Sammie’s song for his father is called “I Lied to You”(Co-written by Ludwig Göransson and Raphael Saadiq). Sinners begins at the end with this preacher’s boy returning to his family’s makeshift church after surviving the harrowing night at the Juke. As Sammie holds onto the neck of his destroyed guitar for dear life, his father begs him to put the guitar down and embrace the pulpit. Isn’t all he’s seen enough to give up the devil’s playthings and stay safe with him and pray?
Sammie can’t do that. He loves the blues.
Sammie loves the blues because he loves life and all that comes with it. Born into poverty under Jim Crow, Sammie greets each day with gratitude, kindness, curiosity, and a desire to share his incredible gifts with the world.
I didn’t love the blues—maybe I never knew it. I have always associated blues with its maudlin themes, ignoring until now that joy stands right next to it. I have long preferred the rhythm of R&B—that boogie woogie—over the wobbly strings of a guitar or the warbles from a harmonica. Blues thrives in contradiction. It loves the saint and the sinner equally. It doesn’t seek to hide from grief, anger, frustration, weakness, or the devil. To do so would also deny the pleasure and possibility of being alive.
Where “Tha Crossroads” lingers in grief and mourning, I find my hip-hop blues in De La Soul’s stripped-down reflections. Songs like “I Am I Be” and “Trying People” (see also The Grind Date & And The Anonymous Nobody…) remove artifice, mute the boom bap, and bare the soul of rappers taking stock of their lot in life at specific moments in time. These songs provide clarity and hope during challenging times, not by false bravado but through vulnerability and tenderness. Their mere existence as marvels of creativity let me know that whatever I’m going through, I will survive it. I may even thrive.
That is the motivation of all the film’s protagonists. They all buy into the Juke Joint dream of the Smokestack Twins because they can see the possibilities despite the dangers. They all gladly trade the doldrums of their everyday for just the chance to feel truly free away from the watchful eyes of their oppressors. By the end, most lose their lives but never give up their agency.
I’m starting to understand the blues.
In the film, Delta Slim tells the tragic tale of a friend who was a victim of the oppressive racism of 1930s Mississippi before turning his harmonica into a beautiful expression of all the trouble he’s seen and endured. My mind turns to Nina Simone and the unimaginable woe she conveys in her performance of “Mississippi Goddamn.” Simone doesn’t appear on the soundtrack or the official playlist that Coogler and Göransson put together, but Alice Smith does. She covered Simone’s “I Put A Spell on You” on a tribute album from a decade ago. In the weeks before the release of Sinners, I just so happened to be revisiting Smith’s debut album, For Lovers, Dreamers, and Me.
The surreal montage “Magic What We Do” awakens the lead vampire’s interest in Sammie in the movie and has stirred something deep in me. I’m weaving across genre, time, space, and race, as I reckon with my relationship with this powerful music.
Later in the podcast, Göransson refers to the silver-adorned instrument Sammie carries with him throughout the film as “The Hero Guitar.” Woody Guthrie—the American folk singer and songwriter inspired by the black blues artists of his time—often performed with a hero guitar of his own. Guthrie’s axe wasn’t meant to ward off vampires like those in Sinners. He wanted his audiences to know that “This Machine Kills Fascists.”
As Sinners enters its second weekend in theaters, you’d think this town would be overjoyed: a high-concept, Black-led, original studio film opens to over $55 million putting butts in seats at screens across the country and helping to reverse the dismal box office trends of early 2025. But if you’d only read the trade coverage from last weekend, you might think Ryan Coogler’s big swing had stumbled.
The film’s creators and cast are predominantly black, making all the muted praise seem tinged with bias, whether conscious or not. An anonymous defender of the deal terms gives us this clunker (from that same Vulture article):
Look, here’s the problem in Hollywood, okay? There’s no rationale or logic behind absolutely anything. So anytime there is a filmmaker who has a lot of heat and — I hate to say this — but when you have a diverse or a female filmmaker who has a lot of heat off a movie, it’s all about, What can I get? Hollywood will pay for what they have to pay for. If you control it, and you have a lot of bidders, you can make a different kind of market.
“Conventional wisdom is more often convention and not wisdom,” replied Franklin Leonard, founder of The Black List and a relentless critic of Hollywood’s double standards. “It is a preconception that is not rooted in data. Let’s look at the numbers.”
