Sinners Has An Amazing Michael B Jordan Performance, But He's Not The One I Left The Movie Thinking About (2025)

The anticipation for director Ryan Coogler’s latest film is something I’ve been keeping an eye on in terms of the 2025 movie schedule. That hype only grew when the Michael B. Jordan-led genre-bender titled Sinners nabbed an extremely positive RT score through its early critical notices.

As someone who was at a recent press screening for this picture, I can see why the hype is very real. And with that, there’s a couple members of the cast that I think stole this movie from People’s 2020 “Sexiest Man Alive.”

Sinners’ Cast Is, Without A Doubt, Stacked With Heavy Hitters

Before I get to the gushing, I need to remind you all that Sinners’ all-star cast is full of absolute winners. While Mr. Jordan is front and center, the rest of the roster that star alongside him keep things going pretty fantastically. Considering Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, and Wunmi Moskau are part of the lineup, it shouldn’t be a surprise that this team drives a stake through this Depression-era vampire tale with great gusto.

But by time I’d completed my trip from Dust Bowl ‘til dawn, two actors stuck with me in truly standout turns. I’m surprised that neither have been mentioned in the critical reactions to Sinners we previously sampled from, so please allow me to enlighten you!

Delroy Lindo’s Delta Slim Steals Every Scene He’s In

I don’t think it’s going to surprise anyone to learn that Sinners takes full advantage of veteran actor Delroy Lindo’s chops on the screen. From The Core to Da 5 Bloods, and everything beyond, he adds gravitas to any given project, and the fact that this man does not have a single Oscar nomination to his credit is a crime.

But Mr. Lindo is, as always, a consummate professional who delivers, no matter the gig. Watching drunk pianist Delta Slim go back and forth between his passion for music and the bottle is only part of the equation, as the comedic relief is something you’d expect from a movie like Sinners, which puts its characters through a night from hell.

Those punchlines only further endear us to one of the gang that fights back this pack of would-be conquerors; which makes the tough stuff towards the end truly harrowing. As far as I could see through the crowd that enjoyed this picture with me, Delroy Lindo is going to have even more fans after seeing him in Sinners.

I Hope Miles Caton Is A Name We’ll Be Hearing Quite Frequently In The Future

When I read the title card, “Introducing Miles Caton” at the end of Sinners, my jaw practically dropped to the floor. To be truthful, I think there’s two reasons why Ryan Coogler’s horror-dramedy has been leaning heavily on Michael B. Jordan’s Smoke and Stack in its marketing.

The first is the obvious point that Mr. Jordan’s a mega-star, and he sells tickets; which isn’t a sell out when you consider his dual performances are equally impressive. However, as pointed out in a recent item from Variety, I think the second reason things played out that way is because Miles Caton’s performance is about to blow people away.

Considering this story about Ryan Coogler’s first impression of the young singer’s audition for the role of Sammie “Preacher Boy” Moore, that point also stands:

If you thought Sinners’ trailer blew you away with Caton’s voice, wait until you see him act. The functional lead of this “gory, horny, and relevant” take on Black music and culture, his conviction as Sammie shines as he navigates an important time in his life.

On the night that will define that character’s path in life, Miles Caton brings Ryan Coogler’s words to life just as beautifully as he handles the musical portion. And like a tasty neck that’s just sitting unguarded in the open, I'm going to leave you all on a tease that hopefully has you hungry for more.

You can check out Sinners in theaters starting on Easter weekend with special IMAX 70mm, 70mm film, and 4DX engagements where available. If you can catch it in IMAX, I suggest you do not hesitate. Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan’s grand reunion looks to be the next original blockbuster that’ll play to packed houses; and I'm already hearing some of the IMAX 70mm screenings are sold out for some time.

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