India, April 22 -- There's a particular kind of ache that comes with a Southern Gothic tale done right. The ache that lingers long after the sun rises, after the music fades, after the monsters have been staked or kissed, or forgiven. Ryan Coogler's Sinners delivers exactly that. It is a smoky, thrilling, blood-soaked, and yet, oddly tender horror film that refuses to follow a straight line, even as it barrels toward destruction. Let's unpack that ending of Sinners, its plot, its cast, and more.

Set during a single fateful day and night in 1932 Mississippi, this vampire movie is steeped in blues, betrayal, and brimstone. It gives us juke joints and vampires, racial terror and familial devotion, all tucked under the weight of generational...