But, I was curious, what are the numbers telling us?
Sinners had the best Easter Weekend gross for any film not based on existing intellectual property, such as a sequel, reboot, book adaptation, or true story.
Sinners also compares admirably with similar releases from other auteur directors.
Outside of Jordan Peele’s Us, which had a massive opening on a minimal budget, Ryan Coogler’s project aligns with other directors known for singular vision and a high hit rate for Originals. Sinners sits comfortably with well-regarded hits from Christopher Nolan, M. Night Shyamalan, Peele, and Quentin Tarantino.
There is also a widespread misperception in the industry that content starring Black actors will not perform well with international audiences. In 2019, the top films with Black leads were distributed in 30 percent fewer international markets on average—yet they earned nearly the same global box-office sales as films with White leads and earned more than those on a per-market basis.
Coogler received a budget commensurate with similar directors, and the cast and crew did international press tour dates in London and Mexico City. By comparison, Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and had local premieres featuring the on- and off-screen talent in London, Berlin, and Tokyo.
As the McKinsey study suggests, the black-led film appears to have received a smaller global rollout than one by a white director with an equivalent budget and similar deal terms.
So why was …Hollywood framed as a hit while Sinners was met with skepticism despite their similarities?
Studio execs, agents, and consultants might debate deal structures (and defend their decisions to pass on this project now that it is a hit) as we all worry about Hollywood’s future. Some might roll their eyes at Ryan Coogler’s desire to have ownership terms that align with the premise of his magnum opus. Still, creatives should applaud him for taking advantage of the unique opportunity this project and his commercial and critical track record offered him at this point in his career.
Audiences already know what’s up. Franklin Leonard encouraged us to see Sinners again at this week’s live taping of Nobody Knows Anything. “Make an entertainment journalist mad,” he joked. The crowd’s response suggested they didn’t need much convincing. Their second or third screening tickets were already burning holes in their pockets like sunlight to a vampire.
“I been in my bag addin’ weight. Tryna throw a bag in the safe”
— Anderson .Paak
What did you do in 2019 that you’d never done before?
We bought a house.
There was also the two week period across April and May when I traveled from LA to Miami (first time in the city) to LA to NYC to LA to Mexico City (also, a first) to LA and back to Florida with no more than a day’s rest every time I was back in LA.
That was nuts.
I’m sure there were other firsts, but those stand out.
Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I remarked to Tiffany yesterday that I appreciated my body lately. My hips are loosening thanks to some focus on my stretching and yoga in that area. And while the number on the scale isn’t where I would like, I like the angles of my physique these days. I have been having some of the longest and best workouts of my life in the last few weeks and broke my elliptical record today.
So, yeah, I did that.
I don’t know that I’ll make resolutions this year. I saw something somewhere—Instagram, probably—that suggested that instead of setting goals, write down what you’re excited about in the new year. I kind of like that idea.
Yes. We attended the wedding of a close family friend in October and delighted in the marriage of one of our favorite Sparks players.
Did anyone close to you die?
There were some unexpected deaths in acquaintance circles, but I don’t think the reaper came to the doors of anyone close to me.
What countries did you visit?
Mexico was the only country outside of the USA I made it to this year.
What would you like to have in 2020 that you lacked in 2019?
Time. There was a lot of change and transition in 2019. These changes required me to be outside of my routines and comfort zones for much of the last three months. That led to me not making the best use of my free time when I had it and not utilizing my time most optimally when I was on someone else’s clock.
I’m entering the year with a plan to tackle this problem.
What date from 2019 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
What was your most significant achievement of the year?
I got promoted again this year.
I also got invited to interview for a job with a much fancier title than the one I have right now at a desirable place, which was very flattering but ultimately not for me at this time. My work and what I bring to the table being recognized and compensated appropriately felt big this year. As Clarence Avant says over and over again in The Black Godfather, “Life is about one thing, numbers.”
And, you know, I am currently a numbers guy.
What was your biggest failure?
Every time I walked past my unhoused neighbors and felt helpless instead of offering help or a neighborly word.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
I was incredibly healthy this year (knock on wood).
What was the best thing you bought?
The condo.
Every time I walk the three blocks to Ventura boulevard or the two blocks to the grocery store or trek on foot to the library or stop at Trader Joe’s or the mall on the way home or use our kitchen or admire our views are reminders that this was the right choice.
