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Tatler Asia
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
How Ryan Coogler's ‘Sinners' raises the bar for the horror genre
Above Michael B Jordan plays Smoke and Stack (Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros) Set in 1932, Clarksdale, Mississippi, the film takes us to the tail end of the Prohibition Era. The set design, dialogue and diction of the characters immerse the audience in the world that director Coogler built. Despite being set over 30 years after the end of the Old West era, the film somehow watches like a Western—peculiar but welcome. Sinners takes its time with its worldbuilding. For a movie about vampires, it takes about 50 minutes for one to appear on screen, easing audiences in without feeling dragged. Above Jack O'Connell plays Remmick, an Irish Vampire in 'Sinners' (Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros) When we're introduced to the first vampire, Remmick (played by Jack O'Connell), he's being hunted by a band of Choctaw vampire hunters. Their brief scene time commanded the screen and showed us that the threat is serious and real, which makes it disappointing that they were never seen again. It would've been great to see how the experts would deal with a vampire threat, but their lack of involvement in the plot is understandable to avoid the 'knight in shining armour' cliché. See also: From controller to screen: 5 TV shows adapted from video games to watch Above The vampires waiting outside the juke bar (Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros) The film's greatest strength is its music, composed by Ludwig Göransson. From the blues to country and even Irish melodies, each song was skillfully performed by the cast. Two scenes come to mind where the music was at its most powerful are Miles Caton's I Lied to You and O'Connell's Rocky Road to Dublin . The former is perhaps the film's most iconic scene, which is ironic as it didn't contain any vampires. Shot in one take, this scene gave audiences a look at Sammie's musical gift to summon their ancestors. African ancestors and modern DJs filled the room as the juke bar's customers jived to his song—blending ancient instruments with the familiar scratching of turntables to the blues. The latter is a mesmerising yet eerie foil to Caton's song. Rocky Road to Dublin was performed in an open field outside the sawmill by the vampires, who seemed like they were chanting demonically. O'Connell's performance was perfect, unsettling the audience without the need for jump scares and grotesque visuals. While present, the vampires preferred to charm their way in rather than with force—showing us true horror. Above The cast of 'Sinners' making their last stand in the juke bar (Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros) The whole cast's performance was perfect, capturing their characters' little nuances. Playing dual roles as the twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, Jordan made them feel like two separate people—making it easy for the audience to tell who's who. Hailee Steinfeld and Wunmi Mosaku, who played the brothers' love interests, Mary and Annie, complemented their lovers—adding depth to their characters. Mary and Stack were exes who had difficulty being together due to the racial inequalities of the time, while Smoke and Annie had a foundation of love and support. 'I really found this whole experience of working with Michael quite magical. When it was Smoke and Annie, our relationship on the set, as Wunmi and Michael, was so easy and our shorthand was so in sync… His energy was so different that I could tell with my back turned who was walking onto the set—if it was Stack or Smoke. No question. I didn't even have to look. It was so obvious to me. It was so nuanced and fine-tuned. The vibration was so clear. I could tell without a shadow of a doubt if it was Stack or Smoke,' says Mosaku. Above The cast of Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' (Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros) Towards the end, when the dust has settled from the vampire attack of last night, the film circles back and shows us Sammie's fate. Once the credits roll, make sure to stay in your seat as there is an additional scene that provides closure and a happy ending for the remaining characters. Coogler's Sinners is by far the best film of 2025 so far and deserves all the praise it gets—hopefully setting new standards for the genre as a whole. NOW READ 'A Minecraft Movie': when a video game adaptation gets it right In 'Nosferatu', true horror lies within the human Can Disney's 'Snow White' heal your inner child?
