Here’s What Mike Flanagan Has to Say About ‘Sinners’
“The vampires are just a metaphorical wrapper.”

Mike Flanagan is a well respected writer and director who is behind beloved horror hits like the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass and The Fall of the House of Usher as well as movies like Hush (2016), Doctor Sleep (2019) and the recently released Stephen King adaptation The Life of Chuck. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Flanagan is a lifelong horror fan who cares deeply for the genre. He frequently shares his love of movies on his public Letterboxd account, leaving short reviews of new and old films alike.
Sinners is a 2025 movie written and directed by Ryan Coogler that horror fans can’t stop talking about. On the surface, Sinners is a story about twin brothers who open a juke joint in the Mississippi Delta in 1932 and the vampires who ask to be invited in. Another foe in Sinners is the KKK, who wait for the right time to lynch the brothers and steal their money. The movie has rich characters, is visually beautiful and has a soundtrack full of bangers.
Here’s what Flanagan wrote about the film in his Letterboxd review:
WOW – absolutely loved this. Terrific performances, some truly jaw-dropping music sequences (that first one at the juke joint is an all-timer), and the vampires are just a metaphorical wrapper for a story about racial and cultural identity, appropriation, and legacy. I thought the film was very, very good as the credits started to roll, but the mid-credit sequence elevated it to absolute greatness for me, and fully completed the emotional arc of the whole movie. Felt really bad for the people who wandered out too early. Michael B. Jordan is one of the most charismatic and impactful movie stars working today, Ryan Coogler’s direction is superb, and Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, Jack O’Connell, Hailey Steinfeld and Tenaj Jackson are all exceptional. Highly recommended.
(Also – I saw this in IMAX and highly recommend you do the same if you’re able).
A rave review from someone known for horror excellence is about as good as it gets. You can currently buy or rent Sinners on video on demand. The blu-ray will be released on July 8 and the movie will likely be added to HBO Max by the end of summer.
You can follow Mike Flanagan on Letterboxd here. (And follow our Creepy Catalog staff here and here while you’re at it).
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