Ryan Coogler's Sinners Turns Horror into History
Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow era, the film offers layered representation.

With evidence that her apartment is being invaded, Abby Mitchell, with little opportunity for escape, is convinced she is being watched from a quiet neighboring house where all the windows have been mysteriously covered with red fabric.
Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow era, the film offers layered representation.
In the shadow of towering film production companies lived dozens of grindhouses, genres, and low-budget films deemed too “unclean” for the modern film audience.
Coolie promised style, action, and Rajinikanth’s mass presence, but did it deliver on substance? Here’s my full review on whether Lokesh Kanagaraj’s film lives up to the hype.
"WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE?!!!!" "EVERYTHING!!!!!" This is but one of a multitude of highly emphatic questions, and subsequent answers, being asked in the newest feature film from one of the current masters of horror, Jordan Peele ("Get Out", "Us" and "Nope"). I must give Peele credit in that he continues to push the boundaries of specific genres and their associated tropes in order to provide what ends up amounting to subtly then jarringly intense, yet still character and story-driven, cinema that speaks more to indie stylings than mainstream.
Taika Waititi and the cast of Thor: Love and Thunder have been hyping up the gayness of this movie, and while there are queer characters, it's not quite the representation we were hoping for.
Despite its glaring flaws, First Girl I Loved is not entirely undeserving of a watch. For people who can handle the more difficult aspects of the story and graphic scenes, it is worth looking into. It’s not a film worthy of rewatch, but it may still resonate somewhat with those who need a story like this. It is a genuine, if flimsy attempt at a coming-of-age tale. Were the film to be directed by someone with experiences more similar to Anne, it would likely be more powerful--as it is, it feels like a man’s perspective of what it means to come to terms with your identity as a lesbian.