Though 2025 is far from over, Ryan Coogler's action-packed horror movie, Sinners, remains the best movie of the year. Long after he unleashed a global phenomenon with 2018's Black Panther, Coogler released his first vampire blockbuster in April 2025. With its terrifying story set in Jim Crow-era Mississippi, Sinners presented a unique blend of action, romance, blues music, period drama, and supernatural horror that has captivated people worldwide.

Since its premiere, Sinners has achieved a 97% rating from critics and a 96% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, establishing itself as one of the year's most beloved blockbusters. Ryan Coogler's Sinners has succeeded in virtually every category, including the story, the performances, the scares, the cinematography, and the music. While there are plenty of other highly anticipated movies in 2025, there are many reasons why Sinners is the year's top film.

7 The Action

Sinners Is The Perfect Blend Of Horror And Action

After creating superhero-style action in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Coogler took a more grounded approach when crafting the gory and explosive fight scenes in Sinners, fitting well with the story. Featuring gunslinging gangsters and stake-wielding demon slayers, this horror movie presents thrilling, old-school action while making full use of its supernatural concept to present a spectacular war with vampires.

Specifically, the heroes' glorious last stand against the vampires at the juke t is a blazing climax of action, drama, and horror worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster. Even after such an incredible battle, Smoke's final shootout with the KKK at the end of Sinners stands out as the film's most exciting and cathartic showdown.

6 The Scares

Sinners Uses Horror Slowly But Effectively

Like many other vampire movies, Sinners features a healthy dose of horrifying moments to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. However, unlike most mainstream horror movies, Sinners is a slow-burning film that builds up to a terrifying second half at the juke t, where Remmick and his vampires close in on the protagonists.

The film uses its scares sparingly, particularly in its first half, as it focuses on introducing and developing its characters, making their tragic fates at the juke t all the more horrifying. At the same time, Sinners doesn't make its scares too intense for audiences, making the film less alienating to those who are not accustomed to horror movies.

5 The Music

The Cast And Ludwig Göransson Deliver Some Incredible Tunes

Since music is a huge part of Sinners, the filmmakers made sure the movie featured some spectacular music, much of which was provided by the cast themselves. Miles Caton and Jayme Lawson, in particular, unleash some incredible vocals with their performances in the juke t. Jack O'Connell also leads an Irish jig with vampires that's equal parts haunting, unusual, and outstanding.

Blending multiple genres of music across different cultures and eras, he creates a distinctive and inventive sound that fully immerses its audience in the film's supernatural musical odyssey.

At the same time, Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson delivers another outstanding score for Sinners. Blending multiple genres of music across different cultures and eras, he creates a distinctive and inventive sound that fully immerses its audience in the film's supernatural musical odyssey.

4 The Cinematography

Autumn Dural Arkapaw Made Sinners A Sight To Behold

After first working with Coogler on the cinematography for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Autumn Dural Arkapaw delivered many more spectacular visuals in Sinners. With breathtaking images of Mississippi fields, sunsets, and flaming parties and tornadoes, Arkapaw captures the true scale and beauty of this historical, supernatural blockbuster, with IMAX cameras presenting it all in the biggest picture possible.

Arkapaw's most notable achievement in this film is Sammie's magical blues performance in the juke t. In one jaw-dropping continuous shot, Sinners presents a fiery and psychedelic concert with musical ghosts from the past and the future, cementing this as one of the best movie scenes of 2025.

3 The Themes

Sinners Explores Black Culture, Racism In America, And Cultural Appropriation

Like Coogler's Black Panther, Sinners explores racial oppression throughout human history. Even in Chicago, Smoke and Stack faced the same kind of discrimination that they found in Clarksdale, where the Ku Klux Klan continued to terrorize and murder non-white people. As a result, the brothers set up a juke t to provide a haven for Clarksdale's Black residents to have fun and feel free for a night. But like America itself, this place of "freedom" began with a history of violence, as the building's previous owner used it as a slaughterhouse for the Klan.

Likewise, Remmick and his growing clan of vampires embodied the terrors of cultural appropriation, as they tried to assimilate other people into their ranks and steal Sammie's mystical music for their own benefit. Even though he offers the characters "love and fellowship" as of his vampire community, that still means losing their identities to Remmick's hive mind and becoming trapped in an immortal body unable to go out into the sun.

2 The Talented Cast

Michael B. Jordan Leads An Outstanding Band Of Actors

Sinners featured a plethora of compelling characters, thanks in part to the capable actors portraying them. Michael B. Jordan gives a stellar and distinctive dual performance as Smoke and Stack in Sinners. Hailee Steinfeld plays Mary with confidence and vulnerability, all while sharing a fiery chemistry with Jordan. O'Connell's Remmick stands out as the chilling and charismatic devil that slithers his way into Clarksdale and tempts the townspeople.

Sinners is also elevated by ing players Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, Lin Jun Li, and Buddy Guy. On top of that, the young Miles Caton makes a spectacular breakout performance as the blues-singing Sammie, who holds up well alongside Michael B. Jordan as one of the film's main protagonists.

1 Ryan Coogler's Direction

The Acclaimed Director Executes A Unique And Heartfelt Vision

Coogler spent multiple years rising the ranks in Hollywood making successful IP-based pictures like the Creed and Black Panther movies. But with Sinners, the writer-director finally presented a distinctive horror blockbuster based on his own story, which he clearly poured his heart and soul into presenting on film.

Sinners may feature a traditional vampire movie with traces of The Night of the Living Dead and Salem's Lot, but Coogler puts a clever spin on it as a musical horror film that utilizes folklore in a celebration of Black culture across the African diaspora. The emotion and care that the filmmaker puts into the characters and their stories in this film make their collective journey especially memorable. Overall, Sinners' inventive, original, ionate movie proved once again that Coogler is one of cinema's best storytellers.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes