Set in the span of 24 hours at Clarksdale, Mississippi in the fall of 1932, the film revolves around twin siblings who bought a mill to create a juke joint for the locals with the help of people they have known for years where the music their young cousin plays unknowingly attracts a group of mysterious individuals who comes to destroy all. It is a film that is not a conventional vampire film but rather an exploration of American folklore and the temptations of humanity through music during a dark period in American history in a world where African-Americans try to create something for themselves. Ryan Coogler’s screenplay has a unique narrative structure where it opens with a young man in Sammie (Miles Caton) arriving to a local church holding a broken guitar neck where his preacher father (Saul Williams) asks what happened. It then shifts to what happened a day earlier where Sammie’s twin cousins in Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore (Michael B. Jordan) have returned from Chicago with money they stole from gangsters to buy a mill from this racist landowner Hogwood (David Maldonado) who claims that the Ku Klux Klan are dead.
The film’s first act is about Smoke and Stack gathering people in Clarksdale for this juke joint party hoping it would bring money to a community that is largely African-American as well as a Chinese couple in Grace and Bo Chow (Li Jun Li and Yao, respectively) who are shopkeepers in the town. They also bring in local bluesman Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) while Sammie meets a married woman in Pearline (Jayme Lawson) who would go to the joint. Stack meanwhile, bumps into a former flame in a white woman in Mary (Hailee Steinfeld) who is in town for her mother’s funeral as she harbors resentment for leaving him years ago. Smoke would reunite with his estranged wife Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) who is an occultist as Smoke harbors resentment towards her over the death of their infant child years ago as she would help cook for the joint. The film’s second act is about the party with Mary also attending and getting reacquainted with Stack, yet the party is briefly interrupted by a trio of mysterious visitors led by the Irish immigrant Remmick (Jack O’Connell). Notably as they are drawn by the blues music that Sammie plays as they would play traditional Irish folk music as things go wrong. Notably as it leads to a third act of terror and violence.
Coogler’s direction is entrancing for not just its depiction of the American South during the Jim Crow era and in the final days of Prohibition during the Great Depression. It is also in playing up the many myths and spiritual elements about the American South as it is shot on location in and around New Orleans, Louisiana. Coogler opens the film with images of American folklore as it relates to the American South, Africa, and the Mississippi Choctaw tribe as they are seen briefly as they are in pursuit of something they deem is evil. The film then shows Sammie driving a car as he is covered in blood and holding a broken guitar neck as it would be shown again towards the end as it sort of plays into a reflective narrative. Coogler’s usage of wide and medium shots do allow him to get a lot of depth of field into the locations of the American South with a lot of coverage of cotton fields and ponds that do have this air of richness at a time when there is a lot of disparity and turmoil. A lot of its vast look is because Coogler shoots the film on 65mm IMAX film stock which allows him to get more coverage of the locations and the settings for the overall presentation.
Coogler also uses close-ups and medium shots to play into characters interacting with one another as well as some inventive tracking shots such as a scene of Smoke at a small town to meet the Chows. The direction also has this element of surrealism where Sammie plays a song on the Dobro resonator acoustic guitar that Stack claims is from Charley Patton. It plays into the way music can transcend all sorts of things where it can reach into the past as well as the future. The usage of music whether it is the blues or traditional Irish folk music is a key proponent of the film where Coogler also play into the sense of mysticism and spirituality that the music conjures. With the aid of choreographer Aakomon Jones, Coogler also play in the way music can bring together as it also has this sense of dread and terror that would play into the film’s third act where it does become a pure horror film. It is also where loss comes into play where many of the people who have become vampires are those filled with loss as well as resentment.
The third act is also filled with elements of surrealism as well as revelations about the mill that Smoke and Stack purchased. Notably as it forces people at the joint to fight for their own survival with Sammie at the center due to the music he played as well as being a survivor of what had happened. Coogler uses that film’s opening scene to also be an ending of sorts that would also include a mid-credit scene as it relates to Sammie and everything he endured back in his life. A lot of which plays into the legend of American blues as Clarksdale is a legendary area of where American blues came from dating back to Robert Johnson and the legend that he sold his soul to the devil. Coogler does a lot to play into these myths as it relates to the blues as he creates a film that does act like a blues song. Overall, Coogler crafts an unsettling yet ravishing film about twin brothers trying to create a juke joint in their hometown unaware of the evil forces they are inviting.
Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw does incredible work with the film’s cinematography where the usage of the 65mm film stock allows the film to have beauty in the nighttime interiors for the scenes at the juke joint with the usage of candles and available light as well as the gorgeous and colorful imagery for some of the daytime exteriors as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Michael P. Shawver does excellent work with the editing with its usage of stylish montages for some early bits in the film as well as some rhythmic cut to play into the suspense and horror. Production designer Hannah Beachler, with set decorator Monique Champagne and supervising art director Jesse Rosenthal, does brilliant work with the set design of the town of Clarksdale with its shops as well as the mill where Smoke and Stack have their juke joint as it is the centerpiece of the film. Costume designer Ruth E. Carter does fantastic work with the costumes in the posh-like dresses that Mary and Pearline wear in the juke joint as well as the expensive suits Smoke and Stack wear as well as the ragged look of some of the characters.
