2025 has been a relatively disappointing year for film thus far. Between big-budget disappointments like “Captain America: Brave New World” and underwhelming genre breakouts like “Death of a Unicorn” and “Opus,” it’s hard to feel like the first few months of the year will be anything but a miserable period of time to be a cinephile. Nonetheless, Ryan Coogler was finally given the freedom to make a completely original genre film with “Sinners,” and to no one’s surprise, managed to capture the popular culture zeitgeist with an inventive mix of action, scares, humor, and heart.

“Sinners” is in many ways the ideal cinematic experience. While there’s enough substance within Coogler’s social and historical commentary to appease those who seek a deeper experience, the film is also entertaining as a crowd pleaser, so it should still be entertaining for those who are only wanting to see action and suspense.