The Soul of Sound: How Music Shaped Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' Movie
- Details
- Category: Interviews
- Created: Wednesday, 16 April 2025 01:01
- Published: Thursday, 17 April 2025 00:46
- Written by Lupe R Haas
The heart of SINNERS, the highly anticipated 2025 genre-blending drama, pulses with music from director Ryan Coogler (BLACK PANTHER, CREED). Set in the lush, haunted Louisiana landscape, the film is steeped in sound—from gospel to Southern soul—and its cast and creative team agree: music is more than just a backdrop in SINNERS. It’s a force, a character, and in many ways, the film’s driving spiritual language.
Set in the 1930's South, SINNERS revolves around twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan) who return to their hometown to start a "juke joint" —only to discover that the music attracts the devil.
Starring Jordan (BLACK PANTHER, CREED), Hailee Steinfeld (BUMBLEBEE, TRUE GRIT), Jack O’Connell (ERRARI)), and Wunmi Mosaku (Loki) and newcomer Miles Caton, the ensemble brought deep personal and artistic resonance to SINNERS's sonic soul.
One of the breakout talents, Miles Caton, shared that his casting journey began with a song. “I got the opportunity to sing background on tour,” he recalled, noting that a chance encounter during one performance led to his audition for SINNERS. “There was somebody in the crowd that heard me sing… and they wanted me to audition.” That blend of fate and rhythm became symbolic of the project itself.
Director Ryan Coogler and producer/star Michael B. Jordan have long cultivated a creative shorthand, but their collaboration on SINNERS struck a new chord—literally and emotionally. Jordan, now a director himself, explained how stepping into that role gave him deeper empathy for Coogler’s multifaceted creative process. “Especially on this one, for me to be an extra set of eyes… allowed us to maybe get a little bit more done,” he said, describing the unspoken synergy between them.
Wunmi Mosaku, who plays Annie, emphasized how the music-infused environment elevated her character’s romance with Smoke (Jordan). “There’s smoke coming up through the floorboards… little cards hanging from the ceiling… candles burning. You can't see all of this [on screen], but it just felt really magical.” It’s no coincidence that their first on-screen meeting plays like a visual poem, with soft natural light and floating pussy willow seeds in the air. “It really added to our intimacy… to our connection,” she said.
Meanwhile, Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Mary, found musical resonance in the juke joint—both a literal stage and metaphorical one. “Even though it was a new place to her, it was home,” she said. “The food, the people—most importantly, the music. Just the way the layout was, it made her feel she belonged.” For Steinfeld, those long overnight shoots weren’t exhausting—they were transformational. “The juke became her connection to her mother and her past… it became Mary’s home.”
Veteran actor Delroy Lindo praised the choreography of the fight scenes, but his performance was equally lyrical. He likened the rehearsals to dance classes from his early career. “Fighting is like choreography… the more violent the fight, the more critically important it is that it be choreographed to a tee,” he said, drawing parallels between physical movement and musical rhythm.
The richness of SINNERS doesn’t stop at sound and visuals—it’s also deeply rooted in culture. Li Li, who portrays a Chinese American shopkeeper with a thick Southern accent, spoke about the surprising history of Chinese American communities in the Mississippi Delta and their role in Southern life and music. “They made southern-style Chinese food… built their own community… and they endured a lot of prejudice themselves,” she said. That nuanced history is folded into the film’s soundtrack, tone, and rhythm—again using music as a tool of storytelling.
Perhaps Omar Benson Miller said it best when asked to define the "vibe" of a Ryan Coogler set: “It’s the most egalitarian set I’ve ever been on.” In a place where “everybody is equal,” music—communal, emotional, spontaneous—became a natural language for cast and crew alike.
As SINNERS readies for release, it’s clear the film doesn’t just sound good—it feels good. And that’s thanks to a team that treated every note, every chord, and every moment of silence as sacred.