Special effects makeup artists Kelsey Berk, Bailey Domke, Lauren Spencer, and Kevin Wasner, along with hair designer Shunika Terry Jennings, do amazing work with the look of the characters in their vampire state with the colorful eyes as well as the hairstyle that many of the characters had at that time. Special effects supervisor Matt Kutcher and visual effects supervisor Michael Ralla do marvelous work with the visual effects as it play into the surreal elements of the film with the elements of mysticism and for some moments of set-dressing for the exterior scenes. Sound designer Steve Boeddeker does superb work with the sound as the layer of sound of what is heard on location as well as the way the music is presented when it is performed live as there are a lot of things that are presented as it is a highlight of the film.
The film’s music by Ludwig Goransson is phenomenal for its hypnotic and unsettling score that is a mixture of ambient, blues, and folk music. With additional production by Goransson’s wife Serena, the music is this collage of styles that play into elements of traditional music with elements of modern music including metal, hip-hop, and electronic music with contributions from musicians like Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, Raphael Saadiq, Lars Ulrich of Metallica, Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains, Bobby Rush, and Buddy Guy. The soundtrack also features elements of traditional blues and Irish folk songs along with original songs performed on set from Miles Caton, Jayme Lawson, Delroy Lindo, Jack O’Connell, Lola Kirke, Peter Dreimanis, and other recorded music from Hailee Steinfeld and Rod Wave. The soundtrack and score is a tremendous highlight of the film as it is a major proponent in the film’s story.
The casting by Francine Maisler is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Helena Hu as the Chow’s daughter Lisa, Saul Williams as Sammie’s preacher father Jedidiah, Mark L. Patrick as a Choctaw horseback scout, David Maldonado as a landowner in Hogwood who sells the mill and its property to Smoke and Stack, Lola Kirke and Peter Dreimanis as married KKK members in Joan and Bert who later join Remmick in wreaking havoc, Yao as Grace’s shopkeeper husband Bo Chow, and Omar Benson Miller as a longtime friend of Smoke and Stack in Cornbread who works at the juke joint as a bouncer. Li Jun Li is fantastic as Grace Chow as a Chinese shopkeeper who creates the sign for the juke joint as well as serving alcohol as she also copes with the chaos that is happening later in the film as well as threats towards her daughter. Jayme Lawson is excellent as Pearline as a young married woman Sammie falls for as she would also prove herself to be a solid blues singer while also dealing with the chaos happening later in the film including being hesitant to eat garlic.
Jack O’Connell is brilliant as the Irish immigrant Remmick who arrives mysteriously as is later revealed to be a vampire as he is fascinated by the music that Sammie plays as he would channel his own traditional Irish folk music to seduce those who follow him. Delroy Lindo is incredible as Delta Slim as a blues musician who knows a lot about music as he is also someone who loves to drink where he is elder statesman of sorts who is aware of Sammie’s talents while also delivering some of the funniest lines in the film. Wunmi Mosaku is amazing as Smoke’s estranged wife who also works in the occult as she believes in superstitions and such while harbors resentment towards Smoke who left Clarksdale after the death of their daughter while also being someone who knows about how to deal with vampires. Hailee Steinfeld is phenomenal as Mary as a former flame of Stack who harbors resentment for being left behind where she hopes to rekindle their relationship while also dealing with the evil outside of the juke joint.
Miles Caton is tremendous in his film debut as Smoke and Stack’s cousin Sammie “Preacher Boy” Moore as a preacher’s son who is also a gifted musician that can play the blues in a way that is entrancing. Yet, he is also someone that is unaware of how gifted he is in how it would attract a form of evil that would haunt him where Caton brings a naturalism to a young man that would encounter fear of the worst kind as it is a major discovery in the film. Finally, there’s Michael B. Jordan in a spectacular dual-performance as the twin siblings Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore. Jordan’s performance as these twins has him bring different subtleties to two different characters with Smoke being the more serious and somber of the twins while Stack is a livelier person than Smoke as there are a lot of nuances that Jordan brings in the two performances. Even as things would intensify where Jordan adds elements of fear and terror in the roles to add up to the suspense and horror as it is a career-defining performance for Jordan.
Sinners is an outstanding film by Ryan Coogler. Featuring great performances from its ensemble cast, a gripping story of loss and fear in the American South, a balance of different genres, intoxicating visuals, an immersive sound design, and a grand yet unsettling music score and soundtrack. This is a film that does not define itself in any genre while also playing into the power of music as it transcends all sorts of things including past, present, and future in all its beauty and ugliness. In the end, Sinners is a magnificent film by Ryan Coogler.
Ryan Coogler Films: Fruitvale Station - Creed - Black Panther - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Auteurs #74: Ryan Coogler
© thevoid99 2025
Spanning from November of 1986 to March of 1993, the film follows the wrongful arrest and conviction of Walter “Johnny D.” McMillian over the murder of a young white woman in Ronda Morrison as he would be represented three years later by an idealist young attorney from Delaware in Bryan Stevenson who would do what he can to exonerate McMillian and prove his innocence. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it is more about a young man dealing with a world that he doesn’t know much of despite having to deal with the prejudices that he also faces as an African-American. The film’s screenplay by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Lanham is straightforward as it opens with McMillian’s arrest after a hard day’s work cutting trees as he’s accused of killing this young white woman as the film then pushes a couple of years later where Stevenson meets a young convict just before Stevenson is officially an attorney where it is a scene that establishes the idealism that follows him and his determination to make things right in the unforgiving environment that is the American South in Monroe County in Alabama.
