Main Takeaways from the Sinners Virtual Press Conference
- Alex Schlerf
- Apr 7
- 5 min read
I had the absolute pleasure of attending the virtual press conference for Warner Brothers' upcoming film 'Sinners', starring Michael B. Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld, on Friday! The press conference is currently not available to the public, so here I'll be providing my main takeaways! For those who are don't have the backstory for this film, here's the trailer and synopsis:
Synopsis:
Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
Trailer:
Each member of the ensemble cast and director Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed) got to answer a question, so let's dive right into their answers!
A Fifth Collaboration for Coogler and Jordan
Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler will be pairing up for the fifth time in 'Sinners', with this entry seeming like their best work to date. Pretty much every cast member had nothing but good things to say about Coogler's direction and storytelling in this film, but the praise especially came from his good friend Jordan. He explained that with this being his first film since 'Creed 3', his directorial debut, he gained a lot more respect and understanding for what Coogler does. He said that this only helped strengthen their relationship, which has "only gotten better over the years." In response Coogler gave Jordan all the credit, explaining that acting/directing at the same time (what Jordan did for the third installement in the Creed franchise) is even more challenging than just simply directing.
With Michael B. playing twins in this film, Coogler praised his performance and described him as "1A and 1B" on the call sheet. These two have had nothing but good things to say about each other throughout this entire press tour and it's always a positive thing for a film's success when there are frequent collaborators involved. Coogler addressed that very thing in Friday's press event, saying ""In an industry where it can get very high stress, it can get very toxic. You know what I mean? It's great to have somebody who who understands the value of of keeping it loving and respectful."
Miles Caton, Star in the Making
Out of all the early reviews that came out when the embargo was lifted a few days ago (every single one has been overwhelmingly positive), almost every one had a line praising newcomer Miles Caton's performance in the film. Caton makes his acting debut in 'Sinners' and he talked more about how the experience was in the press conference. He explained that he was discovered by the creative team of this film while being on a worldwide tour opening for popular music artist H.E.R. He was asked to come in to audition, got the part and the rest is history. Coogler has explained that Caton has both a musical and acting role in this film, with him already showing his acting range even in his first ever film role. Caton had nothing but positive things to say about the opportunity at the press event, saying "I feel super blessed. Yeah, it is an incredible moment." Making an acting debut in a film of this magnitude has to be an incredibly daunting task, but it appears Caton knocked it out of the park and his future is very bright.
Uniquely Brilliant Role for Steinfeld
For those who know Hailee Steinfeld for her superhero prowess or more grounded roles, this is going to be quite a cultural shock when you meet her character Mary in 'Sinners'. This is a role unlike anything she's ever played before and it's something she's been very open about in this press tour. Coming out of a longer acting break (for live action films specifically), Steinfeld said Mary gave her the necessary challenge she wanted at this point in her career. If early reviews are any indication, she puts in a performance rivaling her True Grit role that had her nominated for an Oscar in 2014.
Most of the details about Mary are being kept under wraps, but during Friday's press conference Steinfeld attempted to shine some more light on her character's mentality in 'Sinners'. She raved about the sets feeling like home for her character, with "the food, the people, most importantly, the music" being large factors when it comes to Mary. Steinfeld revealed that most of her shoots were at night, which according to her was a crazy experience, but again worked towards this being an incredibly rewarding challenge. Offering more insight on her mysterious role as Mary, she said "An outsider may not believe that she belongs in that space. But she does. She knows that and she feels it." She explained that this movie gave her a connection to her own personal family history, operating as a dialogue for her past and how her family may have lived previously. Steinfeld had nothing but great things to say about Coogler and the ensemble cast, with this clearly being a movie she is incredibly passionate about. "We had just the most incredible team", said Steinfeld.
Ensemble Cast Raves about Set Design and Music
One of the best things about attending Friday's press conference was being able to hear from the entire cast, including some of the names who aren't top billed like Jordan and Steinfeld. We heard from Caton, Jack O'Connell, Delroy Lindo, Li Jun Ji, Wunmi Mosaku, Omar Benson Miller and Jayme Lawson. Each of them were able to offer a little bit of insight on their characters (O'Connell specifically raved about how much fun it was to play his character Remick), but the main takeaway was how they all raved about the set designs and the music in the film. This is a period piece through and through, so the setting really looking like the early 1900s south was incredibly important to everybody involved. If you believe the cast and filmmakers, this is one of the real standouts from the film. Mosaku specifically said that the environment was able to elevate her role and her relationship with one of the twins (played by Jordan). She said the set design is "so beautiful and romantic and really adds to the magic of their relationship." Lindo even exclaimed about the fight choreography, saying that "There was an openness which trickles down from Ryan (Coogler) and from Mike (Jordan) in terms of the generosity shown to all of the actors."
Final Takeaways
I was already very excited for this film due to the cast and director Ryan Coogler, but I leave with even more excitement after attending this press conference. It appears that the story of 'Sinners' is very deeply rooted in Southern culture, from the sets to the music. Steinfeld, Jun Li and others all talked specifically about how the culture of their characters was able to be explored in a very memorable way in this film. The fact that Sinners explores multiple different genres, cultures and mediums while appearing to be an incredibly riveting story (again, according to early reviews) is a real testament to the genius of everyone involved. It all comes from Coogler first though, who has received an immense amount of deserved praise from this entire ensemble cast throughout this entire press tour. Sinners promises to be a wild ride that should absolutely be experienced on the biggest movie theatre screen possible!
Ryan Coogler's Sinners hits theaters on April 18th!
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