A wildly original, defiantly weird and gorgeously made film’, is how Empire describes it. The Chicago Tribune says: ‘Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan redefine horror with a genre-bending banger’. For The Washington Post: ‘Ryan Coogler’s 1930s-era drama is an electrifying swirl of blues, bloodshed and timely commentary on the past.’ If early reviews are anything to go by, Sinners, releasing this Friday, is already in the reckoning for one of the best films of the year.
That comes as no surprise, given that the film is the sixth collaboration between director Ryan Coogler and actor (and now filmmaker) Michael B. Jordan, one that began with the Sundance-Cannes winner Fruitvale Station a dozen years ago, and also includes big-ticket franchises like Black Panther and Creed.
In Sinners, Coogler and Jordan, supported by a strong ensemble cast, experiment with a period piece that not only touches upon American politics in the 1930s but meshes it with a supernatural adventure to produce an inventive and original film. Sinners blends horror, gangster drama, romance, blues music and action across one eventful day in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1932 in which a community, led by twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Jordan), opens a juke joint and then has to defend it from a vampire army growing outside. Recently, Coogler and Jordan, along with the rest of the Sinners cast, interacted with select global media, including t2. Excerpts.
COLLAB FOR KEEPS
Any interaction with Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan has to kick off with asking what works for their collaborative relationship, given that the latter has featured in all five feature films directed by Coogler so far. Coogler also wrote Creed III, which marked Jordan’s debut as director.
“The shorthand has got stronger over the years, especially with Sinners being the first movie I have done since I directed my first film (Creed III) and just having a deeper sense of empathy of what Ryan goes through on a day-to-day basis, all the hats that he must wear, the amount of places that he has to be at the same time,” said Michael B. Jordan. He added: “On Sinners, for me to be able to be an extra set of eyes for him and help where I can or anticipate his movements or needs allowed us to get a little bit more done.”
Coogler, a two-time Academy Award nominee, also weighed in on the professional, and by default, personal equation that he shares with Jordan. “I also worked as his producer on Creed III. I would never rub it in his face like that, but there were a few times when he would say: ‘Whoa man, I see what you are dealing with.’ But the reality is that our jobs are so different. Even when he was directing Creed III, he was acting in that movie. He was getting punched in the face and then checking to see how he did, and then going back and getting punched again. I am always behind the camera. What I like the most about working with Mike is his work ethic, but he is also a very kind and family-oriented person. He is such an incredible sport. Kindness is his default.”
CRAFT & CULTURE
British actor Jack O’Connell, who has prestigious TV and film credits to his name, was also present at the interaction and spoke about what went into playing his villain Remmick, tongue firmly in cheek, of course. “Remmick is all about fellowship and love. All he wants is just to bite you on your neck, just a little bite. He is constantly saying: ‘I promise I won’t hurt you.’ There is a richness and depth to Ryan’s writing. I loved latching onto the cultural richness that our characters were representing in individual ways,” said the actor.
It is this rich cultural fabric that Sinners brings in, even when it experiments with wildly creative ideas, that also appealed to Li Jun Li, who plays the character of Grace. That is something that the Babylon actress spoke about at length during this interaction. “I was not aware of the Chinese-American community in the Mississippi Delta at all. When I was presented with the sides during my audition process, I had no information other than that she (Grace) was a Chinese-American with a very thick, deep southern accent, which was what piqued my interest. When we dived into the research, it was fascinating. They were such a crucial part of the world at the time. They were the only people who were able to open grocery stores specifically for the Black and white communities. But they also endured a lot of prejudice themselves. I love how deeply embedded they were in the culture and how you would never think that a person who looks like me would speak that way, and yet they did. They also made southern-style Chinese food and they built their own community. It was a gift to learn about this,” she revealed.
Veteran Delroy Lindo and debutant Miles Caton also feature in the film, both emphasising on how richly contributive the Sinners experience has been for them. “There was an openness which trickles down from Ryan and Mike. There was always space to incorporate what felt more organic for me as an actor,” said Lindo, who plays Delta Slim.
Caton, a prodigious music talent, is grateful that Sinners happens to be his maiden acting gig. “I started when I was 16. I got the opportunity to sing background for H.E.R. We opened for Coldplay. Towards the end of that tour, I got a call for the audition of Sinners. I sent a self-tape audition. The next thing I knew, I was in LA to do an audition. I got to meet Mike and Ryan and talk with them about the role and just put my best foot forward,” said the multi-hyphenate young man.
LOVE & OTHER DRUGS
Even while remaining within the genre elements of action and adventure, guts and glory, Sinners has two intense love stories at its heart. One is between Smoke and Annie, played by Wunmi Mosaku; the other involves Stack and Mary, with the latter brought to life by Hailee Steinfeld.
The two actresses spoke about what it meant filming Sinners against the backdrop of the Louisiana wildlife, and how being in that environment enabled them to invest into the characters, their stories and the realism.
“Annie’s shop and home are in this picturesque environment with these massive shaded oaks and moss. It is so beautiful and romantic and adds to the magic of their love. When we see Annie and Smoke for the first time, pussy willows are blowing behind Smoke. There is smoke coming up through the floorboards and little cards hanging from the ceiling. This candle is burning in the background. There are spider webs on the spell books. It felt really magical. It felt like their home. He knows that time has stood still for her and everything is as it was. I loved the environment. It felt like it added to the scene, to our intimacy, to our connection,” said Wunmi Mosaku, who, among other credits, has Deadpool & Wolverine on her filmography.
For Hailee Steinfeld, the elements within the juke created by Smoke and Stack, felt like home. “The food, the people, the music... Mary has this sense of familiarity despite never having been there before because of who is around her. I love that so much about this character and how she falls into this story. An outsider may not believe that she belongs in that space, but she does. We had the most incredible team bring this to life and make this feel like a safe space that we could call home,” said Steinfeld.
THE COOGLER TOUCH
Every cast member was unanimous about how special being on a Ryan Coogler project was for them. Omar Benson Miller, who plays Cornbread, summed it up with: “Ryan runs the most egalitarian set I have ever been on. Once we got to set, everybody was equal. For somebody who has had an underdog element to his whole career, I value that so much. There were 200-something people on set and Ryan knew everybody’s first name!”
That a Coogler set is a great place to be on was further reiterated by Jayme Lawson, who essays Pearline. “We found a level of freedom that oftentimes you don’t get to tap into. In Sinners, we were being led by somebody that had so much faith in us and trusted us with his brain child. Every day, I would show up when I didn’t have to be at work. To be able to watch Ryan work, I had to. I just wanted be in that room at all times and I am forever grateful for that,” said The Penguin actor.