The script also play into Stevenson not only focusing on McMillian and trying to gain his support as well as the support of his family but also look into the cases of others including a former war veteran in Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan) who is suffering from PTSD as Stevenson tries to save him from execution. Aiding Stevenson in these cases include a local in Eva Ansley (Brie Larson) who helps him find the Equal Justice Initiative as she is disgusted by not just the racism in her home state but also the indifference of prosecutor Tommy Chapman (Rafe Spall) who declines to help Stevenson out in favor of protecting the state. While Stevenson was able to get an alibi from a family friend of McMillian who later backs out, the script shows Stevenson’s determination where he questions another prisoner in Ralph Myers (Tim Blake Nelson) where some major revelations occur about why McMillian was convicted as it leads to major challenges for Stevenson to free McMillian.
Cretton’s direction is largely straightforward to play into its grounded presentation about a real-life story. While the film is set in Alabama and shot partially in Montgomery, much of it is shot on location in and around parts of Atlanta to play into the look and feel of late 1980s/early 1990s Alabama. Cretton does make the locations feel like a world of its own with prison cells also being characters as it is this place of fear where Stevenson has to endure some humiliation in his first visit in Alabama by stripping down where Cretton brings that sense of claustrophobia in the medium shots and close-ups. The usage of those shots add to the prison cell where McMillian is alone with Richardson next door to him on the left and another in Anthony Ray Hinton (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) who was also wrongly convicted. Cretton does use some wide shots to showcase some of the locations including images of trees during a scene where McMillian offer words of comfort to Richardson in one of his PTSD moments.
Cretton also play into this air of racism that is prominent in Alabama where Stevenson is an outsider of sorts as he does get a closer look of what it’s like being a black man in Alabama where a lot of the cops and local authorities are white. Cretton doesn’t paint them as typical villains as a young guard in Jeremy Doss (Hayes Mercure) becomes more sympathetic towards McMillian while the revelations about Myers showcase the similarities towards those who live below the poverty line as he too is a victim. The first act is about Stevenson’s idealism and his attempts to try and get McMillian a retrial while the second act is about these revelations and this retrial for McMillian. Yet, there’s this third act where Cretton goes into deep into the many injustices towards McMillian but also for black men as well as Chapman’s role who is someone disconnected from what is really going on as he has to deal with the status quo who are resistance towards change. Overall, Cretton crafts an engaging and evocative film about a young attorney who tries to free a wrongly-convicted man of murder in Alabama.
Cinematographer Brett Pawlak does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key lights for many of the interior/exterior scenes at night as well as some understated colors for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Editor Nat Sanders does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few jump-cuts to play into some of the film’s intensely-dramatic moments. Production designer Sharon Seymour, with set decorator Maggie Martin and art director Peter Borck, does amazing work with the look of the house that Stevenson and Ansley bought as their headquarters as well as the look of the jail cells the prisoners live in and the court rooms. Costume designer Francine Jamison-Tanchuck does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward with some of the refined clothes of McMillian’s family during the trials and church scenes along with the expensive suits that Chapman wears. Makeup artist Bridgit Crider and hair stylist Crystal Woodford do terrific work with the look of McMillian early in the film as it played into the period of the times along with the look of Ansley in her ragged yet simple look.
Special effects supervisor Nicholas Coleman and visual effects supervisor Chris LeDoux do some fine work with the special effects as it is largely set-dressing for some of the film’s locations along with a few scenes in the prison. Sound editors Onnalee Blank and Katy Wood do superb work with the film’s sound as it help play into the tense atmosphere of the prisons as well as some of its sparse moments and scenes in some of the locations in the film. The film’s music by Joel P. West does wonderful work with the film’s music score as it features elements of orchestral music with some gospel to play into the world that is the American South while music supervisor Gabe Hilfer cultivate a soundtrack that largely features elements of soul, gospel, rock, and R&B as it features pieces from Martha and the Vandellas, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Alabama Shakes, Hilton Felton, Sister Emily Braum, The Mighty Indiana Travelers, Atlantic Starr, Ella Fitzgerald, and a few others.
The casting by Carmen Cuba and Tara Feldstein is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Rhoda Griffs as a judge late in the film, Norm Lewis as the voice of a newscaster, Hayes Mercure as the young prison guard Jeremy Doss who becomes sympathetic towards McMillian during the film as he realizes that McMillian is innocent, Dominic Bogart as Eva’s husband Doug, C.J. LeBlanc as McMillian’s son John, Karen Kendrick as McMillian’s wife Minnie, Darrell Britt-Gibson as a family friend in Darnell who has an alibi for McMillian only to be spooked by the authorities, and Michael Harding as the racist Sheriff Tate who doesn’t care if McMillian is innocent as he is someone trying to instill his authority. O’Shea Jackson Jr. is fantastic as Anthony Ray Hinton as a wrongfully-convicted man who is a cell-neighbor of McMillian as he believes that Stevenson is a man of hope as Stevenson also tries to help him with his own case.
