Happy Sinners day to all who celebrate!
Ryan Coogler’s latest development, Sinners, is arguably the most anticipated film of the year for many reasons —-one being that it is a Ryan Coogler film.
The writer and director’s reputation precedes him as he has already established his repertoire of box office brilliance, like Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winner, Fruitvale Station, and Oscar Best Picture nominee, Black Panther.
The trailer alone has fans buzzing over the cross-genre, vampiric thriller. Set in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where Smoke and Stack – twin brothers, both played by Michael B. Jordan — return after living a criminal life up north to open a juke joint in their hometown. The seemingly successful opening night, which so happens to be the night of their return, takes an unexpected turn when dark, supernatural forces wreak havoc on the juke joint.
We can already expect to be enthralled by the bloody yet sexy–historical yet supernatural–cinematic ride of Sinners.’ However, viewers will also see how music, specifically the blues, provides an important baseline for the film, not only with its connection to the film’s setting in the South, but also its ability to narrate stories of the southern Black experience in the Jim Crow Era. Sinners also sheds rarely seen light on the Chinese-American experience in the Mississippi Delta.
In an interview with Global Grind the Academy Award-nominee discussed how his Uncle James’ love for Blues music inspired the film.
“When he passed away, I would find myself listening to his music to have a way of experiencing him again and so the film is kind of made in that exploration.”
Two cast members who brought Coogler’s vision to life through their musical performances were Jayme Lawson and Jack O’Connell.
Lawson plays singer Pearline, a woman unhappy in her marriage with a passion for the blues. O’Connell plays Remmick, the film’s dark antagonist, with desires to infiltrate the twins’ new juke joint and music scene.
Global Grind’s Char Masona chatted with the actors about their standout vocal performances and choreography, which included some impressive Irish footwork from O’Connell.
“You have to see that in person. No, it was actually quite incredible. The dust was kicking up,” Lawson said as she raved about O’Connell’s dance technique.
During an AAFCA roundtable, O’Connell revealed his competitive Irish dance background, which explains his masterful performance.
“It kinda makes me want to go tour this [and] do the Broadway version,” the Skins alum joked with Global Grind.
Playing Pearline allowed Lawson to reconnect with her introduction to performing, theatre.
“I got introduced to acting through musical theatre as a kid. And so that’s in me, that love of all performance, of music, of dance, of song, of acting,” the Genius: MLK/X actress said. “And getting to live in that with everybody in this, wow, it was a treat.”
Sinners is now showing in theaters and IMAX.
Watch the full interview above.
