Evelyn Rose is a junior and a reporter for the Fishers Tiger Times. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper. Gavin Koontz is a senior and a reporter for the Fishers Tiger Times. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
Ten films will enter the arena known as the Oscars on March 15, 2026, and one film will be chosen as the Best Picture of the year.
Evelyn Rose’s opinion on why “Sinners” should win the best picture.
When I went to the Indiana State Museum to watch “Sinners” in IMAX 70mm, the largest film format in the world, the energy around the film felt different than usual. The audience felt excited to see something original. Previews of the movie made it look unique: two African American twins, Smoke and Stack involved with the mob running a juke joint in the 1930s Jim Crow South for a night.
That plot alone makes it the most original film in the last couple of years, but Ryan Coogler added vampires into the mix and the film transformed into one of the most original films of all time.
It became an amazing metaphor for colonialism and forced assimilation, exploring how good it can seem on the surface, but how evil it can be. The film opens with Miles Canton walking into a church with a guitar in his hand. Immediately, I understood that this film was different because of the look.
When Ryan Coogler chose to use IMAX 70mm, he used it wisely, giving this film a very surrealistic look that grabbed my attention, and his color grader, Kostas Theodosiou, did an excellent job giving this film texture that you do not see in blockbusters anymore.
It is interesting to note that this film can be considered a summer blockbuster, but it is so original that it feels wrong to call it that. This is the type of film that you would never see a production company spend money on, but thankfully Ryan Coogler’s vision came across in a stunning way.
However, it is not just the director who makes this film. The actor Michael B. Jordan, who plays both twins, brings this film to life. His performance is almost dizzying with how complex he makes both characters with subtle acting.
Michael B. Jordan should absolutely win best actor for this role because he did every other actor’s job two times over. It is a shame that Miles Canton, who plays a preacher’s boy, is considered in the supporting actor category because he should absolutely be nominated in the lead actor category.
The best part about this film is the action sequences in the first and third acts. In the first act, there is this amazing oner ( a shot done in one take) that shows us the preacher boy’s power that come from the music, but also shows why the vampires are attracted to him. In the third the vampires have their showdown with our lead actors. There is an aspect ratio switch that brings the audience into the action, and it never stops until the credits roll.
Compared to every other film nominated this year, “Sinners” is the most original in every category and pushes the boundaries of cinema even further. For these reasons, I believe this surrealistic vampire summer blockbuster should win Best Picture of the year.
Gavin Koontz on the music of “Sinners”
At first glance, “Sinners” is a vampire movie. However, it is really a movie about music. The central plot follows the power of those who have the gift of music, namely Smoke and Stack’s cousin Sammie, a young blues guitarist. The opening voiceover explains how every culture has people who possess this gift, naming the three most prevalent cultures in the film: African, Irish and the Choctaw. It also foreshadows the eventual confrontation with the vampire Remmick, warning that the gift can attract evil.
Fittingly, Sinners has been nominated for both Best Soundtrack and Best Original Song. Ludwig Göransson, of “The Mandalorian” and “Oppenheimer” fame, is the mastermind behind the soundtrack, and despite how quickly his other scores have become iconic, Sinners has, in my opinion, some of his best work. Featuring blues guitar as the primary instrument, the score creates a unique sound that perfectly fits the story on screen. When the action builds, the soundtrack begins to push into almost metal territory with dramatic swells of distorted guitars, while still mixing in bluesy lines. The score is also never shy of blending in elements of hip hop and R&B, making what is, in my opinion, a perfect soundtrack.
True to the song’s metal influence, “Burn That Guitar” even features Lars Ulrich of Metallica as a guest performer. Beyond the score, the film’s companion soundtrack includes songs by artists spanning genres, including Rod Wave, Don Toliver and even Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains.
Göransson also helped write the film’s Best Original Song nominee, “I Lied to You.” Performed by Miles Canton as Sammie, the song is written about his disconnect with his father, but it also plays during what may be the greatest shot in the entire film. In the scene, music from across time comes together in a sweeping sequence that moves from psychedelia to hip hop, creating what is honestly one of the most amazing movie moments I’ve ever seen. In a fitting tribute to the film’s importance placed on blues, in a flash to the future, an older Sammie is played by blues legend Buddy Guy.
In “Sinners”, the music overall strengthens the film because it really is the core of the movie. Where other movies have music, “Sinners” is a movie about music, and for that reason, I believe it deserves to win the Oscars for its soundtrack and it’s song “I Lied to You”.
