Vampires, melanin, lust, and the blues—count me the fuck in! In this Southern Gothic masterpiece, Director Ryan Coogler delivers a legendary horror film laced with musical hymns. Michael B. Jordan gives an alluring yet formidable performance as bootlegging twins, Smoke and Stack, former mobsters turned businessmen who return to their hometown of the Mississippi Delta after the First World War. The twins come with an abundance of Irish beer and cash, with a dream to be legit and establish themselves. They purchase an old sawmill from a racist white man—unbeknownst to them, the caucasian in question is a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. 

In comes Sammie, who is first introduced at the beginning of the film running away from the events that happened the night before, played by Miles Canton, the little cousin who at first represents purity and the light they need to relinquish the darkness that surrounds them. Sammie, also known as the “preacher boy,” possesses a unique musical talent that connects him to the supernatural. With his voice, Sammie can tell a story of his lineage and embody his culture, which helps him put on quite a show at the Juke Joint. 

What is revealed about the twins is that both brothers are hoping to establish a new identity of Black excellence and escape the darkness of their pasts. All the while fighting the anti-Black mentality of whites in the South. Stack represents the sin of greed, how he’s desperate to have the grand opening as soon as possible, while Smoke wants to have more preparation. Smoke, on the other hand, represents the sin of wrath; he is vengeful over his losses. He’s grieving over the loss of his daughter, who died in infancy. He’s mad at the world and is just waiting for someone to dare to cross him. The relationship between the twins is the embodiment of brotherly love and acceptance. They have a bond that, up to that day, is impenetrable. 

Next, the twins enlist a group of others to help make the Juke Joint’s grand opening a success. They enlist blues singer Delta Slim, who is the town drunk and is also haunted by the Jim Crow era of the South, played by Delroy Lindo, to aid Sammie in the entertainment. Delroy represents the sin of gluttony—he plagues himself with an Irish bear to satisfy his greed for the spirits. Next is Annie, the estranged wife of Smoke, who is recruited to cook food for the event, played by Wunmi Mosaku. Annie is a hoodoo healer who practices healing methods that give her a spiritual connection to her ancestors. Annie and Samie both represent the spiritual identity of Blacks in the South and their susceptibility to evil. Grace and Bo Chow are tasked to host the bar. At first, they both come off as allies for the brothers in the power struggle against the powers at play, but as the night goes on, self-preservation comes into play, and their pride takes over. Then there’s the gentle giant nicknamed Cornbread, who is tasked with the most important job security, played by Omar Benson Miller. He represents the sin of being a sloth because he fails to do one job: keep the establishment secure. 

At the train station, both Sammie and Stack come across two indomitable women. Sammie meets eyes with a local married woman who goes by the name of Pearline and is so enchanted by her that he invites her to the grand opening. Pearline represents the sin of lust; she and Sammie later delve into an intense encounter behind closed doors. Stack by chance is reunited with his past lover and octoroon Mary, played by Hailee Steinfeld. Mary and Stack have unfinished business, Mary is in mourning for the death of her mother and also the death of her dream of being with Stack. Despite her privilege as a white passing woman, her skin is a cage that confines her away from the man she loves, during the day at least. She is forced to live a lie and be someone she is not, while everyone else in the film gets to live their authentic truth. Mary represents the sin of envy. She is envious of the Black identity and robbed of a sense of belonging and fellowship. 

Unbeknownst to all the characters mentioned above, there is Remmick, the leader of the vampires, who sniffs out Sammie’s spirit and is on the prowl. Through this transition leading up to the opening, each character is narrowly introduced and adds their unique substance to the plot. This is heavily explored in several themes, specifically regarding American folklore, race-based violence in the South, Black-owned properties, and the power of music to bring people together. Coogler also uses the film to represent how Black talents have been suppressed or stolen by the powers above them, forcing a narrative of conformity.  

Overall, I would rank this film 4.5/5. The acting was phenomenal, and the cinematography helped captivate the audience in the story, and there were several metaphors distilled across the film to keep the storyline engaging. I would have liked to know more about the twins’ backstory and past in Chicago, but considering the story’s duration, all takes place over one day, I am satisfied.