Sinners is truly an action-packed thriller that delves deep into the world of the supernatural. But before we discover the sinister truth of those shady characters, the intense build-up will have your mind racing with all the supernatural encounters you might’ve had in the past. Well, at least, that was the experience I had walking out of the cinema.
This article features spoilers for Sinners. You’ve been warned.
One of my favourite things about the art of movie making is that it allows viewers to discuss and explore the topics that are presented in the story.
Unfortunately, I am one of those people who leaves the cinema with a different personality and obsession after every movie.
Don’t worry, I am not a victim of Minecraft‘s “Chicken Jockey”. However, I am a victim of a two-week Minecraft binge post-viewing.
Sinners — directed by Ryan Coogler, who is responsible for iconic flicks like Black Panther and Creed — is a movie that tackles a variety of topics, such as America’s Jim Crow era, religion, music, spirituality and the supernatural.
It’s action-packed, gory and emotional, and it’s actually one of the only movies where I care about the characters who suffer unimaginable deaths.
Leaving the cinema, I couldn’t help but think about all the moments where Coogler explored the complex world of spirituality and the supernatural.
One character that I truly gravitated towards was Annie, played by the remarkable Wunmi Mosaku. To give you a quick rundown on everything about Annie, she is a spiritual leader who practices Hoodoo. Within her community, folks look towards Annie for spiritual guidance, strength and hope.
When shit hits the fan at the Smoke and Stack’s (both played by Michael B. Jordan) Juke House, Annie is the first person to identify the supernatural beings.
However, what I found alluring about Annie was not only her strong spiritual connection but the fact that she’s truly the MVP of Sinners. Without her, everyone would’ve been dead 20 minutes into the film.
Reflecting on the preparation for the role of Annie, Wunmi revealed that the character allowed her to explore her Yoruba roots and discover the importance of Hoodoo.
“It was a profound experience for me because I knew nothing about Hoodoo, and Hoodoo is from the Yoruba religion of Ifá, and I’m a Yoruba woman, and I didn’t know anything about it,” Wunmi shared with PEDESTRIAN.TV.
“So I feel like I found a little piece of myself within her that I didn’t know existed. And I feel like I’ve taken that within me, and I feel connected to my ancestry in a way that I didn’t before.”
The Sinners cast reflect on their personal supernatural experiences
While the experience led her to nourishing the connection between her and her Yoruba roots, Wunmi admits that Annie’s character might’ve opened her up to supernatural experiences on set.
“I felt very in tune with Annie, and I was getting a lot of messages and dreams that I would pass on to everyone on the set,” she revealed.
“I wanted to do tarot and all that stuff.”
Wunmi’s Sinners co-star, Jayme Lawson, who plays Pearline, also reflected on her supernatural encounters, revealing that she experiences a “spirit to spirit” phenomenon when she meets new people.
“There’s a lot of times where I can meet a person — doesn’t happen with every person I meet — but there’s sometimes where I can meet a person, and there’s just Spirit to spirit, and it goes, ‘Wait a minute,’ or like, ‘danger or safety,’ right?” Lawson shared.
“Doesn’t happen with everybody that I interact with, but on the particular moments where that stands out, those are freaky, freaky, freaky.”
Was the Sinners set haunted?
Hailee Steinfeld, who portrays Mary in Sinners, revealed that castmates would often talk about encounters they had after working on set.
“I’ve heard some wild stories from people and even castmates on this movie,” Hailee shared.
“We filmed this in New Orleans, and there were some castmates [who] would literally come to work in the morning and talk about something that they felt or saw on their way home from work the night before.
“That’s a city that sort of really leans into that and sort of celebrates that energy almost.”
Reflecting on those supernatural experiences makes me super paranoid; I can’t lie when I say I am fascinated by the who, what, when, where, and how.
One of my major supernatural experiences was when I was exorcised in the sixth grade by my Pentecostal Pastor who is also my Aunt and Uncle.
Holy oil on my forehead, prayers in tongues and my body gyrating — it was the whole shebang… And now I write for PEDESTRIAN.TV!
It’s crazy how movies — like Sinners — can trigger such memories and experiences. Let’s just hope it doesn’t get to a point where it could manifest for a second time.
I REBUKE.
Sinners drops in Aussie cinemas on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
The post The Cast Of Sinners Unpack Their Spookiest IRL Supernatural Experiences appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