RTÉ News
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
From Sinners to luas surfing: 8 surprising Irish movie moments
In all fairness, it was the last thing I expected to see midway through a horror film set in 1930s Mississippi: a gaggle of vampires, dancing Irish jigs, baring their fangs and giving it socks to Rocky Road to Dublin like they were in the final round of auditions for some weird precursor to Riverdance. That was only one of the most surprising things about Sinners, the hugely entertaining deep south horror directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan as wheeler-dealer identical twins Smoke and Stack Moore. If you haven't seen it yet, the Rocky Road to Dublin scene is not exactly a spoiler, but it was certainly one of the most unexpected moments I've ever experienced in a cinema. "I'm obsessed with Irish folk music, my kids are obsessed with it, my first name is Irish," Coogler told Indiewire. "I think it's not known how much crossover there is between African-American culture and Irish culture, and how much that stuff is loved in our community." We all know about Saving Private Ryan being filmed on Curracloe Beach in Wexford, or Braveheart being shot in Trim, but here are eight other occasions where Ireland has unexpectedly popped up in film… 1. The Frames in Pulp Fiction (1994) It's funny how one actress's wardrobe choice can do wonders for a little Irish band's street cred. Derry native Bronagh Gallagher plucked a Frames t-shirt out of her suitcase for her scene in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction - the one where Uma Thurman overdoses - and Glen Hansard and co. were promptly immortalised on celluloid forever. Gallagher later admitted that she thought "It's only a wee independent film, you know - nobody will see it!" Watch it here... 2. Jameson whiskey in On the Waterfront (1954) Product placement wasn't really a thing in 1954 - not in the same way it is today, at least. So we're going to assume that the warehouse full of crates of Jameson that featured prominently in the background of one powerful scene, all emblazoned with 'Dublin Irish Whiskey' and the iconic 'JJ&S' logo of old, was down to the personal preference of director Elia Kazan, or maybe Marlon Brando. (Spoiler alert: a character is crushed to death when a pallet of crates falls on him - death by whiskey.) 3. Kilmainham Gaol in The Italian Job (1969) Many films have used the iconic and historical Kilmainham Gaol as a backdrop. The elegant staircases and architecture of the building, built in 1796, is recognisable to anyone who's done the museum tour - but you might not have expected to see it in a movie set in London and doubling as the notorious Wormwood Scrubs prison that housed Cockney criminal Charlie Croker (Michael Caine). Other unexpected films, including 1965's The Face of Fu-Manchu (starring Christopher Lee) and 2017's Paddington 2 (yes, really) also featured the gaol's interior. 4. The Cliffs of Moher in The Princess Bride (1987) The Princess Bride has become a kids' movie staple over the decades, but if you first watched Rob Reiner's 1987 masterpiece, you probably weren't aware of its Irish connection. One of Ireland's most-visited tourist destinations, the stunning Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare, temporarily became the 'Cliffs of Insanity' during the scene where the dashing Westley (Cary Elwes) is in hot pursuit of Vizzini, Fessic and Inigo Montoya as they scale the cliffs with Buttercup. Inconceivable! 5. The Lady in Red in Deadpool and Wolverine (2024) You may have heard it a bajillion times, but you probably weren't expecting Chris de Burgh's most famous song to pop up in a Marvel movie. The schmaltzy 1986 tune got another lease of life when it featured in Deadpool and Wolverine, soundtracking the scene where Deadpool first encounters the alternate-universe canine version of himself, Dogpool. The song has also featured in the films American Psycho, Working Girl and Dodgeball. 6. Toner's pub in A Fistful of Dynamite (1971) If you've ever found yourself in Toner's pub in Dublin, you may have noticed a few unusual photos framed on the walls. A Sergio Leone film, shot on Baggot Street? It's true: the legendary boozer was the backdrop of a scene in Leone's 1971 film A Fistful of Dynamite (also called Duck, You Sucker!). Although the film is set amid the Mexican Revolution (1910 - 1920), one flashback scene sees Irish Republican John Mallory (James Coburn) recalling a moment where he was betrayed by a former friend in Ireland. Funny thing is, the interior of the pub hasn't changed all that much since 1971. 7. Luas-surfing in Ek Tha Tiger (2012) Dublin was bestowed with a smidge of Bollywood glamour in 2012 when Indian action/thriller Ek Tha Tiger was largely shot in the capital. The plot follows a spy who is tasked with observing a science professor at Trinity College - but alongside plenty of Trinners footage, one memorable scene involved actor Salman Khan surfing a Luas before coming to blows with an adversary on board the tram. Sure, you'd see worse on the Red Line of a Saturday night. Watch it here... 8. Smithfield Square as Checkpoint Charlie in The Spy Who Came in from The Cold (1961) Anyone who's seen The Spy Who Came in from the Cold will agree that Martin Ritt's adaptation of the John LeCarré thriller is a masterpiece - not least due to the superb performances by Cyril Cusack and Richard Burton. Cusack wasn't the only Irish link to the film, though. While interior scenes were shot at the newly-opened Ardmore Studios in Bray, eagle-eyed viewers may also have noticed that the cobblestoned Smithfield area of Dublin city centre, best known in those days for its horse fair, doubled as Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin (which can be spotted in the trailer). A section of the 'Berlin Wall' was even built for the film with appropriate signage about 'Leaving the American Zone' and 'Entering East Berlin' - much to the locals' bemusement, we're sure.
