Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is one of those unique movies that will catch your eye. Even the trailer got my husband and I’s attention.

This movie combines horror, history, and music in a way that works. Now, vampires combined with history has been done before, with movies like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, but this movie doesn’t see action until much later in the movie, but it’s worth the wait.

It’s set in 1932, Mississippi, the movie starts with two brothers, Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore, both portrayed amazingly by Michael B. Jordan, World War I veterans who return to Clarksdale, Mississippi, to open a juke joint.

The first half of the movie establishes themes, such as racism, interracial relationships, grief, and loss. It introduces the characters and their struggles.

Honestly, while watching it, I got so immersed in the storytelling in the first half that I had completely forgotten that it was a supernatural film.

As the story progresses, an avid horror fan can spot foreshadowing throughout the first half. It’s subtle, but there.

There are so many things that were really different, such as the music. There was a scene during the juke joint party where one of the characters, Sammie, played the guitar and summoned musicians from the past and present. It seems out of place, but it captivates you in a way no other supernatural movie has.

Things take a dark turn when the music attracts vampires, who want to use Sammie’s musical talent to bring back his long-lost community.. This part of the plot didn’t really get a lot of emphasis, so it was a bit confusing, and for some people like my husband and I who love mythology, and also play D&D, it gave us a lot of talk about after the movie, however, during the movie, it makes you not question it, as there’s so much going on and how the scenes are set up captivate you in a way that you’ll miss certain things.

When the climax of the movie hits, it keeps you on your toes. You don’t know who’s going to live or die. Main characters are fair game.

The performances are amazing, particularly Jordan’s dual portrayal of Smoke and Stack.

When it comes to the music, it stands out to you. The soundtrack is phenomenal.

I do highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves music, horror, or history. My review alone wouldn’t begin to explain how amazingly put together this movie is.

Think about it: Vampires, Music, and History seem like three words that can’t be combined.

Sinners proves that theory wrong.

This was written by our contributing writer, Gigi Grindley.