Michael B. Jordan gives an award worthy performance in a genuinely terrifying and nuanced film that asks: can love, in all its forms, save you?

Cast: Michael B. Jordan; Wunmi Mosaku; Hailee Steinfeld; Jack O’Connell; Jayme Lawson;  Li Jun Li; Yao; Lola Kirke; Peter Dreimanis; Omar Benson Miller; Saul Williams; with Delroy Lindo and introducing Miles Caton
Costume Designer: Ruth E. Carter
Composer: Ludwig Göransson
Directed and Written by: Ryan Coogler

The plot: The SmokeStack Twins, Elias and Elijah return home after WWI, and after learning the ins and outs of the Chicago Mob, to start life over by buying land and opening a series of juke joints. However, nothing is that easy: when they return they have to face the women they left behind and the pain they enlisted to get away from.

Then vampires and the Klan show up…

Before we get into the performances, all of which are phenomenal, let’s talk about the costumes, setting and props. The attention to detail the always amazing Ruth E. Carter gives to the characters and costumes is absolutely outstanding. Her use of clothing to tell us about each of the main characters starts immediately with the twins: while both are colorful and sharply dressed, their choices in colors tells us a lot about their personalities and, more importantly, their flaws. Carter doesn’t stop there, however, her clothing choices tell us about the relationships between the characters: whether it’s the beautiful sisterhood of Annie, Mary and Grace; the not quite as innocent as he seems yet so very special Sammy or the longing of Remmick each piece of clothing we see them in lets us know where these characters are on their journey and, in some cases, how those journeys will end.


Then there’s the look of the film. Coogler’s entire art department brought their A-Game to play with this film. Little things from the way the shanty towns and churches look, to the train station, bustling with life, yet clearly segregated hit and hit hard. The town that is the base of all the events of the film is fully realized and shows the tension, and yet in a lot of cases, the harmony between the different ethnicities who inhabit it.

As for the performances, the entire cast absolutely shines throughout this film. Had Jordan not already been an established star, Sinners would have definitely done the trick. His soap opera background comes in handy as he firmly establishes Smoke and Stack from the very first scene, so much so that at no point are you confused about which twin you’re watching. However, Mosaku, Steinfield and Li Jun Li are the true heart of this film as their unbridled love for each other and the people in their lives ground the film and make their heartbreaks even more brutal. There’s a scene where you can tell the only thing that’s keeping Grace from completely losing her mind due to the situation is Annie’s presence and another where Mary’s terror at Annie’s potential death is absolutely visceral. Mary and Grace’s screams in that moment literally sent chills down my spine and I was just as scared as they were. Miles Caton, in his feature film debut, has the voice of an angel and so much heart you pray he survives the insanity he’s thrown into. Last but certainly not least, Jack O’Connell is wonderfully broken as Remmick, whose pain is so vast and deep that you want him to have some peace even though he’s… terrifying. At one point I found myself going, ‘He’s making some very good points, I’m just saying’ despite knowing that his path is a terrible one and will only lead to destruction.


Overall this film was a feast for the eyes and senses, filled with a surprising amount of love and hope while still being delightfully gory and giving social commentary (as all good horror does, IMO) that, unfortunately, is still relevant a hundred years after the story is set.

Five Stakes Out of Five

Thank you to Allied and Warner Brothers for the advanced screening.

P.S. Stay past the credits…