Why the film ‘Sinners’ has cinema lovers trippin’

By Paris Beach
Apr 20, 2025
11:23 am

Ryan Coogler’s latest project, Sinners, is a pulse-pounding, Southern-set horror film starring Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers Smoke and Stack. Set in the sweltering Mississippi Delta during the fall of 1932, the period thriller unfolds over a single, blood-soaked night as a juke joint celebration spirals into a vampire apocalypse.

Coogler, known for blending genre with cultural depth, shot Sinners using IMAX 70mm film — one of the highest-resolution formats available — to deliver an immersive, theatrical experience. But you may have to plan a road trip because only eight theaters in the U.S. are screening Sinners exactly as Coogler intended: in true IMAX 70mm. An additional seven locations will show it in IMAX Laser with 1.43 aspect ratio scenes, making the full visual experience an exclusive event for cinephiles.

Despite being limited to select screens to experience Sinners differently than streaming, the film is expected to rake in over $50 million at the box office, proving that audiences are still willing to travel for an unforgettable experience.

Georgians, particularly those in Atlanta, might be surprised that one of the closest IMAX showings isn’t in their bustling city, but just over three hours away in Pooler, Georgia. Other nearby alternatives include a 1 hour 44-minute drive to Chattanooga, Tennessee — a shorter trek for those chasing the full visual feast.

In the film, Smoke and Stack return home to open a juke joint. But the homecoming takes a dark turn when guests — including Stack himself — fall victim to a spreading vampire infection. With the town falling under the control of the mysterious vampiric leader Remmick, the remaining survivors—Smoke, Sammie, Annie, Pearline, Grace, and the colorful Delta Slim—band together to survive the night with nothing but garlic, wooden stakes, and grit.

There are deeper threads under the surface. The KKK, the legacy of Jim Crow-era oppression, and themes of survival, brotherhood, and redemption lace the story with a social undercurrent. In one poignant twist, Sammie, the band’s harmonica player, realizes his lifelong dream of becoming a traveling musician—naming his band “Pearline’s” in honor of his first love.

At 2 hours and 17 minutes, Sinners is more than just a horror flick—it’s a richly layered southern gothic epic. With Coogler’s sharp direction and Jordan’s powerful double performance, it delivers not only thrills but soul, echoing themes of resilience in the face of generational darkness.

Here’s where Sinners is in IMAX in 70mm: