Ryan Coogler Discusses Blues, Irish Music Parallels and His Love for Vampire Villain in Sinners

Director Ryan Coogler's latest film, "Sinners," transcends the typical vampire horror genre by immersing viewers in the rich cultural landscape of Mississippi during the 1930s. The film uniquely leverages the power of the blues, historically criticized as "the devil's music," to delve deep into the lives of its predominantly African-American characters, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan as the twin brothers Smoke and Stack.

In his glowing review for IGN, Eric Goldman highlights how "Sinners" pulses with the lifeblood of music, starting with the blues performed by Sammie (Miles Caton) and Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) at the brothers' venue. Coogler masterfully uses this musical backdrop to illustrate the universal significance of music, connecting people across generations and backgrounds, even if they don’t consciously trace its lineage. The film draws an intriguing parallel between the blues and the Irish folk tunes of the vampire leader Remmick (Jack O’Connell), showcasing how music from both cultures reflects their shared histories of colonial oppression.

Coogler's use of African-American blues and Irish folk music serves as a lens through which he examines the painful pasts of both humans and vampires. These musical elements are given spectacular set pieces throughout the film, creating what Goldman describes as "musical adjacent" moments that allow audiences to experience how music echoes through time and immortalizes its creators.

In a recent interview with IGN, Ryan Coogler discussed the significance of blues and Irish music in "Sinners," the film's standout musical sequences, and the personal connection he felt to the vampire villain, Remmick, akin to his attachment to Killmonger in "Black Panther." The following excerpts from the interview have been edited for clarity.

Ryan Coogler: Blues music in "Sinners" is an affirmation of the characters' full humanity. It complements the church, representing the soul, while the blues speaks to the body, soul, and flesh. It acknowledges the pain, sexual desire, and anger inherent in human experiences. Blues music is a rebellion against the oppressive conditions these characters faced, celebrating their resilience and the beauty of their human condition. In a juke joint, it provides a safe space for people to express their true selves, free from the constraints of their daily lives.

IGN: What’s your read on the vampire community? They bring all these people of different races and backgrounds together but now they’re a collective rather than individual. There’s probably a lot of ways people could interpret what that means.

Ryan Coogler: I want "Sinners" to resonate with audiences in whatever way they see fit. For me, writing Remmick was deeply personal, much like Killmonger in "Black Panther." I envisioned him as a master vampire, exploring the dynamics of leadership within the vampire community. I was excited to portray Remmick as someone who defies expectations, revealing a character whose views on race and identity challenge preconceived notions, fostering a sense of unity and fellowship.

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26 ImagesIGN: My two favorite sequences in this movie are the two big showstopping musical set pieces. The juke joint one and then the vampires get theirs too.

Ryan Coogler: Those scenes are central to the film's themes of fellowship and love. They depict how music was an act of rebellion for both African and Irish cultures, offering a glimpse into the joy and defiance of these communities. The juke joint sequence, filmed as a one-er, plays with time to showcase the timelessness of music and its cultural crossovers. It was crucial during the writing process to incorporate supernatural elements beyond vampirism, using cinematic language to convey the transcendent experience of witnessing a virtuoso performance.

Sinners Gallery

12 ImagesIGN: The juke joint sequence is particularly amazing because it's staged as a one-er. You're playing with time, and you're showing the cultural crossovers too. Visually, you're showing us how music is timeless, or at least what it brings out in people is timeless. At what point did you realize you wanted to play with time in that scene?

Ryan Coogler: The idea to play with time came during the writing process. I wanted to convey the transcendent feeling of witnessing a virtuoso performance, a universal human experience. Cinema is my language, and through it, I aimed to capture that feeling of being blown away by music, which the juke joint culture in the 1930s embodied as an act of defiance and celebration.

IGN: There’s that second tour de force musical set-piece later, and it's from the vampires’ perspective using traditional Irish folk music.

Ryan Coogler: Irish folk music, like the blues, is rich in contrast. Songs like "Rocky Road To Dublin" convey heartbreak with vigor, mirroring the resilience and defiance of both African and Irish cultures. This shared spirit of celebration amidst adversity connects the vampire Remmick to the people of Clarksdale, highlighting the universal language of music and the human condition.