For most actors, the chance to play a supernatural blockbuster villain wouldn’t be the most obvious opportunity to learn more about their cultural heritage.
However, when Jack O’Connell received Ryan Coogler’s screenplay for Sinners, he was drawn to how his vampiric villain Remmick gets into people’s heads through the power of traditional Irish folk music.
He may be a bloodsucker who’s just turned up at the newly opened juke joint owned by twins Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) looking for his next meal, but with various references to the centuries he’s walked the earth and lived under oppression throughout the script, it was obvious to the actor that he represented something more.
O’Connell told Zavvi: “I think a lot of my knowledge of this traditional Irish culture was preset when I got the script. For a good number of years, I’ve really been making it my business to understand my Irish heritage better and just figure out how that’s shaped me as a person.
“I think when you grow up with a dual nationality, it can become easy to forget that connection, whereas for others never losing track of it is more important. My dad came over as an immigrant in the 70s and I lost him when I was young, so to find a way to explore that heritage via a role is a way of feeling connected to him – making this movie did make me feel closer to him and my heritage in a certain way, which is great.”
The star credits Coogler for writing a villain with this much depth, something which should be expected from the man who gave us Killmonger in Black Panther. Not only did he put in extensive research whilst writing to flesh out how the centuries of Irish history would inform his baddie’s backstory, when he got to set, he insisted that O’Connell avoid any temptation to play up his dark side, always stressing that his star “show empathy” - even when his fangs are out.
“In Remmick’s mind, he’s definitely the good guy, and I think depending on your perspective, he could be! I think it’s what makes this film unique is that Ryan Coogler never tells his story in a two-dimensional way, he welcomes interpretations of his characters that aren’t just divided into good and evil”.
Whilst the mix of vampires and Michael B. Jordan playing multiple roles might be what inspire you to see Sinners, one of the main things you’ll be talking about afterwards is newcomer Miles Caton, who plays the twins’ cousin Sammie. This is the young actor’s first ever role, and he was persuaded to audition by R&B superstar H.E.R, who he’s been a backing singer for since he was 16, selling out arenas and opening stadiums as the main support act for Coldplay.
Naturally, his stage experience has made him a perfect fit to play a blues prodigy who can quite literally stop time with the power of his voice. Still, Caton didn’t solely rely on the years under his belt as a touring musician to bring his character to life, aiming to find the meeting point between his stage persona and the artists of the early 1930s who inspired the character.
He told Zavvi: “When I first started getting ready for the role, I was working with Beth McGuire, who is an incredible dialect and acting coach. She helped me break down the script and research the background of the 1930s setting, so I could gain a fuller understanding of what was going on then.
“From there, we studied Howlin’ Wolf and Son House, listening not just to their records, but the way they spoke certain words. I wanted to understand the very specific nuances of how they speak to help shape my character, as I wanted him to sound and move like them throughout the film.
“However, to be honest with you, I never felt like them, I always felt like me. As a musician myself, I’ve always been able to incorporate my influences into my work, and to bring that musical background to this role was really special, as it meant I could be in the moment, showing off my talents and what I do to the world.”
Coogler’s list of influences for Sinners is far more eclectic than you’d expect for a horror movie; he’s certainly the first director in history to namecheck both Irish folk songs and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish as inspirations on different aspects of his story. His starting point was far more grounded, wanting to explore the realities of life in Mississippi during the Jim Crow era, based on the anecdotes his uncle – who passed away whilst he was making Creed – told him when he was growing up.
The threat of death doesn’t just come from the vampires in this tale, but as Caton explains, this wasn’t something the director ever wanted to linger on.
“Throughout production, Ryan was always giving us back story on his family and this community, explaining to us how important it was for him to make it, whilst also making sure it could feel like a comfort food – it's why the codename for the movie on set was Grilled Cheese!”
Elsewhere in the stacked ensemble, Delroy Lindo stars as Delta Slim, an older musician who is drafted alongside Sammie to perform at the brothers’ opening night party. One of Lindo’s first conversations with Coogler was learning about the director’s love for blues music, and why this was one of the most personal aspects of his film.
He told Zavvi: “Ryan told me about his uncle, which fed into the genesis of this story and why he wanted to make it. But it was his relationship to blues music itself, and how important it is to him as a storyteller, when it immediately translated to me just how crucial that aspect of the narrative would be.
“I’ve been lucky enough to see various blues artists in concert over the years, so I wasn’t learning about this genre’s history from scratch, but I was by no means an aficionado, and I still wouldn’t call myself one now. However, my appreciation for the rich traditions of this genre has vastly increased because of making this movie, and the research I undertook to play the role.”
Lindo and Coogler did have some disagreements along the way, as the actor was concerned that his character disappears into the background once s**t starts hitting the fan. Thankfully, he now doesn’t - although there is even more of him which has been left on the cutting room floor.
Lindo explained: “The character’s introduction was always terrific, but it just didn’t feel as fleshed out when we got to the second act. I recall telling Ryan that there’s such a dynamic introduction at the train station, and the monologue he gives in the car right after, that it felt odd for him to just disappear.
“Ryan took that on board and wrote some very poignant things for Delta Slim as the threat in the second half of the film increases, all about how he responds to the threat, and his understanding of who Sammie is. He wrote them, we filmed them, and we all felt they were great additions, but those specific scenes didn’t end up making it into the film!”
However, as one of the key performers at the club, Delta Slim doesn’t fade to the background. In fact, due to his musical talents, he’s part of the reason why vampires begin to appear outside, hoping to gain some of his skills when they sink their teeth into his neck.
“One of the things I most responded to when faced with the prospect of playing Delta Slim wasn’t just the music, but the musicality of this man in general. There’s a musicality to all of these characters, which is exactly what Remmick wants to access – they have a rhythm, and there’s a beauty to that, which is exactly what he wants to take a part of for himself.”
Looking ahead to the future, and Lindo is still in the process of developing his directorial debut about the Windrush Generation; working with a director like Coogler has only inspired him more to try get the ball rolling.
“However, I’m still raising the money for it, as we don’t have it yet – but I still very much want to make that film, and I will.”
Sinners is released in UK cinemas on Friday, 18th April.