Rafe Spall is superb as Tommy Chapman as a prosecutor who is unwilling to help Stevenson as he would be the opposition as a political figure who is trying to protect his own community while dealing with the fallout of his own actions. Tim Blake Nelson is excellent as the convict Ralph Myers as a white man who made the claim that he saw McMillian commit the murder as he makes some startling revelations where Nelson provides some chilling monologues and moments that showcases a man who had been used as a pawn for a cruel system. Rob Morgan is amazing as the convicted war veteran Herbert Richardson as a man who suffers from PTSD as he awaits his execution as he hopes to save as his performance is heartbreaking to watch as someone who is consumed with guilt while coping about his own fate. Brie Larson is brilliant as Eva Ansley as a local who becomes Stevenson’s right-hand woman as well as a mother who is aware that she is targeted while also doing what she can to help as well as give Stevenson an understanding of the cruelty that is Alabama and the American South.
Jamie Foxx is tremendous as Walter “Johnny D.” McMillian as a man who is wrongly accused of murder as he is skeptical of Stevenson’s intentions due to past attempts by others as he also copes with the many challenges in getting a retrial where Foxx is just understated in his performance as well as a man who clings on to hope knowing that truth can save him. Finally, there’s Michael B. Jordan in a phenomenal performance as Bryan Stevenson as a Harvard-graduate attorney from Delaware who moves to Alabama with ideas to change the world only to deal with some reality that is intense yet Jordan maintains that determination of someone who wants to do what is right as well as understand his own identity as a black man in the South who is just trying to make a small change to a cruel world as it is a career-defining performance for Jordan.
Just Mercy is a sensational film from Destin Daniel Cretton that features great performances from Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Brie Larson. Along with its ensemble cast, understated presentation, an engaging music soundtrack, and its exploration of racism and injustice in the American South. It is a film that manages to explore a young man trying to save another man from injustice while also learning about what to do to combat hate in a world that is prejudice and resistant to change. In the end, Just Mercy is a phenomenal film from Destin Daniel Cretton.
Destin Daniel Cretton Films: (I Am Not a Hipster) – Short Term 12 - (The Glass Castle (2017 film)) – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
© thevoid99 2021
Based on the comic series by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, Black Panther is the story of a king of an isolated yet thriving African country who finds himself dealing with his new role as well as an enemy who wants to claim his right to the throne. Directed by Ryan Coogler and screenplay by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, the film is an exploration of a man trying to protect his country while dealing with some of the drawbacks of his country’s isolationist approach from outsiders as Chadwick Boseman plays the titular role of the hero and the King of Wakanda in T’Challa. Also starring Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Forest Whitaker, Martin Freeman, Leticia Wright, Winston Duke, Andy Serkis, Isaach de Bankole, and Angela Bassett as the Queen Mother of Wakanda in Ramonda. Black Panther is a riveting and exhilarating film from Ryan Coogler.
Following the events in which King T’Challa finds the true killer of his father as well as deal with conflict between Captain America and Iron Man, the new king of Wakanda returns home where he doesn’t just deal with his new role but also the threat of new enemies who challenge T’Challa’s claim to the throne as well as what the country possesses. It’s a film that doesn’t just explore a man dealing with the weight of what he has to do to protect his country and its people but also deal with the sins of the past that his predecessors had made including his own father T’Chaka (John Kani) as it relates to the country’s isolationist persona. The film’s screenplay by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, with un-credited contributions from Donald and Stephen Glover, doesn’t just explore some of the fallacies of being an isolationist country that prefers to keep its resource known as vibranium to itself rather than share it with others in fear they would use the resource for devious reasons.
It’s this sense of isolation that would prove to be futile as the film has a prologue in which the young T’Chaka (Atandwa Kani) confronts a man (Sterling K. Brown) who helped the notorious arms dealer Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) in obtaining vibranium. That man would have a son named Erik “Killmonger” Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) who would later create havoc with Klaue’s help as he has some legitimate reasons for wanting to stake his claim to Wakanda’s throne. For T’Challa, the news about Killmonger as well as his failed attempt to capture Klaue has him turning to his father’s longtime advisor Zuri (Forest Whitaker) about some truths of Killmonger’s identity as well as what happened back in 1992 as it relates to Killmonger’s father. Killmonger’s motivations for wanting to claim his right to the throne definitely has a lot about not just Africa’s role in the world but also the need to rise up against those that had repressed the continent and its people where he sees Wakanda as a country that should lead this revolt. For T’Challa, he understands Killmonger’s reasons but knows that it can go wrong where he finds himself having to deal with Killmonger.
It’s not just Zuri that T’Challa turns to for advice and wisdom but also his mother Ramonda and other tribe elders who express concerns for Killmonger’s claim and Klaue’s black-market dealings. Still, T’Challa has others to count on such as his younger sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) who is the country’s tech genius, his former lover/spy Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), and Okoye (Danai Gurira) who is the leader of the king’s personal bodyguard regiment known as the Dora Milaje who all understand T’Challa’s struggle to make the right decisions. There are also tribe leaders such as longtime friend W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) who wants the country to thrive yet understands that Killmonger has some legitimate views about Wakanda. Killmonger’s threat to the throne would also force T’Challa to turn to a tribe leader in M’Baku (Winston Duke) whose tribe isn’t part of the council due to ideological disagreements as he would see what Killmonger is trying to do with Wakanda.
