Why Sinners should win the best picture Oscar

In an era when films tend to be either commercially successful or critically acclaimed, Sinners managed both. It was a smash hit — the seventh highest grossing picture in the US and virtually the only original movie in the top 20 — and a critical triumph, with 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and 84% on Metacritic.

Above all, it is a true original, combining action-horror excitement with deep, personal storytelling; against expectations, 39-year-old Ryan Coogler did just that. One of the film’s most transcendently cinematic moments arrives when blues singer Preacher Boy (Miles Caton) performs his new song I Lied to You in a rowdy Mississippi jook joint.

As the song builds, reality seems to break down: African tribal musicians, Chinese opera performers, modern-day turntablists and P-Funk-style electric guitarists join the revelry, the roof catches fire and the film moves into another realm of space and time.

United States, Mississippi

sinners, ryan coogler, best picture, oscars, miles caton, preacher boy, jook joint, blues singer, rotten tomatoes, metacritic