A+Z Movie Review Podcast · Alex Long and Zach Cavanagh

Episode 46 - Sinners

·1 hr 3 min·4 clips

The barn sequence turns Sammy's music into a vision of black culture crossing past, present, and future.

Alex and Zach start with their usual playful opening, only this time they make clear that Sinners is not a Marvel or Disney movie. They frame it as one of the most talked-about films of the year so far. Alex jokes that he had already promised to give the movie its flowers from way over here. The hosts laugh about finally making it to the screening. The movie is set in 1930s Mississippi. That setting sits in a post-Civil War South shaped by Jim Crow laws and segregated spaces. Sammy, the preacher's son, works on a plantation, and the hosts use that setup to orient the listener quickly. Michael B. Jordan's Smoke and Stack become the center of the conversation. The brothers have returned home to Mississippi after time away, including fighting in World War One. From there, the episode settles into the film's atmosphere and craft. The hosts keep circling back to how good the whole town looks. They point to the production design as one of the easiest things to admire right away. When they get to Smoke's baby mama and her voodoo shack, the praise is still focused on how convincing and lived-in the world feels. The conversation also pauses for Hannah Beachler's work. They note her history with Black Panther, Creed, Fruitvale Station, Lemonade, and Black Is King, which places her in a familiar creative lane with Coogler. A small but memorable detail comes from the church design. The cross beams inside were built to echo Wakanda Forever and serve as a tribute to Chadwick Boseman. The hosts treat that as the kind of detail viewers may not catch at first but that quietly deepens the movie. By the end, the episode is leaning toward awards-season optimism for Coogler and his crew. The overall mood stays casual, affectionate, and openly impressed.

As heard by us

A craft-focused take that keeps the spotlight on setting, production design, and clear affection.

A+Z step outside their usual Marvel-or-Disney lane to talk about Sinners, and the choice gives the discussion a fresh charge. The setup stays easy to track: 1930s Mississippi, the Jim Crow backdrop, and Michael B. Jordan as twins Smoke and Stack.

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Why you'd press play

You want a lively first-pass reaction to Sinners with real craft talk and some side banter.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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