Singing vampires are not something I would expect in 2025, nor have I seen any since “Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire.” Well, technically, those characters aren’t vampires, but I digress.
“Sinners” is a special movie to me, and it is very entertaining. I planned to do this review on “Thunderbolts*,” but it didn’t hit the same high, and I ultimately found it underwhelming.
“Sinners” is a surprise as it was a film I had barely heard about before its release and not something I expected to do well. I didn’t even know it would be about fighting vampires.
I thought the main villains were demons based on the trailers and, you know, the title. I’m so glad the villains are vampires because I am obsessed with vampire lore.
The main reason why I’m doing this review is to analyze the vampires and how they function in comparison to vampires in other media I have seen.
I’m going to analyze strength, speed, powers, sun resistance, healing factor and the unique element of the “Sinners” vampires, which was their relationship with music.
As far as strength goes, it appears that vampirism doesn’t give you too much of a boost in the “Sinners” universe.
The vampires carry as much strength as they had when they were alive. Their danger comes in being able to overwhelm with numbers, which is more of a zombie trait if I’m being honest.
I think they get a speed boost, but I’m not sure if the vampires become faster or if they can sprint without becoming exhausted because, well, they’re dead.
They seem to be weaker and slower in comparison to vampires from “Twilight” and most vampire media.
However, that does not mean that you should underestimate them. Not every vampire has to be strong to be deadly or survive.
For example, the titular character from Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” doesn’t fight anyone head-on until the last chapters. His deadliness comes from his ability to hide and flee discreetly and quickly when he needs to.
Bram Stoker’s characters can build up a large arsenal of man-power and guns, but none of that will matter if they don’t out-strategize the monster.
The eldest and lead vampire, Remmick, and his followers use charm and seduction to call people to their side, much like Lestat in “Interview with the Vampire.”
They survive by being able to blend in among the living and don’t have grotesque or easily identifiable features like the Vampaneze in “Cirque Du Freak.”
This means that the biggest weakness of the Sinners is their lack of a healing factor, which is another aspect that makes them more closely resemble zombies.
When vampires are shot or injured in “Sinners,” they retain their injuries for the whole night, much like a zombie gets hit in the head with a shovel and continues to chase our heroes with a caved-in skull.
This means that once a vampire is injured, there would be no way for them to convince a victim that they are human.
That vampire would then have to stick to the shadows and rely on others to hunt, which doesn’t seem like a very fun afterlife. They may develop a healing factor over time, but I’m not sure.
Remmick is seen running through the sun early in the film with ribbons of steam pouring off of him as he burns, but later in the film, vampires he had made only a few hours ago burst into flames the moment the sun rises.
Remmick also heals from his burns very quickly and is the vampire who possesses the power of flight, although it seems to be limited.
While I found the vampires’ ability to be confusing, they are at least straightforward to kill. They can be killed by the sun, fire, a stake to the heart and, hilariously enough, garlic.
I can’t recall the last time I read a story about a vampire being affected by garlic outside of Dracula.
Even then, garlic does not physically harm Dracula and merely acts as a deterrent, so it was fun to see a vampire recoil in pain after being splashed by garlic juice.
The most unique aspects of these vampires are the fact that they, one, share a hive mind, and, two, don’t hunt to kill, but instead hunt others only to create more vampires.
These vampires seem to seek companionship above all else and even when turned, showing a deep empathy when another vampire is killed. They are definitely not as cold-blooded as they appear.
The last thing I have yet to touch on is that all of the vampires are musically gifted, which I assume is a result of the hive mind, but it is entertaining nonetheless. The funniest scene in the movie is when a vampire does an Irish jig.
I would give the movie “Sinners” a 10 out of 10. As far as the vampires go, I would give them five out of 10 regarding how easily you could defeat them.
They are terrifying, sure, but if you recognize what they are early on, understand their weakness and don’t invite them in, waiting them out or exterminating them when their numbers are low should be relatively easy.
Curtin can be reached at [email protected].
