The second trailer for Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is here, and—mind blown.
During a recent press conference, Ryan Coogler shared insights ahead of the trailer’s premiere, and it’s already shaping up to be the best horror movie of the year. The film masterfully blends classic horror tropes with Coogler’s unique storytelling style. Based on his stellar track record with Fruitvale Station, Creed, and Black Panther, there’s no doubt this will be something extraordinary.
Adding to the excitement, Coogler has teamed up once again with Michael B. Jordan. Their creative partnership is legendary, and their ability to elevate each other’s work promises cinematic magic.
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If you’ve seen the trailer, you know this film is a visual feast. Shot in Ultra Panavision, it offers an immersive experience that will have audiences gripping their seats until the very end. The latest trailer gives us deeper insight into the true evil at play. Whether it’s the vampires who must be invited in, the eerie music that shapes the atmosphere, or the dark forces it seems to summon—be it ghosts, demons, or something conjured from both the past and future—there’s no shortage of supernatural chills.
The film delves into the connection between the supernatural and the history of blues, where deals with the Devil are said to be made. It explores how music, while often associated with fame and fortune, can also invite sinister energies, blurring the line between life and death. It’s a haunting reminder of the power art holds—not just to inspire, but to unleash forces beyond our understanding.
Set in the 1930s Jim Crow-era South, Sinners cleverly weaves history, horror, and the soul-stirring power of the blues and an exploration of the deep cultural and spiritual roots of the Mississippi Delta. The story follows twins Elijah and Elias, played by Michael B. Jordan, as they return to their hometown and its thriving music venue. For the Black community, it’s a rare escape from the ever-present threat of segregation, racism and violence. But something dark and otherworldly begins to creep into this sanctuary, tied to the blues roaring from the stage.
Wunmi Mosaku, Jack O’Connell, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Delroy Lindo, and Hailee Steinfeld, who looks stunningly vampiric, round out a stellar cast. And with Ryan Coogler at the helm, he’s brought his longtime collaborators—cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, production designer Hannah Beachler, and costume designer Ruth E. Carter—so you know the attention to detail is Oscar-worthy.
But is Sinners really just a vampire movie?
“There are vampires in the film, but it’s about so much more than that,” Coogler explained during the conference. He described the film as “genre-fluid,” blending supernatural horror with history, culture, and music. Vampires might play a role, but they’re only one piece of a much larger, deeper story.
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When Coogler spoke about vampires, he pointed out their ties to seduction and choice—concepts that also resonate in blues music, which was once called “the Devil’s music.” He even referenced legendary blues musicians like Robert Johnson and Tommy Johnson, whose myths involve deals with the Devil. Watching the trailer, it’s impossible to ignore the chilling voiceover: “Legends speak of people with the gift of making music so true it can conjure spirits from the past and future. A gift that can bring fame and fortune but also pierce the veil between life and death.”
To bring this supernatural story to life, Coogler’s team consulted experts in Hoodoo, the ancestral spiritual practice of enslaved African Americans. Hoodoo plays a pivotal role in the film, grounding the horror in authentic cultural traditions.
For Coogler, the Mississippi setting is deeply personal. He shared how the inspiration for Sinners stemmed from his own family’s history.
“My maternal grandfather and Uncle James were both from Mississippi. My grandfather passed before I was born, but we grew up in a house he built after moving to California. My Uncle James, who passed while I was finishing Creed, had a profound impact on me. He loved blues music and would only talk about Mississippi while listening to it. This film allowed me to explore that ancestral connection, and it’s been incredibly rewarding.”
The blues, born in the Mississippi Delta, is central to Sinners. Coogler worked with composer Ludwig Göransson, whose own father was a guitarist obsessed with musicians from the era. “We even walked the Blues Trail together during early location scouting,” Coogler revealed.
This film is so much more than what you’d expect. It’s history, culture, music, and horror.