Vogue
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
‘I Felt Like Annie Was Going to Change My Life': Sinners Star Wunmi Mosaku on the Movie That's Got the World Talking
There is something sensual about the entire film, but Annie and Smoke's scenes specifically are laden with such an intense, erotic chemistry, it made me feel like a voyeur at times. How did you and Michael B. Jordan build their love story together? Woof. Elijah and Annie…they're just everything. I think her love for him is inseparable from her magic. There is a reason why his mojo bag worked and no one else's has. Annie's doesn't work, their daughters didn't work. I think she poured everything she had into his mojo bag when they first met 20 years ago. From the moment Michael and I first met, it was very easy. He's a generous, good person… We just respect each other so much. That made all of it possible. Watching that surreal montage in the theater felt like ascending. I can't even begin to imagine what it felt like for you guys on set. It felt exactly like that, like levitating. We shot it in two days, which is almost bizarre to say out loud because realistically, it should have taken way longer. That first day was a night shoot. There were bugs and flames everywhere. Let me tell you, though, we were on cloud nine. It felt electric. I was in awe of every performer's gift. It was also the same night we did 'Rocky Road to Dublin,' and everyone was so high off that energy that when we wrapped, we were all like, We're not going anywhere. We are staying and watching, just to bask in it a little bit longer. When we did the one-shot steady cam for the interior, I made sure my daughter came to set that day. I just wanted her to soak in the energy of her people. It was beautiful. I never want to forget it. Sinners has made me greedy. I want to see more of our stories brought to life, in every genre. What do you want do next? My pitch is a Ryan Coogler/Wunmi romance film. Ryan clearly understands how to frame and write women… That sounds good as hell. I'm ready. Would you actually be down? I'm adding this to the piece you know. I would be so down. I just want to work with Ryan again, and you're right: there's a deftness to the way he handles the women in his stories that I love. I just want to tell good stories with good people. Ryan loves people. He empowers everyone. He makes everyone feel like the head of their department. He listens to you. If your face twitches, he goes, 'I want to hear that thought. Tell me what you need.'
Extra.ie
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Sinners: Jack O'Connell on the traditional Irish music in the acclaimed thriller
In a recent interview with Hot Press, Jack O'Connell and Ryan Coogler discuss the traditional Irish music used to score Sinners. Directed by Coogler, the film arrived in cinemas on April 18, starring Michael B. Jordan as Smoke and Stack and O'Connell as Remmick. The soundtrack was produced by Ludwig Gransson, known for his work on films like Oppenheimer, The Mandalorian, Black Panther and Creed . 'We recorded in Clarksdale, in old churches, under porches,' said Coogler. 'You can hear the dust in the notes.' Darren Holden and Brian Dunphy of Irish band The High Kings are featured in the score, with Rocky Road to Dublin and Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go? Both tracks rank among the four most-streamed songs from the film across all platforms. 'The music was the key,' said O'Connell. 'It's not often you get a script from America that incorporates traditional Irish music not just popular Irish music, but the real deal, the genuine stuff. So, I had to read that page six or seven times before it sank in where The Rocky Road To Dublin is being sung by Remmick – that was quite surreal.' O'Connell's character uses music to lure his victims. In one scene, the actor sings and plays guitar in his rendition of Rocky Road to Dublin. 'We were working with the best of the best,' he said. 'We had Ludwig Gransson and Serena Gransson, just experts at what they do with music in film.' Read the full interview in the latest Hot Press issue.
