SINNERS MOVIE - A REMINDER OF OUR MUSICAL AND CULTURAL ROOTS
- Guest Author
- 21 hours ago
- 5 min read
by Angela Poe Russell
It was a plot twist many didn’t see coming: A horror movie that left people talking, not only about the story, but about its electrifying music.
SINNERS is the kind of movie that doesn’t come around too often. As I left the theater with a myriad of feelings, I couldn’t help but think that Director Ryan Coogler and company had successfully bent a genre, turning the typical vampire horror flick into a thought-provoking work of art. As we reflect on Black Music Month, it felt like the perfect time to lean into that art, specifically the music infused throughout. The SINNERS soundtrack is worthy of the spotlight for the way it masterfully sheds light on the past and offers a glimpse into our musical future.
The score, composed by director Ryan Coogler’s long-time collaborator Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther, Creed, Fruitvale Station, Mandalorian), is notable because of its authentic exploration into the underappreciated musical genre - “The Blues.” But don’t confuse underappreciated with impact. It is arguably one of the most significant cultural contributions to America and the world. SINNERS is an invitation to go back, not to wallow in our pain, but to reclaim our power.
The movie is set in 1932. Twin Brothers "Smoke" and "Stack,” both played by Michael B Jordan, return to their hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi, after spending time in Chicago. They dream of opening a juke joint and recruit conflicted preacher’s kid, Sammie Moore, to be their star. And that’s when the trouble begins.
Moore, played by Miles Caton, is inspired by the iconic blues musician Robert Johnson. Johnson became known as the King of the Delta Blues, and according to legend, sold his soul to the devil in exchange for mastering the guitar and becoming successful. While SINNERS doesn’t follow this specific script, the narrative does mingle with similar themes. Like Johnson, Sammie is a blues prodigy who longs to play music for people beyond Mississippi. But his preacher father forbids him, calling it “The Devil’s Music.”
Some people jokingly speculate that the singer who portrayed Sammie might have had his own supernatural intervention in order to play this role. Caton, a gifted singer, had been performing since the age of two, and by middle school had already wowed national audiences with his vocal prowess. In fact, he was a teenager touring with the singer H.E.R. when she suggested he audition for SINNERS. The only problem? He didn't know how to play the guitar! After being selected for the role anyway, Caton had two months to learn it. He became so good at playing the guitar that he blew everyone away, including Coogler, who concluded he was just meant to play that instrument.
While SINNERS doesn’t feel like a musical in the theatrical sense, it is clear that the music is part of the story in more ways than one. The Delta Blues speaks to their and “our” struggles and hardships, and feels like escape, rebellion, and sensuality. In the song “Old Corn Liquor”, the Grammy award-winning folk musician Rhiannon Giddens* dazzles on a banjo, an instrument that, according to the Smithsonian, was created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean. The song is a duet with none other than a fiddle, an instrument considered a hybrid of African and European influences. This unlikely pairing actually has more in common, which Coogler seeks to highlight. While the traditional Irish folk songs on the soundtrack like “Will Ye Go, Lassie Go?” and “Rocky Road to Dublin” seem like a sharp contrast to the Delta Blues musically, dig a little deeper, and what you will find is the shared connection of colonialism, displacement, and community.
I never imagined in a million years that a horror movie would leave me feeling proud of my culture and heritage. From the damned reputation as “The Devil’s Music,” born on the back of despair and rebellion, came something the early creators of Blues could never have predicted: sounds that would form the very foundation of all of the music we know today; and a cemented reflection of African-American contributions to the United States and beyond. SINNERS is a calling for us to remember who we are and the magic we possess; and perhaps a reminder that whatever Blues we sing today just might be the foundation for the dreams of tomorrow.
*BONUS
Folk musician Rhiannon Giddens hails from North Carolina, but she recently relocated to Ireland, a place she calls her adopted home. In Season 3 of her show “My Music with Rhiannon Giddens”, she highlights the current stars of acoustic music in the Emerald Isle. If her name sounds familiar, she was the banjo player featured on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album in the hit song “Texas Hold ‘Em”. Giddens also just launched her first festival, Biscuits & Banjos in Durham, NC, featuring black music, art, and culture. The 3-day sold-out festival aimed to trace the musical and geographical connections of old-time, country, Americana, folk, jazz, and blues to highlight their complex origins.
CELEBRATING BLACK MUSIC IN FILM
Deep Moaning Blues - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)
Not Gon’ Cry - Waiting To Exhale - Mary J Blige - Waiting to Exhale
Love Should Have Brought You Home - Tony Braxton - Boomerang
All the Stars - Black Panther (Kendrick Lamar/SZA)
Sweet Home Chicago - Robert Johnson - The Blues Brothers
The Thrill is Gone - B.B. King - Various Movies
Friday - Ice Cube - Friday the movie
Get it Up - TLC - Poetic Justice
Whatever You Want - Tony! Toni! Tone’! - Love and Basketball
I Like - Guy - Love and Basketball
Lift Me Up - Rihanna - Black Panther - Wakanda Forever
Find Angela's playlist on Apple Music HERE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Whether it is for television, radio, or a theatrical stage, Angela Poe Russell loves bringing untold stories to the forefront. She is a contributor for KIRO News Radio and a Playwright in Residence at Seattle Public Theatre, where she is currently developing a new musical, “Aviatrix,” that will debut May 15, 2026.
Prior to this, she co-hosted the award-winning television shows “Evening” and “Take 5” on KING 5 in Seattle, but her career in journalism has taken her all over the country, from the Deep South to the Northeast. Angela’s work in TV news earned her a National Gracie Award and, previously, a Northwest Emmy Award.
Angela is married to Victor Solomon, a proud Seattle native, and together they have a blended family of four children.
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