‘Sinners' Goes Beyond Horror and the Blues for Clarksdale, Miss.
The community effort and attention around 'Sinners,' a blockbuster horror movie, became an opportunity to talk about investing in the Delta town that built the blues.
WHY WE'RE HERE
We're exploring how America defines itself, one place at a time. 'Sinners,' a blockbuster movie about blues music and vampires, has brought new attention to a Mississippi Delta city working to rebuild itself.
By Emily Cochrane
Photographs by Rory Doyle
Emily Cochrane and Rory Doyle reported from Clarksdale, Miss., after watching 'Sinners.' (No spoilers ahead.)
Almost as soon as the supernatural horror movie 'Sinners' opened in April, word began to spread among the residents of Clarksdale, Miss.
It wasn't just an ode to blues music, a showcase of Black Hollywood talent or a gory Southern vampire story.
It was about them. It was about Clarksdale.
The film and its worldwide success have brought a burst of attention to the small city in the Mississippi Delta, known as the birthplace of the blues. Set there in the 1930s, it follows twin brothers — both played by Michael B. Jordan — and vampires who are lured by the music performed in their juke joint.
Clarksdale's unexpected moment in the spotlight has galvanized a number of young Black residents, some of whom successfully lobbied the director, Ryan Coogler, to visit last week and screen 'Sinners' at an auditorium. It has also gotten people there talking — not for the first time — about how to transform Clarksdale's rich musical history into economic growth that will benefit those who live and work there.
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