Sinners has sparked a lot of conversation online, and I want to throw in my two cents. I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the film—and since I’m a librarian, it only feels right to include some read-alikes and watch-alikes in a second post since this is so long.

First off, I absolutely loved this film. Sinners is layered like a proverbial onion, and I enjoyed peeling each one back. It’s an original film written and directed by Ryan Coogler, whose work always hits me on an emotional level. Fruitvale Station moved me, Black Panther did too, and now Sinners joins that list. When a writer and director can draw that kind of response from me, I consider it a real achievement. Whether or not that was his intention, I felt it—because the characters are relatable or you can absolutely see yourself in them.

Freedom

The theme of freedom is central to Sinners—every character is grappling with their own version of what it means to be free. That really resonated with me, because all I want is to be free too.

Each character’s approach is different:

• Smoke and Stack, the twin brothers, want ownership and self-determination. Their goal is to uplift other Black folks while securing something for themselves.
• Sammie wants the freedom to play his guitar and break away from his preacher father’s control.
• Mary wants to live as her true self—as a colored woman. There’s been debate around her “race,” but under the Deep South’s one-drop laws, she would have been considered Black. Those laws carried very real and dangerous consequences for people trying to pass.
• Grace and Bo look free on the surface, but they’re walking a tightrope between white and Black communities. The scene where Grace and Lisa cross the street to their separate shops says it all.
• Delta Slim seems to have given up. After losing a friend who was lynched for having “too much,” he opts for the illusion of safety over freedom.
• Annie might be the most free of all. She lives on her own terms and is deeply rooted in who she is.

Birds

I haven’t seen many people talking about the birds—especially the turkey vultures—but they played a powerful symbolic role. They foreshadow death, and their appearances weren’t random:

• When Smoke and Stack are first introduced at the sawmill, three vultures are circling in the sky.
• They show up again when Stack drives through the cotton fields.
• Then later, we see what seems like the same three vultures perched atop the Klan couple’s house—just as Remmick is seeking refuge.

Each of these places is connected to death:

• The sawmill turns out to be a Klan slaughterhouse.
• The cotton fields represent the death of sharecroppers’ spirits.
• Remmick, of course, is death in human form.

The vultures act as quiet but chilling messengers, tying together the film’s darkest threads.

Culture

Culture isn’t just background in Sinners—it’s the engine driving the story. Black, Choctaw, Irish, and Chinese communities are all trying to hold on to who they are while surviving in a hostile world.

• Sammie’s guitar is more than music—it’s self-expression and rebellion.
• Annie, rooted in Hoodoo and Yoruba traditions, draws strength from her culture. It keeps her grounded in a world that wants to erase her.
• Even the vampires symbolize the danger of assimilation. They prey on people desperate to fit in. They drain identity along with blood.

Remmick adds another layer. He presents the classic White Savior Complex—an Irish man who wasn’t originally seen as white, now claiming to be “the only way” to salvation. Yet his goal is to strip others of their culture for his own gain. In contrast, the only people who stay truly rooted are the Choctaws and Annie.Coogler turns culture into a living, breathing force here—something that can save or destroy.

Love and Other Layers

There are so many themes in Sinners, but these were my three main takeaways. That said, I really enjoyed the love stories too—Smoke and Annie, Stack and Mary, Bo and Grace, Sammie and Pearline. Each relationship brought something meaningful, and none overshadowed the others. They were all valid and complex in their own way.

My Unpopular Opinion: Grace Was Right

A lot of people are mad at Grace for letting the vampires in, and I get it—we’re all trying to survive the night. But honestly? Why put off what we can face now?

Some folks are using that moment to say things like, “This is why you don’t let others in” or “Black folks can’t count on other minorities.” And yeah, sometimes that does feel true—the last election showed that. But I think Grace was being smart. She knew the danger wasn’t just the current moment. If they didn’t act, there might not be a town left at all. Remmick had a plan, and it didn’t end with Club Juke. Grace made the right call.

And who helped everyone get ready? Annie. A Black woman, once again, saving the day with her knowledge. Funny how that always seems to be the case.

My Only Gripe: The Math Ain’t Mathing

During the final fight, we see six main characters and one silent extra from the garlic scene—that’s seven. But once the vampires come in, people are dying left and right. Where did all those extras come from?

Ryan Coogler… the math wasn’t mathing. That’s my only real complaint.

Final Thoughts

I loved this film. I saw it twice—once in IMAX, once regular. (Side note to theaters: 45 minutes of trailers is too much.) Sinners is a great original story, and we haven’t had many of those lately. It really resonated with me. I especially appreciated how it captured the transcendence of music. That feeling of being lifted, of being more connected—that’s real.

Ryan Coogler, you’re a visionary. I appreciate what you’ve done and what’s still to come.

Let me know if you saw Sinners—I’d love to hear what stood out for you.