Ep. 318: Ryan Coogler's Sinners

Directed by Ryan Coogler, this historical horror blockbuster explores the roots of blues music in 1930s Mississippi, starring Michael B. Jordan as a pair of identical twins who open a juke joint in their home town. But when they recruit their cousin Sammie (Miles Caton) to sing at the bar’s opening night, his unique musical talents attract a group of hungry vampires to their door.

Among other topics, this episode covers Sinners’ meticulously researched historical storytelling, its imaginative use of music, and its fascinating vampire mythos - featuring some clashing opinions between Gavia (who loved the movie) and Claire (who wasn’t as impressed).

P.S. Our next episodes will be on Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme and Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo! And the latest Patreon podcast from Morgan and Gavia is a very enthusiastic review of Andor season 2.

You can support us on Patreon here. Overinvested merch is available here.

Links

“Robert Daniels & Odie Henderson Talk Sinners,” RogerEbert.com

"The Jim Crow Economy Is the True Horror in Sinners," Adam Serwer, The Atlantic

"Michael B. Jordan, Ryan Coogler and a Dozen Years of Collaborations," Reggie Ugwu, The New York Times

“Aspect Ratios with Sinners Director Ryan Coogler,” Kodak

"How Blues Music Inspired SINNERS with Ludwig Göransson and Ryan Coogler," Proximity Media

"Let’s Talk About the Irish Music in Sinners," Leah Schnelbach, Reactor

Previous episodes: AMC’s Interview with the Vampire, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, Black Panther