Coogler’s direction is sprawling not just in its action set pieces but also for the way he would create a country that is unique in the middle of Africa where it disguises itself as a third-world nation but is really a first-class country that has technology that is far more advanced than the rest of the world. Shot mainly at EUE/Screen Gems studio in Atlanta with a few sequences shot in Busan, South Korea and Oakland, California, the film does play into this idea an African country that never experienced being colonized or endure ideas of racism like other countries in Africa. The country of Wakanda is a character in the film where it has this mixture of being pure in its fields, mountains, and rivers while the cities are filled with these immense technological advances but that are also colorful and with its own identity. It’s a country that Coogler created where it feels like it could be real and it also displays elements of tradition and culture that has a lot of respect of what Africa is and what it could be if they weren’t shackled by colonialism and centuries of horrible atrocities and oppression.
Coogler’s direction also has some stylistic flair in its visuals as well as in some of the action scenes where he would create some tracking crane shots to play into the scope of the action as well as some of the dramatic moments in Wakanda. The usage of wide and medium shots do capture that beauty of Wakanda with a great depth of field as Coogler would see what goes inside of the country as it relates to its mines as well as the council meetings where tribe leaders, tribe elders, and others are treated equally in a shot with T’Challa part of this circle. Especially the women as the Dora Milaje is a task force that takes care of business where Coogler knows how to present them with this air of importance as well as knowing they’re a regiment not to be fucked with. The stakes do become more important in the third act where T’Challa has to turn to those who are loyal to him as well as unexpected allies that include CIA agent Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) who would see what Wakanda really is as well as why the country has isolated itself leading to this climax between T’Challa and Killmonger. A showdown that isn’t just about Wakanda’s future but also a chance for the former to prove his worth as the country’s true king. Overall, Coogler crafts a gripping yet thrilling film about a king defending his throne and people from a mysterious outsider.
Cinematographer Rachel Morrison does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of colors and lighting cues for many of the exterior settings in South Korea and Wakanda as well as some low-key yet gorgeous looks for some of the interiors including the vibranium mines and Wakandan herbs. Editor Michael P. Shawver and Claudia Castello do excellent work with the editing as it does have elements of style without going too much into fast-cutting editing styles where it allows the audience to see what is going on as well as provide rhythmic cuts for some of the film’s humorous moments. Production designer Hannah Beachler, with set decorator Jay Hart and supervising art director Alan Hook, does incredible work with the look of Wakanda in the buildings as well as the palace hall and Shuri’s lab to showcase a world that is unique as it is a highlight of the film.
Costume designer Ruth E. Carter does amazing work with the costumes from the look of the Black Panther costumes to the colorful robes and uniforms that the characters wear as it is based on a lot of African clothing as it is another of the film’s highlights. Makeup designer Joel Harlow does fantastic work with the some of the makeup that the characters would sport including some scars in the bodies and prosthetics that one of the tribe elders would have. Special effects supervisor Daniel Sudick and visual effects supervisor Geoffrey Baumann do terrific work with the visual effects in the way they present some of the exteriors of Wakanda and its city as well as the vibranium mines and other things including Shuri’s technology as it is another highlight of the film.
Sound designer Steve Boeddeker, along with co-sound editor Benjamin A. Burtt, does superb work with the sound as it help play into some unique sound effects as well as textures in the sound to play into the locations and weapons that are used. The film’s music by Ludwig Goransson is phenomenal for its bombastic mixture of orchestral music with elements of traditional African music in its mixture of string and vocal music as it play into the world that is Africa while music supervisor Dave Jordan would provide a mixture of traditional African music and some hip-hop with original songs by Kendrick Lamar who would help cultivate a soundtrack that features contributions from Vince Staples, SZA, 2 Chainz, Schoolboy Q, Saudi, Khalid, Swae Lee, Yugen Blakrok, Jorja Smith, Future, the Weekend, and several others as it’s a highlight of the film.
The casting by Sarah Finn is tremendous as it feature some notable small roles from John Kani as T’Challa’s father T’Chaka, Atandwa Kani as the young T’Chaka, Denzel Whitaker as the young Zuri, the quartet of Danny Sapani, Connie Chiume, Dorothy Steel, and Isaach de Bankole as tribe elders, Seth Carr as the boy version of Killmonger, Ashton Tyler as the young T’Challa, the obligatory cameo from comic co-creator Stan Lee, Florence Kasumba as Okoye’s right-hand woman Ayo who is second-in-command of the Dora Milaje, and Sterling K. Brown in a small yet pivotal role as a Wakdadan agent who would play a major role into the drama that would occur many years later. Andy Serkis is terrific as Ulysses Klaue as a black-market arms dealer that is trying to get a hold of vibranium to sell as it is a comical yet fun performance from Serkis. Forest Whitaker is superb as Zuri as a royal advisor who was a friend of T’Chaka as he would guide T’Challa about his role as well as carry secrets that he knew would haunt him. Angela Bassett is fantastic as Queen mother Ramonda as T’Challa and Shuri’s mother who would help T’Challa with his role as well as deal with revelations about Killmonger.
