story with elements that only horror can deliver with so much impact.
I can't agree with your criticism of what you perceive as "weak" elements, as I did not find anything pointless, confusing, or unsatisfying. The plot points and character actions you describe fit perfectly with the themes and setup that the first half of the film meticulously lays out. I found Sinners to be exceptionally well made, thought provoking, and nuanced. Ryan Coogler has made one of the best horror films of the decade and I'll be eagerly anticipating his next project.
I'd say the Asian woman being so upset about her husband and inviting them in just to die 5 seconds later for little or no reason was one of the weak moments. There were several times during the Stack and main vampire fight where the main vampire totally had the upper hand yet balked for no reason.
Also suddenly, when a main character has a gun, guns are effective against vampires. To be clear: I enjoyed the movie a lot, and would watch it again no problem. But to say there were no weak parts is a stretch.
The Asian mom said repeatedly that she wanted to fight the vampires right there before they killed her daughter, and guns didn't kill the vampires, they just slowed them down. We saw the shot vampires get up and resume their attacks moments after their injuries.
Anyway, perhaps it is better to think of the whole film as a parable on slavery and appropriation. In this, the black community had its own identity, music, and culture. The evil horde wanted the music in particular for themselves, but the price was homogenization of everyone and loss of identity. The Asian mom wanted to fight to keep her child from this fate, but the minority group in the juke joint was not powerful enough to stop the unfied commune of evil outside those doors. Their salvation was being exposed to the light of day.
In the end, we see Sammie has retained free will by both escaping the vampires and then refusing to give up his guitar to be saved by the church. One could argue that he left his community, but his father's church never drew him as much as the juke joint crowd. More importantly, he kept at the craft that gave him an eternal voice and no one was able to take that music from him. He remained free.
I thought setting was freed black community post civil war western. Did you mean reparations? Don't recall any references.
Decently budgeted/crafted cinematography for a mediocre script and characters/writing. Surprise vampires to make something happen.
The Asian woman may have said she wanted to fight, but she was well aware of the fact that their "invite" rule was the only thing keeping them out. Why doom everyone to die because of your rage? It was shortsighted and selfish.
Note that I did not mention any of your other thoughts on slavery and appropriation, I had no problems with those parts. I didn't say there wasn't a deeper message. I did say the whole movie does not hold up, and there are a few weak scenes that don't match up, making this a somewhat flawed film, not flawless.
A character makes a "bad" decision? In a horror movie, a life-and-death my husband is a monster and my daughter's life may be in danger type situation?
And this is... confusing? Bad writing?
Grace was a badass, died fighting for her daughter's life. Seems reasonable.
Normally I wouldn't care about a character making a bad decision in a horror movie.
But it stood out in Sinners because so many other elements had such high production values and were original.
Grace was safe inside, away from the vampires, until SHE invited them in. If she was concerned for her daughter she would want to stay alive, not doom everyone to death because she had nothing to live for (possibly).
My main point is this: the movie is not perfect, flawless , and certainly has some pacing issues. Despite that it is still a good movie! No debate there! But I wouldn't say it's a masterpiece.
Grace knew none of them were "safe" as long as there were monsters hell bent on turning everyone. They explicitly threatened her daughter should they manage to remain alive until morning. Rage may have gotten the better of her, hence the symbolism of her specific demise, but I felt it was clear she was going to try and take them out before they could go after her child.
It was a very in-character decision, and a very believable one given how humans respond to horrific situations and grim decisions.
Are you suggesting people aren't short-sighted and selfish? You don't have to go as far as hysterical moms, just look at who gets elected for government.
Her decision was a one of life and death, not only for her, but for everyone else who was safe inside. She didn't even have to face the consequences of her decision because she died almost immediately!
What was her sacrifice worth? What was the purpose of her character except a plot point to move the film into the action packed 3rd act? My argument was the film is far from perfect, with that character as one of my reasons.
Yes, the scene with the Asian woman letting them in and subsequent fight made no sense .