“Sinners” was the best and most culturally important film of 2025. Yes, that’s just my opinion, but you are reading the Opinions section. By the beginning of next week, we’ll find out if the Oscars agree. If not, it will be another classic, familiar mistake by the Academy.
“Sinners” and its actors should sweep. It isn’t just because I thought the film was great — it was. But more importantly, it shifted culture while delivering rich social commentary masked as a vampire movie.
Statistically and culturally, the film has more than earned it. Not to mention, it is the most Oscar-nominated film ever.
If you’ve seen it and missed the themes, or haven’t seen it at all, let me briefly explain to you why it should sweep.
First, statistically speaking, it grossed over $369 million worldwide and is the first original film to cross $200 million domestically since “Coco” (2017). “Sinners” also received a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the only horror film ever to receive an A CinemaScore.
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The first award for a “Sinners” sweep should be for Best Director. Behind the film’s success is the brilliant mastermind, director Ryan Coogler. Coogler has created five different films of multiple genres: “Fruitvale Station” (2013), “Creed” (2015), “Black Panther” (2018), “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022) and “Sinners.”
What makes Coogler and “Sinners” especially unique is that during a time when most of the other Best Picture nominees are reimaginings, sequels or remakes, Coogler’s film is straight off the dome.
Coogler’s storytelling is multifaceted and outright tremendous. Although this was Coogler’s first shot at horror, he made sure to stay true to his style: directing with not just Black people in mind, but at the forefront.
Set in 1932 in the Mississippi Delta, the film is immediately enriched with deep and layered historical importance for African Americans. The plot follows twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, who are both played by Michael B. Jordan, another reason why this film is so distinctive — and why Jordan deserves Best Actor.
The majority of the film is set in a juke joint, a cornerstone for the Black community and where they could escape from racial violence.
One eventful night in the juke joint, Black people are enjoying the rare freedom they have and trying to escape the malice of the real world. This is until white vampires come knocking on the juke joint door.
This is where the plot begins to reveal the film’s deeper meaning and becomes a cultural commentary.
Yes, the movie is considered horror because of blood and vampires, but the real horror of the movie is the vampires’ attempt to consume and steal Black culture. The vampires don’t just want blood; they want ownership.
Coogler uses the image of vampires to portray forced assimilation, culture vultures and subjection. I won’t spoil it all for you if you haven’t seen it yet, but simply put, watching “Sinners,” especially as a Black person, captures how it feels to have society constantly eating at your neck and trying to consume your art and what you create.
“Sinners” should also win Best Original Score. What makes “Sinners” so powerful and culturally iconic is the music; it’s the heartbeat of the movie. The film is rich with the blues of the Mississippi Delta, which is essentially what the vampires tried to consume.
Perhaps one of the best cinematic scenes ever is when the other main character, Sammie, performs a blues song for the crowd. As the song intensifies, the song and visuals take a journey through Black music’s past and present. African drummers, soul and jazz musicians, hip-hop b-boys and a slew of other influences blend together to create an enthralling scene.
So, will “Sinners” win big? I’d like to think so, but we are talking about Hollywood and the Oscars, which have a history of snubbing Black movies and actors.
The film is a threat to the industry and its narratives. It’s independent, Black artistic freedom, wonderfully done.
Even though Jordan worked twice as hard for his role — literally — the Oscars tend to award Black actors for only oppressive roles. Whether it will win Best Director — no Black director has won this award in the Oscars’ 98-year history. This moment would be absolutely groundbreaking.
Because “Sinners” won big at the Actor Awards — formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards — and the BAFTAs, there’s reason for hope. However, the Oscars are unpredictable.
“Sinners” didn’t just win awards, and it didn’t merely entertain. It, without a doubt, shifted culture and reimagined Black film.
We’ll see if the Oscars will repeat giving out nothing but the common Black defeat or acknowledge and reward “Sinners” for what it is — a groundbreaking, culturally significant film that redefined Black storytelling. And a film that deserves every Oscar it’s nominated for.
Prayse is a senior in Media.