Daniel Kaluuya is excellent as W’Kabi as a tribe leader who leads the country’s border defense team that is a friend of T’Challa who finds himself intrigued by what Killmonger is offering while Winston Duke is brilliant as M’Baku as a tribe leader of an isolated mountain clan who has issues with T’Challa but realizes the seriousness of Killmonger’s threats. Martin Freeman is amazing as Everett K. Ross as a CIA agent trying to capture Klaue in South Korea only to be injured by an attack where he’s taken to Wakanda as he learns about the country and helps T’Challa deal with Killmonger. Danai Gurira is incredible as Okoye as the leader of the Dora Milaje special forces unit whose job is to protect the king as she is also a traditionalist of sorts as it relates to Wakanda as she also sees Killmonger as a serious threat to everything she stands for. Letitia Wright is marvelous as Shuri as T’Challa’s teenage sister who is considered to be the smartest person in the world as she creates much of the country’s technology as well as provide gadgets for her brother and is also willing to defend her brother’s throne by any means necessary.
Lupita Nyong’o is remarkable as Nakia as a former lover of T’Challa as a spy for the country who works to liberate people from other countries as she helps T’Challa in his new role as well as the threat of Killmonger whom she sees as a dangerous extreme. Michael B. Jordan is phenomenal as Erik “Killmonger” Stevens as a mercenary who has legitimate claims to the throne of Wakanda as he’s an unconventional villain that has not just political and social motivations for his claim to the throne but also personal as he displays a sense of charisma that makes him a top-tier antagonist that has some compelling arguments about Wakanda’s place in the world. Finally, there’s Chadwick Boseman in a sensational performance as the titular character/King T’Challa of Wakanda as a man who has just become king as he deals with his new role and the new threats that are emerging where it’s a performance that has humor but also a gracefulness and the need to display humility as a man that is trying to create his own legacy but also play a role that carries a lot of weight as it’s a career-defining performance for Boseman.
Black Panther is a tremendous film from Ryan Coogler. Featuring an incredible ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, top-notch art direction, stylish costumes, thrilling visual effects, a killer music score and soundtrack, and themes that are willing to engage audiences about political and social themes around the world. It’s a film that isn’t just an entertaining and riveting superhero film but it offers so much more as it allows audience ideas of what an African country could be but also what it could for the world and the people with a simple message that universal and relevant. In the end, Black Panther is a magnificent film from Ryan Coogler.
Ryan Coogler Films: Fruitvale Station - Creed (2015 film) - Sinners (2025 film) - The Auteurs #74: Ryan Coogler
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers (2012 film)
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man & the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Captain Marvel - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Eternals – Spider-Man: No Way Home – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Ryan Coogler and screenplay by Coogler and Aaron Covington from a story by Coogler that is based on characters created by Sylvester Stallone, Creed is the story of a young man who is the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed who wants to follow in his father’s footsteps as he seeks the help from his father’s greatest opponent in Rocky Balboa. The film is a spin-off of sorts of the Rocky series that has Balboa return to the world of boxing but as a mentor to the son of his greatest opponent while he is fighting his own personal battles as Stallone reprises his role as Balboa with Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed. Also starring Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Tony Bellew, Graham McTavish, and Phylicia Rashad. Creed is a thrilling and evocative film from Ryan Coogler.
The film follows a young man named Adonis Johnson who learns at a young age that he’s the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed from Creed’s widow Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad) who adopts him hoping he would get the chance of a life without any complications. Yet, Adonis yearns to fight like the father he never knew as he travels from Los Angeles to Philadelphia to meet the man who was considered his father’s greatest opponent in Rocky Balboa who had disconnected himself from the world of boxing as he’s reluctant to return to that world. The film’s screenplay by Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington definitely provide some insight into who Apollo Creed was before he fought Balboa as well as the fact that he was a flawed man who cheated on his wife just before he died. Yet, it is more about this young man in Adonis who is trying to make his own mark without using his father’s namesake as he wants to do it on his own despite the fact that he’s given a great education, a stable job, and a home that many struggling boxers would want.
Unfortunately, Adonis still has a chip of his shoulder of not feeling wanted nor feeling like he has an identity as he turns to Balboa for help who has his own reasons for not wanting to train him. Still, Balboa sees the passion in Adonis and the hunger to fight as he would train and mentor him while Adonis finds his footing in Philadelphia where he embarks on a relationship with a young R&B singer named Bianca (Tessa Thompson) where they both live in the same building. The script doesn’t just play into Adonis coming into his own as a boxer and a person but also Balboa struggling with the past as well as the fact that he’s becoming sick forcing him to confront his own mortality having already lost so many people in his life. The film’s climax does involve a big fight where Adonis not only has to accept his namesake but also fight a top fighter who is about to go into forced retirement due to an impending prison sentence.
Coogler’s direction is stylish in terms of not just some of the compositions but also in the way he would create scenes in the film. Shot mainly in Philadelphia with some of it in Los Angeles as well as the film’s climax in Liverpool, the film does have a somewhat worldly feel yet it is grounded in the streets as it play into Adonis’ need to connect with the real world as he is first seen as a child fighting with another boy at juvenile center where he would meet Mary Anne Creed for the first time. Much of the direction is intimate as Coogler would use a lot of medium shots and close-ups to play into Adonis’ encounter with people including scenes with Bianca as they’re both individuals fighting to reach a certain dream as well as having similar struggles as Bianca wears hearing aids in her ear due to some disease. That sense of grounding in Coogler’s direction gives the film an air of authenticity that often lacks in boxing films while using Philadelphia as this epicenter of an array of diverse cultures.
