FOLIO
Words by Za’Nya Davis
If you miss it, you might only catch a vampire story — paying closer attention, you will find Ryan Coolger’s “Sinners” is a strategically constructed film that uses every aspect of its screenwriting to entice its audience through the art of creative writing and masterful directing. Set during the time of Jim Crow in the state of Mississippi, the film is rich with symbolism and metaphors that seem to allude to biblical and cultural themes. Where vampirism could be the metaphor for inherent exploitation and blues music both resistance and resurrection. “Sinners” not only depicts the pain of the past but transforms that pain into “lore” using metaphor to express the forgotten truths that feel too scary and traumatic to directly address.
“Sinners” immediately submerges us into the world of music as we are introduced to one of many protagonists, Sammie, who fights an internal battle of how to pursue his musical passion and an external battle of being sought after by vampires. Growing up in the church as the son of a preacher, Sammie was expected to use his musical talents to spread the gospel. Sammie’s aspiration, however, was to become a famous blues musician despite his father’s extreme disapproval of the genre. “If you keep dancing with the devil, one day he’s gonna follow you home,” Sammie’s father tells him.
The origin of the blues genre can be traced back to the ’20s, seeing its peak popularity in Mississippi. It has been said that this genre stems from the pain of slavery and the songs that originated with slaves. Those hymns and field hollers of those enslaved encapsulate the sole reason why this genre was named “the blues” which then became synonymous with the devil, as musicians expressed this “hell” like feeling through their music. But what does this mean for the film? The message? Remmick, the Irish vampire antagonist (we’ll get to that), sheds light on this.
With an informal introduction, Remmick does not rise from a coffin or suddenly emerge from the shadows. The first time we are introduced to Remmick, his body appears to have fallen from the sky. The angle of the camera does not allow for confirmation, but the visual manipulation of the filming suggests this and leads the viewer to interpret this as a choice. This introduction to Remmick is intentional as it portrays a more symbolic meaning of the fallen angel. Remmick falls from the sky scorched by the sun. He appears weak and disoriented. Like biblical mythology, imitating Satan’s fall suggests that this fall is not just physical but moral.
This scene shapes the rest of the narrative emphasizing the fact that this is NOT just a movie about vampires. This story has underlying themes such as temptation, intrusion and timing — people and beings residing in places they do not belong. Like Satan, Remmick’s essence is the power of manipulation. He uses vulnerability to play victim and presents himself as harmless. He does not use force, instead he lays the groundwork so that others want to listen to him, want to help him. In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 15:33 reads, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” This scene plays into the message behind this verse, the importance of choosing wise companions and having discernment as you are the company you keep.
Remmick first encounters Sammie through their shared love of music. He’s standing outside a juke joint owned by Sammie’s cousins, listening to Sammie perform. For Remmick, Sammie’s voice is that of a siren call, so captivating that he follows the sound of Sammie’s voice outside to discover that his voice was summoning the spirits of the past and future dancing among them in the crowd. Remmick is not only an admirer of Sammie’s musical capabilities but seeks ownership of Sammie’s musical gifts for himself as he believes this will help him see his family.
The theme of temptation is heavily expressed throughout the film in different variations. We see the temptation of lust through Sammie and Pauline, as he actively (and knowingly) pursues a married woman. We see more of this lustful temptation following characters Stack and Mary, as Stack (a Black man) attempts to stay away from Mary (raised to be white woman who is also married). Even Remmick is subject to temptation as he cannot help himself but to figure out how to claim Sammie’s gift for himself. We see multiple characters encounter temptation, and, funny enough, none of them can seem to resist.
Through the genre of horror and gothic, it is a common trope that vampires must be invited into a home or establishment by an occupant to gain access inside. We first are introduced to this when Remmick and his recruits attempt to relate to the inside occupants of a juke joint through music with the intention of being let inside. This trope reoccurs throughout the film, as innocents such as Grace are emotionally manipulated into granting the vampires access inside the juke joint through the turning of her husband and threat of turning their daughter.
In the Bible, Job 1, verse 12 reads, “ The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.’” In the book of Job, God grants Satan permission to test Job’s faith with the restriction of physical harm. This scene is a visual metaphor of this biblical story, relaying the message of how the devil can tempt one with your desires, people, and places that are familiar — but in the end, he can only harm those who submit to temptation.
Remmick performs a song entitled “Rocky Road to Dublin” which summarizes his cultural origin as it tells the story of an Irishman who was discriminated against because of his accent and then again due to his heritage. Coogler does a fantastic job of creating the parallel between Remmick’s personal experience and the irony that he is acting as an oppressor. Remmick is so blinded by his need for Sammie’s musical ability that he doesn’t care if it is at the expense of others to claim it.
When Remmick finally captures Sammie running away in the river, Sammie returns to his church roots and begins to recite the Lord’s Prayer, believing his life may be over and recalling it as the prayer he was taught would help him. He then looks at Remmick in horror as Remmick begins to recite the prayer with him, word for word. Remmick claims that when his land was overthrown by Christianity, this was the prayer they taught. Though he doesn’t believe in it, the prayer brings him a familiar sense of comfort. As Remmick explains this to Sammie between reciting the Lord’s Prayer, he dips his head beneath the river water. This is symbolism interpreted to resemble a mock baptism. The irony is that Sammie believes he is facing death, while baptism is meant to mark a new life. In this moment, the Lord’s Prayer and the water are not materials to mark his rebirth but, rather, the ending of his life, creating a dark inversion of what is known to symbolize good and new life.
If you miss it, you might only catch a vampire story. Through the use of culture, Southern Gothic, symbolism and metaphor, director Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” is a film in which every scene is important. This is not just a vampire story, this is a film about power, culture, and survival. We are not only to question what we invite into our homes but who, and whether we can recognize the devil when he’s dancing to a song we wrote.
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