In Sinners, Michael B. Jordan delivers a haunting double performance as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, two men caught between family loyalty, ambition, and an ancient evil that refuses to stay buried. Set in the Jim Crow South of 1932 Mississippi, the film marks director Ryan Coogler’s return to storytelling that blends heart, horror, and history.
After years apart, the brothers reunite to open a juke joint in their hometown. But as they dig into their past, they awaken a vampiric terror that preys on their tight-knit community. What unfolds is a Southern Gothic horror story where survival depends not just on strength, but on confronting the ghosts of a shared legacy.
A layered cast and score anchor the horror
Jordan leads a powerhouse ensemble, joined by Hawkeye’s Hailee Steinfeld as Mary, Stack’s ex-lover, and BAFTA winner Wunmi Mosaku as Annie, Smoke’s estranged wife. Delroy Lindo, revered for his roles in Da 5 Bloods and The Harder They Fall, brings gravitas as the twins’ father, whose secrets deepen the stakes.
Scored by Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther), Sinners pulses with Southern blues, gospel, and eerie strings that underline the film’s spiritual and emotional weight. The music doesn’t just decorate the scenes. It guides the viewer through moments of revelation and ruin.
A box office and critical breakout
Released on 18 April 2025 in both the US and South Africa, Sinners stunned industry analysts by opening with $48 million (approx. R900 million) domestically and over $63 million (approx. R1.2 billion) globally in its debut weekend. It dethroned Minecraft: The Movie to claim the number one spot at the Easter box office and became the highest-grossing debut for an original film since Nope (2022).
Audiences awarded it an ultra-rare “A” CinemaScore, something no horror film has achieved since Aliens in 1986. On Rotten Tomatoes, critics have echoed the acclaim, praising Coogler’s vision and Jordan’s dual performance. The Guardian calls it “a genre-bender that mixes ancestral trauma with supernatural terror,” while IndieWire described it as “both terrifying and tender.”
South African release and where to watch
Sinners is now playing in South African cinemas nationwide in both standard and IMAX formats. With its richly textured cinematography and booming sound design, this horror film is made for the big screen.
Have you watched Sinners? Did it give you chills or leave you wanting more?
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