Trump, Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro, oil

by Sharelle B. McNair

April 14, 2025

Teen Had Plans To Assassinate President Donald Trump After Allegedly Killing His Own Parents

FBI agents found a three-page document calling for Trump’s assassination in order to “save the white race.”

An unsealed affidavit from the FBI revealed Wisconsin teenager Nikita Casap, who was charged with killing his parents, was also accused of having plans to assassinate President Donald Trump, NBC News reported.

While searching for a device used by Casap, from Waukesha, officials found a “manifesto” calling for the president’s assassination in efforts to instigate a race war and sow chaos. Agents claim Casap partially paid for “a drone with a dropping mechanism” in order to inflict harm by descending “an explosive, Molotov cocktail, or very strong topical poison” on a target. “The killing of his parents appeared to be an effort to obtain the financial means and autonomy necessary to carrying out his plan,” the affidavit read.

FBI agents found a three-page document calling for Trump’s assassination in order to “save the white race.” “As to why, specifically Trump, I think it’s pretty obvious. By getting rid of the president and perhaps the vice president, that is guaranteed to bring in some chaos,” the document read, according to CNN. There were also images of Adolf Hitler along with the text: “HAIL HITLER HAIL THE WHITE RACE HAIL VICTORY.”

The minor allegedly wasn’t shy about his plans, as officials said Casap mentioned his plans on TikTok and Telegram while identifying himself as a Order of the Nine Angles follower. The group is known to the FBI as a neo-Nazi cult promoting “the use of violence and terrorism to overthrow governments and destroy modern civilization.”

In a message found on Telegram, Casap asked, “So while in Ukraine, I’ll be able to live a normal life? Even when it’s found out I did it?”

He also mentioned plans to a classmate who warned law enforcement. The classmate told the sheriff’s office in March 2025 that Casap boasted about plans to kill his parents but did not have access to a gun. Casap later told the classmate that he would find someone who had a gun, become their friend, and steal it, before revealing he was in contact with someone in Russia, claiming they were planning on overthrowing the U.S. government and assassinating Trump.

Casap faces nine felony charges including two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of hiding a corpse. However, federal investigators are hoping to add three charges of presidential assassination, conspiracy, and use of weapons of mass destruction.

Police suspect Casap’s victims, his mother Tatiana and stepfather, Donald Mayer, were killed on February 11. Agents believe the suspect was living with the corpses for two weeks after they were found February 28 after Waukesha County Sheriff’s deputies performed a welfare check at the family’s home. When the teen appeared in court March 27, it was revealed that his mother was found in a hallway covered with blankets and a towel and his stepfather found in a first-floor office under a pile of clothing.

The new manifesto is added to a list of known assassination attempts on the President’s life. During the 2024 presidential campaign trail, Trump suffered a wound to the ear after gun shots erupted at a rally in Pennsylvania. Another alleged attempt happened at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida in September 2024.

Vybz Kartel, Murder Conviction, overturned, juror, jury, life sentence, London, gun, privy court, 32 years, life sentence

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 14, 2025

Vybz Kartel Proves He’s ‘King Of Dancehall’ With 2 Sold-Out Shows In Brooklyn

It's the Jamaican's first United States performance in over 20 years, the first since being released from prison last year

The “King of Dancehall,” Vybz Kartel, made his first United States performance in 20 years in Brooklyn, just a year after having a murder conviction overturned after spending 10 years in jail.

According to Caribbean National Weekly, Kartel performed two sold-out shows at Barclays Center on April 11 and 12. These performances made him the first dancehall artist to sell out the Barclays Center twice. The Jamaican artist brought in a total of 38,000 fans.

For Kartel’s first performance in Brooklyn, he brought a lineup of acts that electrified the crowd: Dyani, Jah Vinchi, Rvssian, Blak Ryno, Busta Rhymes, and Spice. The recording artist’s star power also lured in other celebrities like Elephant Man, Buju Banton, Dexta Daps, Stefflon Don, and a very excited Cardi B, who stated, “(I’ve) never seen it (Barclays Center) this packed.”

The next evening, there was room for more acts, as Lil’ Kim, Fabolous, and Neyomad made it to the stage. Other artists who appeared include YG Marley, Kraff, Chronic Law, Kranium, Ishawna, Skillibeng, Shenseea, and Moliy. Although he wasn’t on stage, Popcaan made his way via FaceTime.

