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Sinners

Sinners

Dance with the devil.

2025137 minRMidcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Director
Ryan Coogler
Starring
Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Sinners?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Sinners streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Sinners?

Sinners earns 10 badges, led by Top 1% in Horror and Universally Loved.

Show 2 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Sinners worth watching?

Sinners' Midcredits score is the 93rd percentile of all films, from 5.4M ratings across 6 sources. 78% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

93rd percentile

Better received than 93% of films

99th percentile among Horror93rd percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)95th
Approval (how many liked it)88th

78 /100

95th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Horror94th percentile among 2020s

Critics 84 · Audience 78

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

78% liked it

88th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Horror88th percentile among 2020s
78% rated it 7–1022% rated it 1–6

Critics 97% · Audience 96%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 49 wins / 47 noms overall

  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Motion Picture - Drama

99th percentile

5.4M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Horror99th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 84% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$90M
Opening weekend$48M
Domestic gross$280M
Worldwide gross$372M

Returned 4.1× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a genre-blending vampire horror with strong musical elements and racial themes set in the 1930s Deep South.

Fans praised

  • Blues-infused score and soul-stirring sound design
  • Dual performance by Michael B. Jordan as distinct twins Smoke and Stack
  • Masterful genre-blending of horror, drama, and musical

Detractors panned

  • Weak villain and rushed ending
  • Formulaic plot mimicking From Dusk Till Dawn
  • Overlong runtime with draggy middle section

What stands out

Sound and music92

Guitar-driven blues score by Ludwig Göransson is soul-stirring and narrative-driving

Cinematography85

Stunning IMAX visuals, fluid long shots, rich production design

Atmosphere85

Sweaty, intoxicating Southern gothic immersion; juke joint feels alive

ActingDivisive82

Michael B. Jordan's dual role as twins praised; Miles Caton standout in debut

OriginalityDivisive78

Fresh blend of blues music, racial themes, and vampire horror

CharactersDivisive75

Well-built ensemble with distinct personalities; villain Remmick called weak

Plot and storyDivisive65

Coherent story structure with genre fusion; detractors find it derivative and slow

PacingDivisive60

Draggy middle and rushed ending; second half lurches into horror

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 9 points apart
  • Critics vs users 3 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is Sinners like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want to be scared.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTenseThrillingMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its material with gravity, blending social horror and supernatural elements with an earnest, brooding intensity.
The rideReviews highlight a sweaty, intoxicating atmosphere with escalating dread and explosive action, with the heaviest emotional weight in the climax.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional beginning-middle-end structure, following the brothers' return and the escalating vampire attack.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's social horror metaphors and eerie atmosphere, amplified by a powerful blues score, leave one reflecting on its themes and with a lingering resonance.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterInvasion
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% (this title) · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Invasion: An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeTwins return to their hometown, only for a supernatural evil (vampires) to invade their nightclub opening, forcing them to combat the threat; their journey also involves shedding past troubles.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Survival
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe central relationship between twin brothers anchors their struggle to escape troubled pasts and stand against the evil that has invaded their hometown.
StanceThe film questions family bonds and redemption amid horror, using the brothers' return to probe what home and evil mean.

The world

Early 20th centuryRuralDomesticWildernessHorror supernatural
Orchestral modernForeground music · original score · Ludwig Göransson
SettingA rural American hometown where the brothers return, later overtaken by supernatural evil.
MusicOne critic compares Coogler's control to playing 'like a blues guitar'; music is described as soul-stirring and pulse-racing.

Content guide

Is Sinners okay for kids?

R

Sinners is rated R: “Rated R for strong bloody violence, sexual content and language” (MPAA). As of October 5, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (87/100), sexual content at moderate (58/100), language at intense (75/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (48/100) and frightening material at severe (82/100). Overall it is heavier than 82% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 45 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland16
  • New ZealandR16
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • Argentina+13
  • Belgium16
  • BGD
  • CL14
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceK18
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Hungary18
  • ID17+
  • IndiaA
  • Israel14
  • Italy14+
  • LTN-16
  • LV16+
  • MexicoB-15
  • MOC
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • PhilippinesR-16
  • PortugalM/16
  • PRR
  • RO15
  • SingaporeM18
  • SK15
  • South Africa16
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
  • Taiwan15+
  • TH15
  • Türkiye16+
  • UA16+
  • VIR
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 89% of all filmsHeavier than 82% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 78%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 70%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 64%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 62%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 81%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence, frightening material, and language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Sinners have?

MovieCove's classifier found 5 depicted content warnings in Sinners: Gun violence (severe), Animal cruelty (mild), Animal death (mild), Self-harm (mild), plus 1 withheld here because it would spoil the plot. 1 more is mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory (behind the spoiler gate). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGun violence
MildAnimal crueltyAnimal deathSelf-harm

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in Sinners?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 4 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Michael B. Jordan
as Elijah Smoke
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Hailee Steinfeld
as Mary
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Miles Caton
as Sammy
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Jack O'Connell
as Remmick
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Wunmi Mosaku
as Annie
Jayme Lawson
as Pearl
Best so far: Their highest-reaching film role to date — the title is too recent to say more.
Omar Benson Miller
as Cornbread
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Delroy Lindo
as Delta Slim
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Li Jun Li
as Grace
Best so far: Their highest-reaching film role to date — the title is too recent to say more.
Yao
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Sinners?

Movies like Sinners include Solstice (2008), The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia (2013) and The Monkey (2025). Of the 12 closest matches, most are supernatural horror films, and several are invasion stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

9 of these 12 share its character type: sibling bond. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Sinners?

82 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: elevated horror. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.