Vampires are nothing new to the world of cinema. The idea of these nocturnal monsters have stalked the silver screen many times in a variety of forms; from films such as Fright Night as well as last year’s Nosferatu. However when a filmmaker such as Ryan Coogler comes around to give his own take on this iconic monster, one cannot help but take notice. Coogler has made a name for himself with his work in the Creed films, and of course Black Panther. Now the filmmaker brings something original to the big screen, and vampire films, in the horror film Sinners.

Set in the 1920’s, the film centers on the Moore brothers (Micheal B.Jordan) who return to Mississippi to start their own club. However, once the party gets started, the music attracts an unknown stalker (Jack O’Connell) who ends up being a vampire; and a night of celebration becomes a nightmare for the Moore twins. To bring this film to life, Coogler took inspiration from films such as Dusk til Dawn and The Faculty, and even enlisted the help of legendary filmmaker Christopher Nolan to help with the movie’s use of a 65mm camera; and this resulted in an anticipated film for the spring season. Coogler has proven himself with established franchises, but Sinners has given the filmmaker a chance to break new ground in both the horror genre as well as his resume. So after seeing the movie, I only had one question on my mind: is Sinners another hit for the acclaimed director?

Sinners promised a gothic tale with an intriguing setting, and (for the most part) in the movie delivered . The plot had some captivating ideas that worked for the movie’s tense nature. However, I thought the film’s execution hindered this gritty tale from living up to its full potential. For starters the story takes its time to set up the point which, while not a bad thing, was too extensive and this direction made the main conflict feel rushed. This issue in pacing highlighted a major problem for the story which was the contrast within its concepts. The movie had a difficult time blending its ideas together to the point where it felt like a period piece that happened to feature vampires. This conflict in ideas led to not only questionable moments for the movie, but a gothic story that just felt (to some degree) disjointed.

Thankfully the cast was able to make up for the story’s shortcomings. Michael B. Jordan continues to impress in his duo roles as the Moore brothers. Jordan played Smoke and Stack seamlessly and even created a strong dynamic between the two brothers. Just as impressive as Jordan was the debut of Miles Caton as the Moore twins’ cousin: Sammie. Sammie brought an intriguing element to the film and Caton’s performance felt genuine. Along with this strong trio was an array of great performances from the likes of Haille Steinfeld as Mary and Delroy Lindo as Slim. As for the vampire, Jack O’Connell as Remmick was an enjoyable antagonist. While the villain could have used thorough development, O’Connell’s performance brought a raw charisma to the vampire which went a long way to round out this stellar cast.

Perhaps the strongest factor for Sinners was its sense of presentation. The film’s cinematography was stunning as it captured the movie’s setting and the gritty nature behind this horror flick. Speaking of horror, the movie may not have been filled with jump scares but it did have an atmosphere that was tense as well as gore that was appropriate for any vampire movie. Rounding out the film’s spectacle was none other than the music by Ludwig Goransson. Along with implementing original songs, the score captured a dynamic tune that captured the essence of the film; be its setting or its thematic nature. Together these elements exceeded at creating a unique spectacle and showcased Coogler’s intricate style as a director.

So is Sinners another hit for Ryan Coogler? In this Film Adventurer’s opinion, Sinners is a bold step for the filmmaker, even with its shortcomings. The movie featured a dynamic spectacle as well as a solid cast; but the film was hindered by its storytelling-particularly the way it was executed. While Coogler’s implementation of the technical aspects was commendable, his delivery in areas such as the story left much to be desired; though this issue may change after watching the movie again. Sinners is a unique horror film that, despite its issues, allowed Coogler to gamble on something new as a filmmaker-and that is never a bad thing.