Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is finally coming to streaming on July 4, so it’ll be significantly more accessible now, but is it actually scaredy-cat friendly? It feels like a strange question to ask, but it’s one I had to be sure of, and before watching it in theaters, I really wish I had one of my close friends specify exactly what kind of horror movie it is, because we all consider different things to be scary.
For me, I can handle certain jump scares, but I don’t always do well with distorted human faces, and that’s something I wish I knew going into Sinners. The film is brilliantly shot and features astounding performances on top of an incredibly profound theme, so I’m personally glad I had the IMAX experience in theatres. Still, I wish I knew what I was going into.
Now, for those watching at home—maybe don’t watch Sinners at night if you have the type of overactive imagination where your brain adds more than there actually is. In general, I don’t find monsters like those in Stranger Things or A Quiet Place to be scary because my brain acknowledges they aren’t real, but the concept of vampires that aren’t akin to those as mildly depicted, like in Twilight, aren’t exactly my jam. My imagination would run wild at night, and because the majority of the movie takes place during a party at night, it makes it much harder to separate my specific fear from what’s actually depicted. I also don’t love paranormal elements with possessions or any sort of premise where a human being loses agency, so perhaps that’s another reason why something like this feels freakier.
So, if you’re anything like me and you find it challenging to watch human faces change into more terrifying versions while we still see their actual faces, then tread cautiously around Sinners. Despite how people might think it can ruin the experience, consider watching it during the day and maybe when someone else is at home, too. Also, as with vampires, be mindful of the fact that if you are in any way squeamish where blood is concerned, you’ll be seeing quite a bit of it in the movie. Still, watch it.
Now more than ever, we need original content on our screens, and despite how eerie it is at times, Sinners is utterly brilliant from beginning to end. There’s no denying the fact that it’s one of the best movies of the year, and no matter how you experience it, it’s worth it.
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Sinners will be streaming on HBO Max starting July 4.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Warner Bros.