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A post shared by KING OF DANCEHALL (@vybzkartel)

The Gleaner reported that Kartel will be in Montego Bay for the Reggae Sunfest from July 13 to July 19.

Kartel is enjoying his newfound freedom after getting his 2014 murder conviction overturned in March 2024. Rolling Stone reported that Kartel, along with Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John, were convicted on March 14, 2014, in the killing of Clive “Lizard” Williams. Prosecutors stated that Lizard was allegedly killed over missing guns and that Kartel allegedly summoned him to his home, where he was reportedly beaten to death. His body was never found. The alleged incident took place in August 2011.

According to BBC News, in July 2024, the Privy Council in London overturned the March ruling after learning that a juror was accused of trying to bribe other jurors at the trial. The council concluded that the accused juror should have been kicked off the trial after discovering the attempted bribery of other jurors. On July 31, the appeal judges in Jamaica determined that the case would not go back to court, setting the freedom of Kartel, who was reportedly in poor health.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 14, 2025

Black Woman With Pig Kidney Transplant Back On Dialysis After Body Rejected Organ

Looney's relative success could lead to more procedures for alternative organ transplants.

An Alabama woman is back on dialysis after receiving a groundbreaking pig kidney transplant that her body later rejected.

When Towana Looney completed her surgery in November, it was considered a groundbreaking medical feat for alternative organ transplants. The procedure took place at the NYU Langone Health Center in New York, where Dr. Robert Montgomery surgically placed the genetically modified kidney inside Looney.

Looney lived with the organ inside her for months until her body began rejecting the part. However, doctors assured the issue did not come from the organ’s origins. Instead, Looney had to reduce her intake of anti-rejection medication after getting an infection.

According to NPR, doctors still consider her time with the organ a success. Dr. Montgomery also thanked Looney for her bravery and contribution to medical advancements.

“Towana Looney’s genetically engineered pig kidney functioned well for over four months, and she was able to enjoy life without dialysis for the first time in nine years,” explained Dr. Montgomery in a statement.

He added, “Towana’s willingness to endeavor into the unknown to help solve the nation’s organ shortage crisis will impact many more lives after her. We celebrate her tremendous courage and sacrifice. She lived with a pig kidney longer than any other human in history, and the field has learned a great deal from her. Her contribution has furthered the hope and promise of genetically engineered pig organs as an alternative source to human organs.”

While Looney was able to skip dialysis and regain some of her time back, she also now boasts the world’s longest-lasting pig organ transplant. She also expressed gratitude for taking part in medical history.

“For the first time since 2016, I enjoyed time with friends and family without planning around dialysis treatments. Though the outcome is not what anyone wanted, I know a lot was learned from my 130 days with a pig kidney—and that this can help and inspire many others in their journey to overcome kidney disease,” she added.

Looney’s relative success will pave the way for future and current pig organ receivers. Given the scarcity of organ donations available across the United States, with over 100,000 patients currently sitting on waiting lists, the implementation of alternative methods could result in more lives saved. The world’s first-ever recipient of a pig kidney transplant, Richard Slayman, died last May, two months after his surgery.

While questions remain on the safety and bioethical concerns regarding pig organ transplants, Looney’s journey proves the potential of these procedures for future trial surgeries.

Kyren Lacy, parents, suicide, Kandace Washington, Kenny Lacy

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 14, 2025

Kyren Lacy, NFL Hopeful And Former LSU Football Star, Dead Of Apparent Suicide

The NFL prospect was facing charges in a fatal car accident

Former Louisiana State University (LSU) football player, Kyren Lacy, was discovered dead April 12 of an apparent suicide, according to local police officials in Houston.

According to ESPN, the 24-year-old wide receiver was evading police officers after a family member called and said he had just fired a gun. Harris County authorities stated that police officers were pursuing him, and Lacy crashed his vehicle. When they approached to extract him from the car, they discovered that he had died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene.

LSU released a statement regarding the player’s death.

“We’re saddened to learn of the tragic passing of former LSU football student-athlete Kyren Lacy,” LSU said in a written statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones, as well as his former teammates and coaches impacted by his passing.”

