Always Good Movies

Direction: Ryan Coogler
Country: USA

Sinners—a wildly entertaining film that, while echoing many others, ends up unlike anything you've seen—marks the fourth collaboration between director Ryan Coogler (Creed, 2015; Black Panther, 2018) and actor Michael B. Jordan. It’s far from the conventional blockbuster one might expect, fusing themes of segregation and racism with vampire lore, gangster drama, and religious undercurrents, all orchestrated with a sense of direction that is both bold and disarming.

Set in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in the early 1930s, the story follows gangster twins Stack and Smoke (Jordan excels in the dual role), who return from Chicago and take their young cousin Sammie Moore (Miles Caton)—the son of a preacher and an aspiring blues musician—under their wing. They purchase a sawmill from a Ku Klux Klan member and convert it into a juke joint. On its opening night, the venue is suddenly overrun by vampires.

Resembling a smart mash-up of Dee Rees’ Mudbound and Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn, Sinners occasionally takes bold stylistic detours with flashes of modernity, culminating in a feverish crescendo that evokes some of the most iconic action and vampire films. It may not send chills down your spine, but it's a thrill ride—bolstered by confident performances, a compelling recreation of the 1930s American South, and impressive special effects. It also lands like a slap to the face in terms of musical impact.

Coogler’s achievement is also technical—the film was shot in two distinct formats—and the vampire parable it weaves feels more timely and relevant than it initially appears.

Directed by Ryan Coogler
Country: USA

Knowing the consistent work of director Ryan Coogler, I wasn’t surprised that his “Black Panther”, a Marvel production with distribution by Walt Disney, has been causing so much sensation. The film, based on Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s comics of the same name, gives a three-dimensional life to black superheroes and villains, saying much more between the lines than just a few well-crafted action scenes. Thus, besides all the thrills you may expect from an action-packed superhero flick, everyone should be proud to have black folks as the superstar, in a clear reinforcement of their identity and challenging any of the better-known franchises released in the last few years.

Coogler co-wrote with Joe Robert Cole and directed from a taut script by culture writer Jason Parham, while Rachel Morrison, the first female cinematographer to be nominated for an Oscar, elevates the standards by coloring a tale with a rich visual palette that didn’t need extreme manipulation to catch our eye. The gorgeous special effects also deserve a mention.

The story follows T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), who, after his father's passing, assumes the throne of Wakanda, a technologically advanced African nation. T'Challa's strength is fortified by ingesting the powerful Heart-Shaped Herb, made from a superb mineral called vibranium and kept by a spiritual figure named Zuri (Forest Whitaker) for many generations. As the Black Panther, he will have to fight for the coveted throne. Firstly against M’Baku, the defiant leader of the non-conforming mountain tribe Jabari, and secondly, in a much-complicated dispute with his merciless cousin Erik aka Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), a US black-ops soldier who proclaims himself as king after throwing the legitimate king into an abyss. The latter miraculously survives and, encouraged by his geek young sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), his former girlfriend Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), who is also a spy, and the loyal and fearless warrior/bodyguard, Okoye (Danai Gurira), will confront the usurper in a stunning head-to-head battle with warlike drum beats resonating in the background. It’s not only a matter of claiming his right to be king, but also guaranteeing the safety of his beloved people.

The villain is particularly credible with Jordan, the director's first choice who also starred in "Fruitvale Station" and "Creed", excelling in his performance.
The film completely integrates ancient rituals and traditions with sober sci-fi and modern technology, not forgetting the humor that serves to relieve some of the tension in key moments of the film.

At all times, Coogler shows to know what he wants from the skillful cast and how he wants to shape each take to make his body of work a triumph. Smartly avoiding redundant scenes or cheap artifice, “Black Panther” is an unconfined, honest, and totally fun experience whose novelty, regardless the racial buzz implications, turns it more appetizing than any of the other Marvel installments.