Ruin Explorer
Legend
So I just got back from Ryan Coogler-directed Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan (twice!), and with a lot of other fun actors like Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku (you'll probably recognise her even if you don't know the name), Jack O'Connell and even Delroy Lindo in a rare comedic turn (which he is of course strong in).
I won't spoil it too much, but I loved it, it was kind of a good B (grade) sort of movie until it kept going at the point where most movies would have ended. Twice. So don't walk out of cinema just because the credits start rolling, as two couples at my screening foolishly did! The period style and music rules, as do the performances, editing, ideas (a lot of cool ideas), and visuals. I think they primarily used physical FX, which, whilst imperfect, I feel like I prefer (and some of the non-physical ones had a slightly 1990s/2000s vibe, which somehow actually worked with the whole thing). It had some stuff that surprised me in a good way, which I always want to see from a genre movie. Also a couple of trope subversions that were actually clever/fun. Overall I'd say solid A for me.
It's definitely gory and alarming, so if you're not into that, stay away!
I'd link the trailer, but I'd kind of recommend not watching the trailer (as is the case with most horror movies, honestly) unless you're good at forgetting them.
Spoilers lore/mythos commentary for those who have seen it or never will - the vampire mythos here was fairly standard (i.e. in the "Blade" zone) in terms of vulnerabilities/weaknesses, though it appears making someone come back as a vampire might involve saliva transfer as well as biting them - unclear, but with some nice additions, like linking them to the Fey generally (and vaguely), making them obsessed with musicians - or more specifically what we might call bards (from all cultures - they use griot, for example). We also saw a form of the very rarely seen vampire hivemind! I can't even remember the last time I saw that! Probably in a 1990s RPG or maybe it was Life Force or maybe a Kim Newman novel or something? And the Irish "master" vampire was interesting in that he clearly had significantly greater powers (flight, much tougher, claws when he wants them) and implied he was from pre-Christian Ireland, which for some reason is a flourish I always love. Also not really lore but those 1992 outfits hell yes, they basically stepped straight out of V:tM.
I won't spoil it too much, but I loved it, it was kind of a good B (grade) sort of movie until it kept going at the point where most movies would have ended. Twice. So don't walk out of cinema just because the credits start rolling, as two couples at my screening foolishly did! The period style and music rules, as do the performances, editing, ideas (a lot of cool ideas), and visuals. I think they primarily used physical FX, which, whilst imperfect, I feel like I prefer (and some of the non-physical ones had a slightly 1990s/2000s vibe, which somehow actually worked with the whole thing). It had some stuff that surprised me in a good way, which I always want to see from a genre movie. Also a couple of trope subversions that were actually clever/fun. Overall I'd say solid A for me.
It's definitely gory and alarming, so if you're not into that, stay away!
I'd link the trailer, but I'd kind of recommend not watching the trailer (as is the case with most horror movies, honestly) unless you're good at forgetting them.
Spoilers lore/mythos commentary for those who have seen it or never will - the vampire mythos here was fairly standard (i.e. in the "Blade" zone) in terms of vulnerabilities/weaknesses, though it appears making someone come back as a vampire might involve saliva transfer as well as biting them - unclear, but with some nice additions, like linking them to the Fey generally (and vaguely), making them obsessed with musicians - or more specifically what we might call bards (from all cultures - they use griot, for example). We also saw a form of the very rarely seen vampire hivemind! I can't even remember the last time I saw that! Probably in a 1990s RPG or maybe it was Life Force or maybe a Kim Newman novel or something? And the Irish "master" vampire was interesting in that he clearly had significantly greater powers (flight, much tougher, claws when he wants them) and implied he was from pre-Christian Ireland, which for some reason is a flourish I always love. Also not really lore but those 1992 outfits hell yes, they basically stepped straight out of V:tM.
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