In the current cinematic landscape, dominated by adaptations and franchises, the success of an original film like Sinners stands as a monumental achievement. But beyond the box office numbers and critical acclaim, the film represents a moment of personal and artistic triumph — particularly for its star, Michael B. Jordan.
In a recent interview, I spoke with Jordan and veteran actor Delroy Lindo as they pulled back the curtain on the intentionality required to bring this masterpiece to life, from the meticulous, detail-oriented work of creating dual characters to the electric, collaborative energy that pulsed through its most complex scenes. What emerged was a portrait of a project that redefined the artistic ceiling for what cinema, particularly as communicated by Black artists, can achieve on a global scale.
“You’re having people show up in droves, not just domestically, but internationally, and I think that’s huge. To do that with a primarily Black cast, and with people of colour, and made by a lot of women — their hands are all over this project — all of that really makes this movie feel special.”Michael B Jordan
Set in the 1930s Jim Crow-era Mississippi Delta, Sinners follows identical twin brothers and World War I veterans, Smoke and Stack (Jordan), who return to their hometown to escape a troubled past in Chicago. Attempting to start anew, they open a juke joint for the local Black community, only to realize that a “greater evil” is waiting for them. It also stars Jack O’Connell, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku, and Delroy Lindo.
The film is a supernatural horror that pits the brothers and their community against a sinister group of vampires, led by an Irishman named Remmick (O’Connell), who serves as a chilling metaphor for cultural appropriation and the systemic erasure of Black life and artistry.
Sinners has been leading the pack this awards season, with Golden Globes and Critics Choice nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Song and Score. Jordan also earned his first Golden Globe nomination for Sinners.
The historical horror film has ignited a necessary conversation about creative audacity and the boundless potential of cinema, thanks in no small part to Jordan’s commitment. His portrayal of identical twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, was a deep-dive into fractured identity. Jordan described it as “building two characters into one that complete one character.” In an interview, he elaborated on this undertaking, framing the siblings as two disparate individuals who are fundamentally “two sides of a coin,” yet together “both make up one person.”
To prevent the characters from bleeding into one another, he separated their core beings, or “essences.” This required intense compartmentalization, focusing on “who they are, what they believe, how they act, and who they are in the world.” Jordan credits Ryan Coogler for seeing his potential for growth in the difficult role(s): “I felt like Ryan, he knew that and wanted to push me outside of that out of that comfortability.” This intentional friction, Jordan concludes, allowed him to grow professionally.
“I think it’s larger than Black cinema. I think it’s pertinent, germane to cinema in general.”Delroy Lindo
Veteran actor Delroy Lindo says he was struck by Jordan’s subtle yet brilliant techniques, declaring that it “very, very intentional” and “edifying” for actors. Lindo singled out one incredible detail: Jordan’s choice to wear different-sized shoes for the two characters. This seemingly-minor decision was an act of kinesthetics, designed to create a completely different physical experience, Lindo explained. “[Jordan] wanted each character to walk through the world differently, to feel differently, to have a different relationship to the earth.” By altering the character’s relationship to the ground, Jordan was able to give each twin a unique gait, posture and internal rhythm, showcasing an insight into how Jordan approaches his work as an actor.
One scene that has lived rent-free in my mind is a dreamlike juke joint scene, in which the music powerfully transcends physical space, as spirits the past and future collide in one scene before the roof sets on fire. Showcasing generations of Black musical and artistic expression, the sequence was nothing short of electric — and was shot using IMAX cameras. Jordan described the experience of watching the choreography and thematic elements coalesce, noting the goosebumps he got as he saw it and how the music transformed, such as the piano turning into the turntable. This realization made the whole sequence feel like a “living, breathing thing on set,” fostering a deep sense of collaborative purpose.
Despite the technical demands of using an IMAX camera with a steadicam rig that required constant stops, Jordan affirmed. “Everybody wanted to contribute the best way they could and sometimes contributing is just getting out of the way, because we have this huge steadicam IMAX camera, super noisy and loud. We can only shoot it for a minute or so and then have to stop, reset, give our steadicam operator a break, etc. So, everybody was invested in this moment, to make sure it had the best chance at success.”
Sinners is also leading the Oscars shortlist, being recognized in key craft categories including the original songs: Ludwig Göransson, Miles Caton and Alice Smith’s “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” and Göransson and Raphael Saadiq’s “I Lied to You.”
“The glass ceiling has been shattered in a way, where now there are possibilities. There’s no handcuffs, there’s no red tape.”Michael B Jordan
Both Jordan and Lindo agree that the film is breaking boundaries and shattering the glass ceiling of cinema. Delroy Lindo boldly asserted, “I think it’s larger than Black cinema. I think it’s pertinent, germane to cinema in general.” Lindo sees the film as a global artistic event because of the way “the envelopes, plural, have been pushed in terms of how to story-tell and how to have that storytelling resonate for how many people all over the world. On some level, that speaks to the genius of Ryan Coogler — the success of what he has put together — that we’re all very, very fortunate to be a part of. But I really think it’s a benchmark for cinema that happens to be Black.”
Jordan agreed, noting that getting people to come to the theatres post-COVID is a challenge, and that the film is not an IP, but an original idea from Ryan Coogler. “You’re having people show up in droves, not just domestically, but internationally, and I think that’s huge. To do that with a primarily Black cast, and with people of colour, and made by a lot of women — their hands are all over this project — all of that really makes this movie feel special, and pushes our art form in a big way. [It] inspires talent that’s getting ready to come up and think of what’s possible.”
He continued, “I think the glass ceiling has been shattered in a way, where now there are possibilities. There’s no handcuffs, there’s no red tape. It doesn’t have to be just one thing. This movie is a genre-bending movie. It’s more than a horror film, it’s more than a period piece, it’s more than a musical, more than a drama. It’s so much more than that. So I think, for the success of this film, I think it does a lot for all of us.”
Sinners is an achievement on all fronts — from storytelling and cinematography to acting, music and directing — and I bet this film might even win the Oscar for Best Picture. The legacy of Sinners isn’t just measured by its box office returns, but by the freedom it grants to the next generation of storytellers. By refusing to be pinned down to a single category, blending horror, period drama and musical elements into a singular, cohesive vision, the film serves as a definitive argument for the power of original ideas.
As Jordan poignantly observed, the success of this genre-bending epic has effectively “shattered the glass ceiling,” stripping away the handcuffs and red tape that have historically constrained diverse narratives. By proving that a story rooted in the Black experience can resonate as a universal benchmark for excellence, the film demands a future where cinema is limited only by the reach of a filmmaker’s imagination.
Sinners is now streaming on Crave.
FEATURE IMAGE: MICHAEL B JORDAN, PHOTO BY TYRONE LEBON FOR DAVID YURMAN.
