Like many others, I’ve developed a mild obsession with the Ryan Coogler-directed movie, Sinners. The interwebs have gone positively gaga over this film, and for good reason. The movie is incredible!

Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan (who had better be nominated for an Academy Award) as twin brothers who have returned to their hometown in Mississippi after seven years of evil-doing in Chicago. They’re trying to go straight, but they now have to confront a different kind of evil. (Did that sound like a movie poster? Oh, well.)

Not enough can be said for this nearly-perfect movie. This is just one man talking, but there should be Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Director, Producer, Actor, Supporting Actor, Actress, Screenplay, Cinematography, Makeup, Costume Design, Sound Design …

And Soundtrack.

Oh, most definitely Soundtrack.^

As it happens, Sinners actually has two soundtracks. One with the movie’s songs, the other with the film’s score. This isn’t a new concept. Other movies have done it. But to me, Sinners is next-level. It usually works out that dual soundtrack albums have much stronger music on one compilation or the other. Not this time.

Not only is each album brilliant, the two go out of their way to complement each other, taking bits and pieces from one another on multiple occasions. Ludwig Göransson’s instrumental work does a fabulous job of establishing the many moods the film conveys. (I’ll stop at that in order to avoid spoilers.) He also brings on Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Eric Gales, and Lars Ulrich as guests. The scope is just remarkable!

The music of Sinners, which is set in 1932, is steeped in the blues. The songs on the movie’s soundtrack provide ample proof. There are also touches of roots music and the sounds of Ireland, a group of songs people deemed similar in heritage to African-Americans.

The highlight of the soundtrack no doubt comes from Miles Caton (in his first acting role), who performs the song “I Lied to You.” The song is connected to arguably the best scene in the movie, revealing in a really cool way the way music of the past, present (to the 1932 crowd), and future of music, and how much it connects to the blues.

There are no spoilers in the film clip, so you can check it out here.

https://youtu.be/S7jo5Cr6WUA?si=Y2kPIa-cCJIZRFZM

Sinners just might be the best movie of 2025. How great it is to have the music to back it up.

#cirdecsongs

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