FairestWorld
18d ago
I really enjoyed the first 30-40 minutes of this film. I went in without seeing any promotional materials for it, so I really didn't know what to expect. I was really excited about a gritty story set during the Prohibition, with the characters returning after making it big in the seedy underworld. The costumes were gorgeous, as was the soundtrack/music, cinematography and setting. I thought I was going to see probably the best movie of the year.
Then the horror slop started. I don't just dislike horror, I don't see the point. It's either jumpscares or unending tension. It boggles my mind why anyone would enjoy this genre. Sinners, however, is neither; it's not a comedic horror, like Evil Dead, and it's not really scary either. It just is horror because that's what it's labeled as. Yeah the scene with the Irish song (Rocky Road to Dublin?) has a great, catchy song, but it really undermines the horror element of it (just makes the whole thing really goofy). Also, people talked in other comments about suspension of disbelief, which this scene bulldozes, but what about the in-story characters? Imagine vampires surrounding you, a supernatural being that you thought didn't exist 10 minutes ago, and then, they just start dancing and singing. Goofy.
And then, actually, even the set-up I thought I was getting, the conflicts between Prohibition gangsters, their old lovers, sharecroppers, Chinese shopowners, the KKK, the young and old musicians, even that doesn't make sense. Like, how would a nightclub make sense financially in rural Mississippi (?), specifically for black people which were mostly sharecroppers and low-wage laborers? And the Twins should know this, since they worked and/or were in close-enough proximity in this sector. Hell, they even remark that their funds will run out pretty soon. Why not open up in or closer to a (major) city and have the characters from their past move there with the Twins or finding them there? But by this point, it's like an entirely different movie.
I see that it was directed by Ryan Coogler, who also directed and wrote Black Panther, the most overhyped Marvel movie so far. It's just as formulaic and average as any Marvel film (except Captain America 3 and 4, the Avengers 1 3 and 4 and Guardians of the Galaxy 1). I get that it was the first Black-led superhero movie (except for Blade), just as Wonder Woman was the first female-led superhero movie (except for Elektra and Catwoman), so it makes sense why it made so much money and publicity. I don't get why everyone pretends they are actually any good (or better than the avereage).
I was very engrossed by Sinners. It pulled me in with it's setting, from pretty much the start. I liked the actors, the music is phenomenal. I have a soft spot for American period dramas. Which is why I am disappointed the film took the turns that it did. Sure, maybe it's my fault for not doing any research before seeing it, but that would've meant I wouldn't have seen it at all. And I would've missed the amazing first parts of it.
Genuinely I recommend people just watch Sinners it until the 30-40 minute mark, shut it off and imagine the rest. Can't be worse than how the movie develops from there.
Please do! I would be interested in reading a horror fan's perspective, since my own interpretation is that people like them because it's a safe way to "overcome" an obstacle. Coincidentally, maybe, is why, apparently, if you decide to take a date to the movies (which is normally an awful choice, especially for first dates), it's best to pick a horror film.
Off-but-mentioned-in-this-thread, what's your opinion/review on the Hundred Line game? I know the creators' other works, I read previews which sound very impressive and make the game highly ambitious, but you called it a VN where I got the impression it's more like a TRPG. How do the two mesh together? How does it compare to similar games in those genres?
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