The LSU Football family mourns the loss of Kyren Lacy pic.twitter.com/Me2GBZ6Ao8

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) April 13, 2025

Lacy was accused of being responsible for a 78-year-old man’s death when he allegedly caused a crash Dec. 17, 2024. The incident took place in Louisiana, and authorities claim Lacy fled the scene without giving the man aid or calling police officers. He turned himself in to police officials Jan. 12 and was charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run, and reckless operation of a vehicle. He was released on $151,000 bail, according to police records.

A grand jury was scheduled to start April 14.

“It is with profound sorrow that we confirm the tragic passing of Kyren Lacy. First and foremost, we ask that the public and the media give his family the space and time they need to grieve this unimaginable loss in peace,” Lacy’s attorney, Matthew Ory, said.

WAFB reported that, along with a statement to the public, Ory seemingly placed part of the blame on prosecutors for pursuing a case in which he was confident Lacy would have been exonerated and not be charged after evidence was presented.

“From the very beginning, this so-called investigation took on the appearance of an overzealous, targeted effort—what can only be described as a witch hunt—fueled by who Kyren was and the public profile he carried.”

“Kyren was a young man with immense promise, and he was crushed under the weight of an irresponsible and prejudiced process. The negative barrage on social media, the circulation of his mugshot by nearly every news outlet rather than a standard photo, the recent civil lawsuit filed against him that named another defendant who mysteriously wasn’t charged with a crime, only him, and the overall tone of coverage painted a deeply biased picture before he ever had the chance to defend himself. There was never a presumption of innocence which was exemplified by the NFL pulling his draft card over mere accusations without affording him the slightest chance to defend himself. The pressure and perception likely became unbearable.”

According to ESPN, on Dec. 19, two days after the tragic accident, Lacy declared for the NFL draft. Once projected as the No. 6 receiver prospect by ESPN in December, after this incident, in a recent projection, he fell out of the top ten list last month.

Lacy played three seasons at LSU and had his best season last year. He caught 58 passes for 866 yards and led the team with nine touchdowns.

by Sharelle B. McNair

April 14, 2025

A.1. Sauce Brand Has Last Laugh After DOE Secretary Linda McMahon Confuses With A.I.

It wasn’t too long after McMahon's remarks went viral that the popular steak sauce brand jumped in to promote the importance of education at the early stages.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon openly confused artificial intelligence (A.I.) with the Kraft Heinz’s A.1. sauce brand, and the company is getting in on the jokes, USA Today reported.

The former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) made the mix-up while speaking at the ASU+GSV Summit April 8 with a focus on innovation in the education sector — mixing them up twice. “There is a school system that is going to start making sure that first graders and even pre-k have A1 teaching every year starting that far down in the grades,” she said the first time.

The 76-year-old then repeated it after sounding excited about kids being “sponges.” “It wasn’t all that long ago ‘we’re gonna have internet in our school’ now okay, let’s see A1,” McMahon continued.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon accidentally says 'A1' instead of 'AI' pic.twitter.com/o6eMUBMJST
— FactPost (@factpostnews) April 9, 2025

It wasn’t too long after the remarks went viral that the popular steak sauce brand jumped in to promote the importance of education at the early stages. The brand posted an image on its Instagram page with the caption, “You heard her. Every school should have access to A.1.” The bottle was labeled “For educational purposes only.”

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A post shared by A.1. Original Sauce (@a1originalsauce)

Social media fans jumped in on the joke, poking fun at the former wrestling executive for her mistake. “Was she sauced?,” @leftcoastbabe wrote. Another person posted an augmented photo, using A.I., showing McMahon watching students pour the sauce, mocking a science experiment.

pic.twitter.com/8yxOVVkQox
— GamER MD (@alexandertyler) April 13, 2025

Another user on Instagram, @daniellemillerkale, commented on the brand’s post saying, “My husband wants a bottle for his desk. He teaches middle school, at least until they replace him with A.1.”

The joke was a nice distraction from the issues facing the Department of Education (DOE) after President Donald Trump announced he wants the agency “closed immediately” shortly after McMahon was confirmed. The move resulted in massive layoffs.

According to Fast Company, Heinz is known for clever marketing efforts to support trending novelties. During the success of the live-action Barbie movie, the company released a neon pink Barbie-cue sauce. When pop star Taylor Swift was seen cheering on her NFL boyfriend, fans started to wonder how she eats her chicken fingers, prompting Heinz to release a Swiftie-inspired ranch dressing.

