#2 is SINNERS, directed by Ryan Coogler, starring Michael B. Jordan.

 

This brawny, deliriously entertaining film is about twin brothers returning to their Southern hometown to throw an enormous party, only to accidentally awaken a supernatural evil. If you squeezed the celluloid of this film, aged bourbon would drip out, this film is steeped in Southern culture. There is no shame in this film, it handles the more tender character scenes as importantly as it does viscera-exploding vampires. There was one sequence where Coogler switches three different film looks in three different shots; from full IMAX, to 35mm widescreen, to a soft vignette. I mean, this is pure bawdy showmanship and I love it.

 

Best Scene in all of 2025. When the young guitarist starts playing at the jukejoint, the world cracks open and time starts to warp, introducing anachronistic music acts into the scene in a slow-motion track through the room. It is an audacious goosebump moment; showcasing the raw connective tissue of music binding humanity through eons. And how bold artistry and raw youth can awaken those who wish to drain and sully.

 

Best Performance. I feel like this HAS to go to Michael B. Jordan for his swaggering and uniquely separate performances of the SmokeStack twins. But also, Jack O’Connell’s glee as the lead vampire, or Delroy Lindo’s scatty croons or Wunmi Mosaku’s aching silences. You just can’t go wrong with this cast.

 

Whew, I love this raw pulpy exuberant film. If you haven’t seen it yet . . . why?!?