One of the most talked-about horror movies of recent times is about to land, with Sinners creeping into Cineworld cinemas from April 18th. Directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), the film sees Michael B. Jordan (Creed) playing Smoke and Stack, twin brothers living in the American Deep South of the 1930s who try to escape their troubles by returning to their hometown. However, when they arrive, they discover that their woes have only just begun. Essentially a vampire movie but with lots of other supernatural scares thrown in for good measure, Sinners promises to be a visceral and nerve-shredding experience.
An "incredible experience"
One thing that sets Sinners apart is that it’s the first movie to be filmed in both 15/70mm IMAX and Ultra Panavision 70mm – the two largest formats in cinema. Since he was covering new ground, Coogler didn’t have an exact blueprint to follow – but he was able to summon some guidance from a fellow director.
Speaking at a ComicBook.com Q&A, the Sinners filmmaker revealed: “I got advice from Christopher Nolan and [Nolan’s wife] Emma Thomas, who are masters of the [IMAX] form. It was our first time working with large-format photography. We were doing something that hasn’t been done before, combining Ultra Panavision, which is 2.76:1 – very wide – with the full-frame IMAX film.”
The last movie Coogler shot using film was his cinematic debut, the 2013 biographical drama Fruitvale Station. Ironically, that was shot on one of the smallest formats – 16mm. But, despite the challenges he faced working with IMAX, he found it hugely rewarding. “It was an incredible experience, using Ultra Panavision and full frame,” he said in a virtual press conference. “It helped us immerse ourselves in a specific period of American history, especially for Black communities. My family history was a big reference point.”
"A feast for the senses"
We won’t go into too much detail about the film, for fear of spoiling your enjoyment when you come to see it. But, as many critics have attested, this stunning horror movie is well worth seeing in the format it was shot in. As MovieWeb’s Julian Roman wrote: “Sinners is a feast for the senses. The music deserves praise, but the cinematography must also be extolled. Coogler uses 65mm cameras for glorious widescreen shots that are breathtaking. You can feel the sun sizzle on the cotton fields as Smoke, Stack and Sammie drive through a landscape powered by backbreaking labour, but also rejoice in elation as the juke joint bursts with frenetic energy. Sinners looks damn good and has to be seen in IMAX.”
As well as IMAX / IMAX 3D, Cineworld is showing Sinners in the equally spectacular 4DX, ScreenX and Superscreen formats. You can also see it in standard 3D and 2D.
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