“I’m listening to the guitar riffs and what they’re talking about. It’s just blues music sung by white people.” These words from filmmaker Ryan Coogler encapsulate the driving force behind Sinners, a high-budget cinematic fusion of 1930s blues and supernatural horror that has become one of the year’s most talked-about films.
Coogler’s new film Sinners, already a box-office success grossing nearly $300 million, boldly intertwines deep-rooted blues heritage with eerie storytelling. With a budget close to $90 million, the film features a meticulously crafted soundtrack that brings historical authenticity to the forefront. From its cast to its musical arrangements, Sinners pays homage to a pivotal era in American music history.
Set in 1932 Mississippi Delta, Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers who return to their hometown only to confront a lurking supernatural evil. Music plays a central role in the film’s narrative and mood. Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (The Mandalorian, Tenet, Oppenheimer) helms the score, aiming for sonic accuracy by incorporating real instruments from the period.
To capture the authentic blues sound, Göransson recorded much of the score using three 1932 Dobro Cyclops resonator guitars—the same type of instrument Jordan’s character plays on screen. Acquiring these century-old guitars proved to be a challenge.
“I was able to find three of them in the world,” Göransson told Classic FM. “One in London, one in Nashville, and one in L.A. Playing it with a slide, you use the guitar almost like a voice. It creates this beautiful note and gives you a lot of variety on how you can play.”
Göransson collaborated closely with renowned blues producer Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell at the historic Royal Studios in Tennessee. Mitchell connected him with iconic blues artists Buddy Guy and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, both of whom contributed to the soundtrack. Their involvement helped shape a musical score that blends tradition with modern flair.
For Göransson, this project had personal significance. “My dad is a guitar teacher, so when I was about six or seven years old he started giving me lessons. Then when I was eight or nine I heard [Metallica’s] ‘Enter Sandman’ for the first time and that’s when I got really passionate about music,” he said.
Though Göransson grew up with a love for heavy metal, his father’s influence and the roots of metal in the blues gradually came into focus. “It’s something that I think came out in this score, and it’s a very personal score,” he explained. “It starts mostly acoustically. I wrote almost the entire score on [the 1932 Dobro], and then, as the story develops, it transitions into heavy metal, orchestra, strings and big drums. So the guitar tones transitioned from acoustic to electric.”
One pivotal scene in Sinners—filmed over several months—serves as a powerful homage to the evolution of the blues. It traces the roots of the genre back to Africa and follows its transformation through funk and other musical branches. Göransson described the sequence as unfolding “in a surreal kind of dreamy state,” emphasizing its role in educating viewers about blues’ foundational impact on contemporary genres.
Coogler’s inspiration for Sinners was sparked in part by an unexpected source: Alice in Chains. Their music led him to explore the blurred line between rock and blues.
“I started listening to it, bro, and I was like, ‘This shit is like what my uncle used to play’: the blues,” Coogler said in an interview with The Breakfast Club. “I’m listening to the guitar riffs and what they’re talking about and the passion they’re singing with, and I’m like, ‘That’s odd.’ I dug into the research, man, and that’s exactly what it is: it’s just blues music sung by white people.”
As a result, Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains contributed to the soundtrack. He collaborated with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich on the haunting track “In Moonlight,” crafting a full song from a portion of Göransson’s score.
Blues icon Buddy Guy, who performs “Travelin’” on the soundtrack and portrays the character Sammie Moore in the film, used the opportunity to honor the legacies of Muddy Waters and B.B. King. “They always told me to help keep the blues alive,” he said, embracing the film as a means to do just that.
With its blend of historical accuracy, personal passion, and genre-crossing collaborations, Sinners represents a rare cinematic experience. It doesn’t just feature music; it lives and breathes it, anchoring every frame in a tradition that’s shaped generations of sound.
By unearthing forgotten guitars, collaborating with blues legends, and confronting the complicated legacy of cultural appropriation in music, Sinners does far more than entertain. It educates, reveres, and revives a musical legacy that continues to shape the present—one haunting note at a time.
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