It’s 1932, Clarksdale, Mississippi. Prohibition is gasping its last breath, but Jim Crow laws are in full force. Twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore (both played by Michael B. Jordan) return home with cash, scars from WWI and the Chicago mob, and a truck full of illegal booze.
They buy a rundown sawmill from a washed-up Klansman and hatch a bold plan: transform it into a juke joint—an all-Black temple of dance, music, and defiance. What starts as a gritty historical drama soon spirals into something far more sinister… and fang-filled.
✔ What Works
- Original horror backdrop
Vampires in 1930s Mississippi? That’s fresh. The setting is rich with tension, culture, and a legacy of pain that’s rarely explored in the genre. - Double dose of Michael B. Jordan
As both brothers, he sells the brutal loyalty and bruised hearts of men trying to build something real—one with his fists, the other with his soul. - Electric supporting cast
Highlights include Wunmi Mosaku as a voodoo-savvy ex-wife, Hailee Steinfeld as a bitter ex, and newcomer Miles Caton, whose blues performances on a Dobro guitar feel like they’re channeled from the dead. - Delta blues meets horror score
Composer Ludwig Göransson and real-life blues legends like Buddy Guy and Bobby Rush cook up a soundtrack that’s not just authentic—it’s practically alive. - Vampire twist that bites back
The film flips halfway through into a “From Dusk Till Dawn” switcheroo, with Jack O’Connell’s crooning bloodsucker Remmick serving major Elvis-gone-evil energy. Think gentrification, cultural theft, and literal soul-sucking. - Loaded with layered metaphor
From juke joints to garlic to consent-based vampire rules, every element doubles as a commentary on appropriation, erasure, and survival.
✖ Where It Falls Short
- Preachy at times
The film wears its themes proudly—and sometimes too loudly. The race allegory isn’t always subtle, and certain lines feel like they came from a TED Talk, not a script. - Choppy pacing
The first hour is slow, simmering drama, then the second half spirals into bluesy bloodbath. Some viewers might feel whiplash from the tone shift. - Stylized but not always smooth
Visually, it’s stunning—but editing and transitions can feel rough, like someone freestyling a solo that just misses the beat.
Final Rating: 4/5
A soulful, angry, and blood-soaked horror fable. Sinners may not be flawless, but it’s fearless—a genre-bending howl about identity, history, and who owns the sound of survival.