My mom asked if we were getting excited about paying the mortgage every month and watching the number come down. Excited isn’t the right word. Maybe the right word is gratifying.
To know that paying it isn’t a struggle is nice.
Whose behavior merited celebration?
Round two for last year’s all-star. Melle continues to do the damn thing. Now under her non-profit shingle.
Where did most of your money go?
Did you know buying property is expensive?
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
WNBA All-Star in Vegas was everything and more, and I was hyped the whole time.
Unequivocally happier. It’s been a grand year in my corner of the world.
ii. Thinner or fatter?
I weigh almost the same as the beginning of the year but feel great.
iii. Richer or poorer?
We still make that paper, and now we own property.
What do you wish you’d done more of?
More time for family and friends. More dates with the lady. More hosting people in our new home.
What do you wish you’d done less of?
Idling on the iPad. Tik Tok is addictive as hell.
How did you spend Christmas?
Here in LA. My parents and sister came to the house, and we made brunch together. We had a small but meaningful gift exchange. And the Clippers beat the Lakers.
Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger by Rebecca Traister
The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
The Avant-Guards, Vol. 1 by Carly Usdin
What was your most significant musical discovery of 2019?
I hadn’t paid much attention to Nipsey Hussle’s music before he was killed in the spring. He was so beloved in Los Angeles, though, that I had to stop and figure out why. It was a revelation.
I get it now.
What did you want and get?
Impeachment even though ain’t nothin’ goan happen.
What did you want and not get?
A resignation. All things considered, though, it’s been such a good year personally and professionally, ain’t no complaints.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Nearly the same note as last year: The Sparks did go deep into the WNBA Playoffs this year but flamed out in one of the most head-scratching exits in league history.
I worry the championship window is closing for this team in this configuration, but I’m hoping there’s one more run in 2020.
What political issue stirred you the most?
My interests this year were more local than the national garbage fire that is this current administration. LA figuring out real solutions to our homelessness and general housing issues is top of mind every time I enter our community.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
R. Kelly.
How would you describe your fashion concept in 2019?
I cleaned up nicely this year with more blazers, fancy button-downs, and quality shoes.
What kept you sane?
Reading or listening to the news on my schedule. Keeping my nose in a book. Hitting the gym nearly every day.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Regina King had herself a year, didn’t she? Kenan Thompson’s work on SNL has been next level.
Who did you miss?
Shana. While I’m happy with my current work situation, not getting to talk pop culture and process with her every day was and is a bummer.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2019.
Do what you say you’re going to do.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“Bossed up, flossed up, fly like a saucer, live in the moment.”
“What would you do, you knew you couldn’t fail I have no fear of anything, do everything well I have no fear of jail, I was born in the trap I have no fear of death, we all born to do that It’s just life, I’m just nice, tonight I might raise my price”
— The Carters
I was writing my 2019 plan, but then Shana showed up in my inbox and, well, I’m going to take a detour.
What did you do in 2018 that you’d never done before?
Felt unafraid to stand up for myself and others. I’ve stood up before. It’s the lack of fear that’s new and to do so in ways that remained true to me and how I operate. I didn’t imagine how someone else—someone I imagine as stronger than me—would do a thing, I did it as me. In my voice, in my way, and with the confidence that doing what’s right can be scary but doesn’t mean you gotta be scared.
I also worked with yeast in my baking for the first time, and it was a hit.
And, I had a case of gout. Shout-out to middle-age.
Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions and will you make more for next year?
The act of gift giving this holiday season was, perhaps, my most explicit confirmation of that as, to a person, I felt like I gave presents that reflected what I knew and understood about them and our relationship, specifically.
Staying present enough to remember most birthdays, anniversaries, and other special moments felt great and is a behavior I definitely want to continue.
I’m inspired at the end of this year, though, by my friends that are committing so heavily to serve our communities. Those actively working to make the world a bit better for those who are most in need and leveling up their own personal development in the process. My 2019 mission will be centered around these broader ideas of generosity.
Did anyone close to you have a child?
Not in the immediate circle but there were babies this year, and I got a chance to babysit, even if only for a few minutes in Disneyland.
The only weddings I (virtually) attended were Royal.
Did anyone close to you die?
