When I went to see “Sinners” Monday night, the woman sitting in front of me seemed to be super interested in whatever was on Pinterest on her phone. During a certain scene, she gasped and finally put her phone down. It stayed firmly in her pocket for the rest of the movie.

I love to whisper during movies, but I also love a movie that can make me shut up. This one certainly did.

“Sinners” takes audiences to the 1932 Mississippi Delta, where notorious twins Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) return after a seven-year stint in Chicago. The brothers choose to host their homecoming celebration by opening a jukebox club. The movie becomes a fight for survival after the twins learn their unwanted visitors have more bite than they initially let on. 

Beyond Jordan working double-time, the movie features a stacked cast. A standout was Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Stack’s ex-girlfriend Mary. She and the other club patrons have fully realized arcs that are equally powerful and heartbreaking. 

The shock factor in this movie is owed to director Ryan Coogler, who’s best known for other crowd-pleasers like “Creed” and “Black Panther.” Coogler is on top of his aesthetic game, crafting a Southern Gothic fairy tale that blends Black, Chinese and Irish folklore to create something completely new.  

While the horror and action genre switch-ups in this movie may keep some on edge, it may be tonal whiplash to others. The movie also takes its time getting to the point, with the horror elements taking a backseat for the first half hour. 

The movie’s eclectic soundtrack, which ranges from blues to Rod Wave, is complemented by a masterful score by Ludwig Göransson, another Oscar-winning “Black Panther” alum who also composed the music in “Oppenheimer.” 

“Sinners” warns of the dangers of assimilation but also celebrates how music can counter it. True to its name, it drives home the idea that we’re all sinners. No character makes it out of the movie without making a choice that puts others in harm’s way. 

These themes come alive through Coogler’s directing, proving no genre is out of his league. While plenty of scenes should be goofy on paper, like Irish-dancing vampires, they’re all played seriously and move the story forward. 

While the movie was the biggest opening for any original movie since Jordan Peele’s 2019 hit “Us,” too much of the conversation around this movie has been about its box office earnings. It’s always fun to talk numbers (as Smoke would say), but it’s even more fun to watch the movie. Besides being a vote with your wallet for good original movies, you owe it to yourself to watch “Sinners” in a crowded theater. 

I used to think there was nothing cooler than Michael B. Jordan. That’s until I watched “Sinners.” Now I know two Michael B. Jordans are cooler than one. 

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