'Sinners': Racism as Horror, Blues as Survival

A Reflection on Culture and Resistance

SINNERS: Written, Produced, and Directed by Ryan Coogler / Warner Bros. (2025)

⚠️ Warning: This blog contains spoilers for the film Sinners.

“There are legends of people with the gift of making music so true it conjures spirits from the past and the future.”

I was absolutely blown away by Sinners. It’s a sharp, chilling allegory about white supremacy—wrapped in horror, history, and the enduring power of Black culture. Like Get Out, it uses supernatural horror to dramatize real-life terrors, but with its own deeply rooted cultural and historical language.

Set in 1930s Mississippi, the story centers on Sammie (Miles Caton), a young Black musician, and his twin cousins, Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan). They find themselves pursued by Remmick (Jack O’Connell), a mysterious Irish vampire. What unfolds is a haunting meditation on cultural theft, seductive oppression, and the illusion of safety when evil is invited in. The film’s central themes—legacy, cultural survival, and the transformative power of music—are vibrantly and viscerally alive.

Racism as Horror

Sinners redefines the horror genre by connecting it directly to racism. Its genius lies in how it incorporates the real-life dangers of Jim Crow segregation. The film delivers these truths with urgency, but never preaches.