A great aunt passed, and I can sense that one matters more than maybe some others in recent years. There’s a sadness in my grandmother’s voice that hasn’t gone away now that this sister, in particular, is gone and it breaks my heart every time I hear it in our conversations.
What countries did you visit?
I stayed domestic this year, but there are discussions of trips south of the border for 2019.
What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?
What was your most significant achievement of the year?
The best compliment I got was someone told me that they were not only a better employee but a better person for having worked on my team. I think that’s a reflection of a communication philosophy that I’ve worked on most of my professional life but became second nature in 2018: empathetic candor.
I want people to seek my counsel and know that they are going to get an honest conversation with no ulterior motives, ill will, or bad faith on my part. Kindness, honesty, and generosity of spirit is the vibe I think I most conveyed this year.
What was your biggest failure?
One afternoon, as I rushed to catch a bus I was running late for, I saw a man with a walker moving awfully slowly to cross the street to get to his destination. Maybe he didn’t need or want my help, but I didn’t even offer, choosing my convenience over kindness.
Every time I made that choice this year, I failed.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
Gout sucks. It feels like you’ve broken a toe and I do not recommend flying when you have it. Your foot is already swollen, and air travel will only exacerbate the issue.
I was full of foot ailments this year. I also had to correct plantar fasciitis with therapeutic insoles in nearly all my shoes.
What was the best thing you bought?
Mentioned above, but I really dug the holiday gifts I gave this year. Money well spent. I also like Apple TV and the series 4 Apple Watch is aces (as is the iPad Pro Tiffany gave me).
Whose behavior merited celebration?
My friend Melle has spent this year working so hard to battle food insecurity in Los Angeles through her own personal efforts and in partnership with local groups like Beauty 2 The Streetz. Every time I spend time with her discussing this work that she’s so passionate about, I’m inspired to do more and am reminded that giving time, effort, and energy to things with impact is the best way to live.
Where did most of your money go?
Who even knows? Basketball and bills? We saved more this year. I spent a little more on clothes. Lots of non-profit organizations and political campaigns got checks from.
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Black Panther. I’m still really, really, really excited about that movie, the music, the experience, it’s success and how it wasn’t alone in the popular culture.
What song will always remind you of 2018?
Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder?
I’m rarely very up or very down, but I lean towards optimism so let’s assume I’m happier.
ii. Thinner or fatter?
I weigh almost exactly the same as the beginning of the year, but I’m leaner.
iii. Richer or poorer?
We made that paper this year.
What do you wish you’d done more of?
Journaling and meditation: my days were always better when I started that way.
Volunteering: I gave money and advice regularly but rarely did I give of my time in 2018.
What do you wish you’d done less of?
Twitter and Instagram scrolling
Stewing in my own juices
How did you spend Christmas?
Here in LA with Tiffany and my family. The weather was gorgeous. The food was great. The gifts were delightful. There was so much basketball. I felt like the Björk song.
What was your favorite TV program?
Killing Eve was the best and most surprising show I watched all year.
Also worth your time:
The final season of The Americans
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
Saga, Volumes 8 and 9 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
What was your most significant musical discovery of 2018?
Rosalia. She is a late in the year find courtesy of many a best of list, but her full-length El Mal Querer is incredible and has become my entry point into the wonderful world of Spanish language pop. I’m excited to dig deep in 2019.
Mass shootings and gun violence made me feel sad and helpless (but inspired by the actions of the youth in this country in their aftermath). The nomination of Brett Kavanaugh and the way Christine Blasey Ford was treated by our elected officials, though, pissed me the fuck off.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Ignoring the obvious answer, we really gotta get Stephen Miller out the paint.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?
Age and income appropriate. I started using Stitch Fix to upgrade my wardrobe a bit and have found it to work for me pretty well, especially with pants that I wouldn’t seek out for myself and some statement pieces that get compliments every time I break them out.
What kept you sane?
Riding the bus every day reminds me that my daily worries are likely minuscule compared to many others in my community and it teaches me patience. Public Transportation in Los Angeles forces you to slow down and accept that most things in this life you can’t control but we all get where we’re going, eventually.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I thought Cardi B and Ariana Grande were the most exciting celebrities this year and Mona Chalabi’s data journalism and visualization are making her kind of famous, too. I think that’s hella cool.
Who did you miss?
Uncle Mike. Always.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018.
