There is an alternate version of African-American history stitched together by music. From the harmonic melodies that followed them off slavers ships to the home-harkening cottonfield tunes that provided succor during the horrors of slavery, African-Americans have always used music to remember and call one another to action. The stakes are seemingly as important in Ryan Coogler’s new movie, SINNERS, where the music of Sammie (played by newcomer Miles Caton), a prodigious blues singer, turns a night of revelry on its head as a horde of vampires attack a juke joint set up by the identical Moore brothers (played by Michael B. Jordan).

Set in the Mississippi Delta in the 1920s, SINNERS is faithful to its timeline in tone and tenor but confronts issues like racism, colourism, and Black ownership that continue to have modern resonance while deftly sidestepping stringent categorisation. It is Ryan Coogler’s first original conception and it bears the defining personal insights and quirks that have made franchises like Black Panther and Creed hugely successful, while sealing Coogler’s reputation as one of the most respected filmmakers of his eras. 

Ahead of the release of SINNERS, we had a brief chat with Ryan Coogler about his latest film. 

Where did the inspiration for ‘SINNERS’ come from?

It came from my relationship with my uncle. He came from Mississippi and he loved Blues music. I would listen to the music with him and that happened for most of my life. He passed away 10 years ago and, since he passed away, I got more interested in the music and that’s where the seed of the idea came from. 

Do you think the movie was made to honour your uncle’s memory?

Yes, for sure. 

‘SINNERS’ is set in the 1920s American South. Why did you settle on that time period? 

I settled on that time period through studying what year would make the most sense for Blues history. What I think this time period represents for African-Americans is that it was the Great Depression and, while studying, I found out that it didn’t affect Black people as much as it affected white people because there was nowhere for Black people to go socio-economically, they were already as down as they could be. Interestingly, it was a time when white people and Black people were in contact with each other due to what happened with the economy. 

You collaborated with Michael B. Jordan again, what made him the right fit for the role?

I think Mike has a unique combination of range and charisma. Charisma is something that can’t be learnt, you have to be born with it and, a lot of the characters in this movie, are extensions of their charisma. You have to believe that these guys can come back into town after seven years and throw a party and get people to show up. For me, that was the biggest part of it. I wanted an actor that was flexible and charismatic in two different kinds of ways. Smoke has his own charisma but he’s an introvert whereas Stack’s charisma has to be more of a projection, and that’s very difficult because you have to be born with that charisma. Also, you have to know how to manipulate through acting techniques, and Mike is uniquely capable of that.