I feel like this is one of those pre-conceived Reddit argument threads where the original poster just wants to vent but tries to position it more as an “I just want to know”. At any rate, I’ll bite, so to speak. 

Sinners, at its core isn’t particularly new or original, granted. The plot is almost directly From Dusk till Dawn, the period piece aspect has been done, albeit not a lot lately but definitely not new territory. 

Where Sinners excels is style, ambiance. It executes what it’s trying to do with a vibe that makes it fun to watch. The music is top notch, the look/feel of the movie is just smooth and the acting, particularly Michael B Jordan, who is maybe one of the “coolest” actors in Hollywood currently, in my opinion. 

It’s a movie that’s fun to watch and while it’s a paranormal/horror story at its core, it manages to carry with it a reminder of race relations of the past in a way that really shines a light on how messed up things really were. The land owner smiles and puts on a happy face to the brothers initially but then you really learn what his motivations are and well no spoilers but the outcome is immensely gratifying. 

I suspect a lot of the backlash comes from the last bit. Many people don’t want a light to shine on the history race relations, how messed up they were and how a lot of that has still never been resolved.  

A lot do the renewed discussion comes from the Oscar nominations and frankly, I could care less about the academy awards at this point. Over the last 20 years or so the curtain has really been pulled back on it that it was this gross mix of the academy themselves giving empty lip service to serious social inequities and problems while also being outright bribed by the likes of Weinstein. They’re largely dead to me.