While there are some wide shots in some scenes, Coogler’s approach to directing the few fights in the film are stylish as the first major professional fight for Adonis against a top contender from Philadelphia is shot entirely in one-take for two rounds with a long tracking shot with Steadicam cameras to capture the fight. It’s among a few moments in the film where Coogler would create something that feels technical but also add a realism to what goes on inside the ring. The direction does have a few visual references to the Rocky films yet it remains all about Adonis and what he has to fight for in the film’s climax where he goes up against the light heavyweight world champ in “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew) as it carries a lot of weight into what is at stake. Overall, Coogler crafts an enthralling and rapturous film about a young man trying to make his own mark in the world with the help of the man who gave his father one of his great fights.
Cinematographer Maryse Alberti does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting for many of the scenes set in the daytime along with some stylish lights for some of the interior scenes set at night. Editor Michael P. Shawver and Claudia Castello does excellent work with the stylish cuts as it has elements of jump-cut and slow-motion cuts to play into the drama as well as the training montages and the fights. Production designer Hannah Beachler, with art directors Danny Brown and Jesse Rosenthal plus set decorator Amanda Carroll, does fantastic work with the look of the house that Mary Anne lives in as well as the apartment that Adonis lives in at Philadelphia as well as the gyms that he goes to with Balboa. Costume designers Antoinette Messam and Emma Potter do terrific work with the costumes as it is mostly casual to play into the look of winter-time Philadelphia as well as the look of the boxing trunks Adonis and other fighters would wear.
Visual effects supervisors Alison O’Brien and Dean Wright do nice work with the film’s minimal visual effects as it is mainly used for the film’s climax for the size of the crowd in some shots of the film. Sound editor Benjamin A. Burtt does amazing work with the sound in the way some of the punches are presented as well as the sound of the crowds in the fights and the way music is heard at the apartment Adonis is living in. The film’s music by Ludwig Goransson is superb for its mixture of orchestral bombast with elements of R&B grooves, hip-hop beats, and electronic textures to play into the local atmosphere of Philadelphia while including elements of Bill Conti’s score music from the Rocky films while music supervisor Gabe Hilfer creates a fun soundtrack that consists of blues, R&B, and hi-hop from acts such as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, 2Pac, the Roots with John Legend, Meek Mill, and several others from the Philadelphia hip-hop and R&B music scene.
The casting by Kathy Driscoll and Francine Maisler is incredible as it feature some notable appearances and small roles from the famed cut man Jason “Stich” Duran as Adonis’ cut man, Andre Ward and Gabriel Rosado as a couple of light heavyweight fighters Adonis encounters with, Alex Henderson as the young Adonis, Ritchie Coster as one of Rocky’s old opponents in Pete Sporino who is now a trainer whose son is a fighter training at Rocky’s old gym, and Wood Harris as Tony “Duke” Evers’ son Tony Jr. who runs a gym in L.A. that isn’t keen on training Adonis as he’s training another fighter that was supposed to fight Conlan. Tony Bellew is terrific as the light heavyweight champion “Pretty” Ricky Conlan as a top boxer who likes to talk trash as well as be trouble as he would become Adonis’ top opponent hoping to beat him.
Graham McTavish is superb as Conlan’s manager/trainer Tommy Holiday as a man who is trying to take care of Conlan’s business as well as be the one to set the fight against Adonis. Phylicia Rashad is fantastic as Mary Anne Creed as Apollo’s widow and Adonis’ stepmother who is not keen on having Adonis follow in his father’s footsteps as well as wanting to protect him from being beaten as she has to accept the fact that he is his father’s son. Tessa Thompson is excellent as Bianca as an R&B singer-songwriter trying to make it as she befriends Adonis and becomes his girlfriend while trying to understand his struggle towards his father’s legacy and other issues in his life.
Sylvester Stallone is phenomenal as Rocky Balboa as the former boxing legend who has retired as he reluctantly becomes Adonis’ trainer and mentor while dealing with his own mortality as Stallone provides some charm and wit but also a humility and grace of a man facing his life and the guilt over the loss of one of his greatest friends. Finally, there’s Michael B. Jordan in a sensational performance as Adonis Johnson-Creed as the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed who is trying to define his own legacy as he struggles with his identity as it’s a performance with some humility and charisma but also a grounding as a young man coping with the legacy of the man he never knew.
Creed is a tremendous film from Ryan Coogler that features great performances from Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone. Along with its incredible ensemble cast, top-notch direction, gritty visuals, and a hypnotic soundtrack, it’s a film that isn’t just a worthy entry into the Rocky series but also a boxing film that explores a young man trying to find himself in and out of the ring. In the end, Creed is a spectacular film from Ryan Coogler.
Ryan Coogler Films: Fruitvale Station - Black Panther (2018 film) - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Sinners (2025 film) - The Auteurs #74: Ryan Coogler
Rocky Films: Rocky - (Rocky II) – (Rocky III) – (Rocky IV) – (Rocky V) – (Rocky Balboa) – (Creed II) - (Creed III)
© thevoid99 2017
Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station is the true story about the last day of a young man’s life. The film is based on a real-life incident in which this young man is killed by police officers in a transit station in Oakland as it was seen by many. Starring Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray, Ahna O’Reilly, and Octavia Spencer. Fruitvale Station is a mesmerizing yet chilling film from Ryan Coogler.
