*When it comes to horror, “Sinners“ doesn’t just aim to make you jump — it wants you to remember.
Set in 1930s Mississippi, the Ryan Coogler-directed vampire thriller fuses chilling genre elements with powerful, under-told stories rooted in race, culture, and Southern survival.
But beyond the blood and sharp teeth, the film offers something even deeper: characters that carry the weight of real history.
EUR spoke with stars Delroy Lindo, Omar Miller, and Li Jun Li about the emotional layers that make “Sinners” far more than just another scary movie.
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For Li Jun Li, stepping into this role meant uncovering an entire piece of American history often overlooked: the Chinese-American presence in the segregated South.
“I had no idea about the Chinese American community in the Mississippi Delta during that time,” she admitted. “But I learned they were an integral part of that world. If you closed your eyes and heard them speak, you’d never imagine them to look like me.”
She applauded Coogler’s commitment to telling stories that dig deeper than the surface.
“It was fascinating to learn how fully immersed they were in the culture and that Ryan chose to center that truth in this film made it really special.”
Omar Miller shared that Sinners hit especially close to home.
“I’m the grandson of sharecroppers from Mississippi,” he said. “So this story, this world, it felt familiar in a way that made the work personal. These were stories I heard growing up.”
Lindo didn’t hesitate when asked what first came to mind about his character.
“I swear to God, I’ve never thought of this before, but what came to me just now was: Delta Slim is a magic man,” Lindo said thoughtfully. “A magic man whose magic has maybe been soiled… dragged through the mud. But it’s still there. Still making music. Still surviving.”
It was a powerful moment that reflected not only his character’s emotional arc but the entire spirit of Sinners, surviving even when scarred.
Of course, Sinners is still a horror film, and it brings the intensity. When asked what scene or moment might leave audiences gasping, Lindo circled back to the film’s broader purpose:
“From the very first time I read the script, I felt the magnitude of this story. Ryan is using horror to tell something much larger. Yes, there are scares, but it was always about what’s underneath.”
That “underneath” includes buried history, generational pain, resilience, and reclaiming stories through genre in ways rarely seen on screen.
As Lindo put it best:
“It’s a magic story. And we need more of those.”
Sinners opens in theatres on April 18.
Jill Munroe is a Los Angeles-bred entertainment journalist, producer, and host. Follow her on social media @StilettoJill or visit JillMunroe.com. Catch her live M-F on KBLA Talk 1580 from 6PM to 7PM.
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