Cyclone Cinema, a free movie event ran by the Student Union Board (SUB), screened the movie “Sinners” on Thursday.
“Sinners” is a film directed by Ryan Coogler that uses supernatural horror and vampires to explore themes of cultural expression, racism, white supremacy and assimilation. It takes place in Mississippi in 1932, the Jim Crow-era South.
“Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan in the dual role of Smoke and Stack, identical twins who are criminals returning to their hometown to open a juke joint. The main protagonist is their cousin Sammie, also known as Preacher Boy, a young sharecropper and the son of a local preacher.
Preacher Boy, a blues musician played by Miles Caton, begins playing at the juke joint. He summons the spirits of his ancestors by tapping into his roots through the power of music. He draws the attention of Remmick, a powerful vampire who seeks to take Preacher Boy’s abilities for himself.
Students who attended share their thoughts on the movie.
“We went in with no clue what it was about,” Jo Schechinger, a freshman in accounting, said. “We had no clue it was about vampires.”
Jeremiah Cornell, a freshman majoring in aerospace engineering, explained what scene stood out to him the most.
“My favorite part of the movie – it’s honestly hard to pick, the whole movie was really good – had to be that big sequence where they went through the evolutions of music,” Cornell said. “I wasn’t a big fan of them including the late 2010s and into the 2020s because it didn’t fit but the rest of that scene was amazing.”
In that scene, different eras of music and dance are audibly and visually blended together in a montage as Preacher Boy sings “I Lied To You”. The scene represents music’s ability to transcend time and connect generations.
Cornell dissected his favorite scene further.
“The editing of it all, the way it all incorporated into each other, blended flawlessly,” Cornell said.
Schechinger shares her favorite part of the movie as well, where Remmick is circled by the other vampires dancing in a ritual.
“The creepy cult, where they’re all dancing around the Irish guy, that was my favorite part, I think,” Schechinger said. “Such a great movie.”
Cyclone Cinema Co-Director Katie Haran, a sophomore majoring in English, explains some of what happens behind the scenes to make the screenings possible.
“A lot of what goes on really happens in the little projection room,” said Haran. “We put down the screen, and we have a special little button for Cyclone Cinema and get it all set up. I help make the pre-show slides for the trivia that plays before the movie. ”
Haran shares what she finds most rewarding about helping run Cyclone Cinema.
“It’s always fun seeing people come in groups and they’re excited to see the movie,” Haran said. “Just everyone going in and knowing that they’re interested in what we’re doing, and just knowing that I’m helping to make that possible for them to go see movies every weekend.”
Cyclone Cinema, held by SUB, is free for ISU students. Movies premier at 7 p.m. in Carver Hall Room 101. “Sinners” will be screened until Sunday.