At 2:15 AM on New Year’s Day 2009 at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland, California, a 22-year old man named Oscar Grant III was shot by a BART police officer while resisting arrest over a scuffle in the train. The incident was captured by video cameras and cell phones that night as Grant would later die from his wounds hours later. The film explores the final day of Grant’s life as it plays into this young man’s life as he’s a father to a little girl as he is hoping to start new in the New Year with his girlfriend as he gives up dealing marijuana. While Grant is also a flawed man who also served some time in prison, he is someone who wants to do right for his girlfriend, his daughter, and his mother as he got food and stuff for his mother’s birthday while partying with friends to celebrate the New Year until it all went tragically wrong.
Ryan Coogler’s screenplay is quite straightforward in terms of its approach to storytelling though the story does allow one flashback scene in which Oscar (Michael B. Jordan) reflects on his previous jail time as he meets his mother (Octavia Spencer) which plays to Oscar’s resolve to give up drug dealing despite the troubled situation he’s in as he lost his job and owes rent money. Still, Oscar is dedicated to his girlfriend Sophina (Melonie Diaz) and their daughter Tatiana (Ariana Neal) as he is willing to do right despite the fact that he’s sort of a screw-up. Still, Oscar is a guy who is very kind and generous while there’s a brief moment where he meets a man who went through similar struggles that Oscar is going through yet gives him advice as well as an opportunity to help Oscar. These little moments would showcase the kind of man Oscar is and why his death is so tragic.
Coogler’s direction is very engaging for the way he explores the last day of Grant’s life as he goes for something that is straightforward but also be very direct into the events that was happening in Grant’s final day. A lot of the direction is very intimate but also broad as Coogler goes for a lot of hand-held cameras without being very shaky while creating some dazzling compositions to play up the sense of beauty in Grant’s world. The scene of Grant’s shooting is really one of the most intense moments of the film that showcases what probably happened before the police came in which leads to a very intense moment where Grant and his friends are confronted by the police and the incident that would change everything. The film opens with the actual footage of what happened to Grant while there are some very haunting moments that is told with great simplicity in the aftermath of the shooting. Overall, Coogler creates a very stark but powerful film about a man’s life being taken away by injustice.
Cinematographer Rachel Morrison does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the straightforward look of the daytime scenes to the more low-key look for some of the exterior scenes at night with the exception of the scene at the train station. Editors Claudia Castello and Michael P. Shawver do amazing work with the editing in creating a few jump-cuts for some scenes as well as some methodical cutting to play up the suspense in relation to the shooting. Production designer Hannah Beachler and set decorator Kris Boxell do nice work with some of the set pieces such as the homes the characters live in as well as a few of the places the characters go to.
Costume designer Aggie Guerard Rodgers does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual for many of the characters. Visual effects supervisor Catherine Tate does superb work with the film‘s minimal effects that involve the popping up of cell phone screens to showcase certain messages and such that would play a key part in the story. Sound designer Bob Edwards does fantastic work with the sound to convey the atmosphere of some of the intimate moments as well as the scenes in the train and the train station. The film’s music by Ludwig Goransson is incredible for its haunting yet evocative score filled with low-key ambient pieces with its keyboards and guitars to convey the drama while music supervisors Jonathan Leahy, Manish Raval, and Tom Wolfe create a soundtrack that is mostly filled with hip-hop to play into the world that Grant and his friends live in.
The casting by Nina Henninger is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Chad Michael Murray and Kevin Durand as the two BRAT officers who arrest Grant on that horrible night along with Ahna O’Reilly as young woman Oscar meets at the supermarket as she later sees him at the train on that horrible night. Other notable small roles include Marjorie Shears as Oscar’s grandmother and Ariana Neal as Oscar and Sophina’s daughter Tatiana. Melonie Diaz is wonderful as Oscar’s girlfriend Sophina as a woman dealing with his flaws as she is also aware that he is trying to do right as she brings a very chilling restraint late in the film that includes the film’s ending.
Octavia Spencer is amazing as Oscar’s mother Wanda who is a kind soul but also very stern at times while Spencer would convey something very powerful very late in the film that plays to the tragedy. Finally, there’s Michael B. Jordan in a remarkable performance as Oscar Grant III as Jordan brings an intensity into his performance as a young man trying to start anew while adding a sensitivity to his role as someone who is kind and generous while being a good father to his daughter as it’s a real breakthrough for the young actor.
Fruitvale Station is a brooding yet outstanding film from Ryan Coogler that features great performances from Michael B. Jordon, Melonie Diaz, and Octavia Spencer. It’s a film that explores a day in the life of a young man before his tragic death and the injustice it would carry without over-dramatizing the true story nor under-playing it. It’s also a film that showcases a world where things don’t go the way it seems in terms of what happened as well as its troubling aftermath that showcases an injustice over what happened. In the end, Fruitvale Station is a magnificent film from Ryan Coogler.
Ryan Coogler Films: Creed (2015 film) - Black Panther (2018 film) - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Sinners (2025 film) - The Auteurs #74: Ryan Coogler
© thevoid99 2013
