Why is Sinners Still on My Mind?
A no-spoiler review of the best movie I've seen in years
Each week, I aim to write to figure out my feelings. Whenever something takes up space in my mind, and I want to understand my thoughts around it, I write. So I’m writing today to figure out the answer to this question ~ why is Sinners still on my mind?
Maybe once I get the words out of my body, it’ll stop replaying in my mind.
I’m not a movie critic, but I know what I like. A good movie requires strong storytelling, impressive acting, and stunning visuals. Like reading, I’m open to any genre, as long as it has depth and a good story. I’m not picky and can enjoy everything from a rom-com to a superhero blockbuster to a sci-fi thriller. Outside of just being entertaining in the moment, a great movie will stay with you long after it ends ~ and Sinners is a great movie!
Sinners has been on my mind almost daily since I saw it. I can’t stop thinking about it, talking about it, and I’m already thinking about when I can see it again. I downloaded the Sinners soundtrack and I’ve listened to it multiple times already. As I sit to write for my weekly ritual of self-discovery, I turn it on again as background music, and as each song plays, I am reminded of the scene it was featured in, enthralled by the power of music to refresh my memory.
Movies at Our Theater
My husband and I were married 8 years ago this month at our local historic theater, The Colonial. (You can learn more about our Oscar-worthy love story here.) We love to go back to the site of our vows to sit together for a few hours watching films, both new and old. The ambience and energy there is so sweet, it usually puts me in a good mood and that often skews my opinion of whatever we watch there.
After work, my husband pulled up the Sinners trailer for us to watch to decide if we wanted to check it out at our theater that night. I had heard of Sinners vaguely but had no insight into what it was about. The trailer itself was flawless. Enticing, dramatic, with great music, and it ended with a bit of humor. It did its job of pulling me in and making me want to see more.
The trailer also showcased that the director is Ryan Coogler, who also directed Black Panther, a favorite movie of mine. The colors and visuals of Black Panther are remarkable, and the artistic way he brought that story to life is unmatched among Marvel movies, in my opinion. Knowing he was the director made me excited to see it. I also learned that Michael B. Jordan was playing both of the main characters, twin brothers, which is an intriguing stylistic choice. Michael B. Jordan is a phenomenal actor, as are all the actors in the film, so that pulled me in further.
Just look at the facial expression of these two:
“Yes,” I said with excitement immediately after the trailer ended, “I’ll see that!”
Movie trailers typically dangle the exciting bits in front of you, and often I’ve been let down after seeing all the best parts of the film in the trailer and nothing additional of substance in the theater. So even with the fantastic trailer, I had low expectations. Plus, I learned it was a vampire movie, and I had yet to see any vampire movie with real depth.
Sinners took me by surprise.
No spoilers here as I don’t want to ruin it for you, but I will say that the opening drew me right in with the mystical tie to legends, the character building kept me intrigued throughout, and the ending was excellent. It’s challenging to have all those components in the same film, but Sinners tried it all together and was so much more than just a vampire movie.
The acting was phenomenal throughout, but the people behind the scenes are what made this movie so special. The editing work that allowed Michael B. Jordan to play the two main characters in the same scene, passing a cigarette back and forth, is simply fantastic. This was at the beginning of the movie and had me in awe.
Here’s a short clip explaining how it was shot and why it was so difficult:
As the clip above states, the costume designers and makeup artists also did an exceptional job throughout. Any period piece requires a critical eye on every outfit, and the entire set was made with this in mind.
But above all, the music was the foundation of the film and is the single thing that made it stand out from any other movie I’ve ever seen. The music made this movie.
Here’s a few pieces I’ve written about the power of music & dance:
Healing through Music
In my salaried job, I empower young adults to live healthy lifestyles - or I try to anyway, as the Director of Health Promotion at a local college. One of the coolest events I put on all year took place this past Friday night. It was called Beat Burnout: Wellness Through Music.
Dancing my Way to Freedom
I’ve spent the last few weeks unable to stop myself from doom-scrolling and dreading each new headline. Unable to concentrate on mundane things like work, I’ve caught myself reading too many disturbing news updates that have me oscillating between numb and over-stimulated. It’s easy to spiral out of control when the world is spinning backward.
The variety of songs found on the soundtrack combines a wide range of genres and showcases that music is a universal language that connects us all. There is one song in particular that has remained stuck in my psyche. I simply can not get the scene out of my mind!
Here’s the song by Miles Caton:
The cinematography during the scene using the song above was sincerely the single best scene in any movie that I can remember. The song itself will certainly be up for an Oscar as best original song. It also reminds me how much I love the blues! I will be listening to this song and the whole soundtrack on repeat for a while.
Here are 3 examples of comments under the above YouTube video to give you a sense of the power of this scene:
After writing this short post, I’ve realized that the reason I am slightly obsessed with the movie Sinners is the music. It’s an extraordinary film for many reasons but the embedded music makes it special.
If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for? If you did see it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the film.
Journal Prompts:
What is a movie that stayed with you long after the final credits? What was it about that film that made it so powerful? Consider re-watching it and write about the impact of that movie on you.
Music is a universal force for healing. Make a list of songs that bring you joy, songs that make you feel seen/heard, songs that make you move your body, and songs that bring back powerful memories.
When something plays on repeat in your mind, what do you do to stop it? Does writing help? Does talking about it help? What is the most powerful way you’ve learned to process a recurrent thought to get it out of your head?
Community Writing and Healing Practices
Find your healing through writing, yoga practices, and community in the FREE monthly Write to Heal Community Circle taking place on the last Tuesday of every month from 745pm-830pm EST on Zoom.
The May Community Circle will be Tuesday, May 27 and will focus on finding rest.
Thank you to everyone who joined the Write to Heal Community last week for the Chakra-Balancing Yin Yoga and Journaling Workshop. I loved our time together and found it a powerful process. I will be planning another one soon.
Message me if you want me to include you in the picking of the next date.
Thank you for reading Write to Heal. Please hit that heart button❤️if you made it this far and share it with someone you think would enjoy it or benefit from it ~
I know there's likely a deeper level of storytelling happening in this vampire movie by the genius writer/director - perhaps it's an analogy for the history of Irish/white people trying to suck the life blood out of Black people in the south - but my post today is about the entertainment value of the movie. 🍿
"My husband and I were married 8 years ago this month at our local historic theater, The Colonial."
-- That is too cool!!!! Happy Anniversary!