Irish Times
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
No, I didn't watch Sinners all the way through before giving it five stars
First, a mea culpa. It has always been my view that nobody should review a film without experiencing the entire work. Obviously, if you have to go to the loo then to the loo you must go. If transport catastrophes shave off a tiny section then we will let it pass. But, such inconveniences of the human condition noted, the critic needs to endure every last minute before awarding one star. Or five? Nothing has been more stirring in the young cinematic year than the critical and commercial success of Ryan Coogler 's Sinners . It is a whole bunch of terrific films. There is something here about the history of black music. There is a surprising amount about the complex relations between Irish immigrants and African-Americans. And there are many hungry vampires. I had no reservations in awarding it the full constellation of stars. Days later I learned I had left before significant scenes played themselves out. It would be wrong to say I exited before the end. The bloodletting looked to have finished. A musical sequence began. The credits came up on the screen. And, like most of the equally enthusiastic audience at the press screening, I made my way into the daylight. [ Sinners review: The best film of 2025 so far, right down to the Celtic vampires singing Rocky Road to Dublin Opens in new window ] If you have seen a franchise movie (which Sinners is not yet) over the past 20 years, then you will be well ahead of me. It seems there was a 'post-credits sequence' that supplied vital supplementary information. I haven't yet got to see Sinners again – I will do so before it leaves the big screen – but I have, against all principles, read a synopsis. As reports have suggested, the sequence does add plot points that matter. 'Sinners' post-credits scene isn't just worth waiting for – it's essential,' GQ blares . The scene is, according to Vanity Fair , 'much more substantial than most quick tags added to films these days'. And so forth. READ MORE What the hell is going on? Michael Curtiz didn't run Rick's farewell to Ilsa as a coda to Casablanca. John Carpenter didn't wait for the credits of Halloween to reveal Michael Myers had raised himself from apparently fatal recline. Why would he? Yet cinemagoers now seem primed to expect something in the playout of a commercial movie. A sound analogy could be made with an encore at a gig. Everyone half-pretends that the band has left the stadium for good. Everyone knows that if you make a bit of noise they'll return to play the hit they have conspicuously so far avoided. You feel you've got your money's worth: the advertised package and a little more. So common is the practice that my colleague Matthew Turner, busy critic for Empire, the NME and elsewhere, now runs a ' post-credits sting watch ' on X. 'There are *both* mid-credits and post-credits stings on Sinners,' he wrote a few days after I saw Coogler's flick. Sinners enthusiasts on social media have, elsewhere, scolded some for leaving at what, until relatively recently, counted as the end. 'The lights didn't even go up guys!!' an Australian Xer posted. Hang on. Since when was that the rule? The practice could not have emerged in the first 60 years of cinema history, as – rendering the Casablanca quip above redundant – films did not regularly have end credits until the late 1960s and early 1970s. Ilsa got on the plane. Rick and Captain Renault committed themselves to a 'beautiful friendship'. The words 'The End' came up and you rushed for the exit. Nobody then got to see who was the 'insurance provider' or who was 'Mr Bogart's assistant'. That had to wait another 30 years or so. [ 'I couldn't sit through it': New Oscars rule requires members to watch all films before voting Opens in new window ] Fun stuff happened in end credits through the 1980s and 1990s. But this current incarnation started with the franchise gold rush in the early 21st century: short stings, usually pointing towards future developments in the series. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a repeat offender. Nick Fury pops up at the end of Iron Man. Thor's hammer is discovered as that film's sequel closes. Lord knows why, in 2021, Harry Styles was dropped in among the credits for Eternals . We may yet find out. We may not care. All of which is easy to ridicule. Look at these rubes obeying the instructions of messianic studio heads on distant continents. The film is over. Get out of your seats and enjoy the sun. And yet ... The end-title sequence is a phenomenon that makes sense only in the cinema. Fans get to the theatrical release and, sitting transfixed in the dark, wait, unspoiled, for a pointer to future developments. The 007 films were doing this before end credits were a regular occurrence. Remember 'James Bond will return in …'? Anything that enhances the theatrical release is to be applauded. You are now aware Sinners is doing just that.