However, this is the first time, allegedly, Heinz poked fun at a political figure.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 14, 2025

Trump’s Anti-DEI Review On Federal Attractions Threatens Future Of African-American Museum

The NMAAHC was explicitly attacked in Trump's latest order against DEI initatives.

Trump’s crackdown on DEI initiatives at the federal level and beyond has now extended to U.S. monuments and other attractions.

The Trump administration has begun reviewing federal parks and museums to ensure they align with the President’s anti-DEI sentiments. According to USA Today, many eyes are on the future of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture (NMAAHC).

“Museums in our nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn ‒ not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history,” wrote Trump in the executive order titled “Restoring truth and sanity to American history.”

Trump directly criticized the center’s teachings as well. The order stated the museum promotes “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.” While the administration has not demanded any changes, the museum’s director abruptly resigned nearly a week later.

Given the unpredictability of Trump’s demands, the museum and fellow African-American museums have remained on high alert.

“Anything under the sun is susceptible,” said Vedet Coleman-Robinson, executive director of the Association of African American Museums. “It would be a travesty to not have your culture-specific museums anywhere in the country, but definitely in the (nation’s) capital.”

When it opened in 2016, the NMAAHC received acclaim for highlighting the nuanced yet vibrant history of Black America. From enslavement to modern-day excellence, the museum displays an immersive timeline of the Black experience.

For many, it offers a comprehensive Black history lesson often slighted in the classroom. Especially as schools face even more limitations on what to teach, the Smithsonian Museum provides a holistic view of Black people’s plight in the nation.

Despite this, Trump has set the stage for sweeping policy changes. It will begin with the addition of Vice President J.D. Vance to the Smithsonian Board of Regents. The order has also banned spending on programs the administration believes “degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”

How exactly this will impact the NMAAHC remains unclear. However, with the museum’s explicit mention in the order, many suspect a crackdown on its exhibits as the anti-DEI movement pushes forward.

by Daniel Johnson

April 14, 2025

Toy Stores, Bridal Shops, And Beauty Companies Warn Trump’s Tariffs Could Break Their Businesses

Some business owners warn that Donald Trump’s tariffs could hit everyday Americans the hardest.

Some business owners warn that Donald Trump’s tariffs could hit everyday Americans the hardest, as companies pass rising production costs directly to consumers.

According to Reuters, 12 business leaders said Trump’s unpredictable decisions on which countries face tariffs — such as the 145% tariff now imposed on China—make it difficult to plan and manage their supply chains.

“We’re constantly dealing with the uncertainty of the future and of our future supply chains,” Steve Shriver, the founder and CEO of Eco Lips, a company that makes organic health and beauty products sourced from over 50 countries, told the news agency.

He continued, saying that the current pause on tariffs, and the tariff numbers themselves, are too unpredictable to trust.

“I don’t trust it. It’s a 90-day pause. It could change again in 10 days. There are still 10% tariffs across the board, and that’s a substantial addition to our prices,” Shriver said.

Paul Kusler, the owner of Boulder, Colorado’s Into the Wind, a kite and toy store that has existed for 45 years, directly mentioned the tariffs on China as an existential threat to his business, which relies on imports from China.

“The tariffs on China are simply unworkable, it’s a serious threat to our business,” Kusler told Reuters. “We pay bills weekly. These price increases are happening now for items I already have in the door. People aren’t going to buy toys if they are worried about prices rising for food and other staples.”

Eva Kuhle, the owner of Epaulet, an L.A.-based menswear brand that makes all of its clothing in America, told Business Insider that the tariffs are too inconsistent to help American manufacturing, a goal that the Trump administration believes the tariffs are meant to accomplish.

“Donald Trump is a chaotic and unpredictable person. None of this is going to help manufacturing in America. No one is going to see that now there’s a 10% tariff on UK fabric and say, ‘Wow, this is an amazing business opportunity. Let me retool a woolen factory from scratch, all using my own money to match a tariff policy,’” Kuhle told Business Insider.

She continued, “We need a consistent policy that we can trust. We can’t have a policy where tariffs may or may not be enforced 90 days from now, and tariffs could also be any number whatsoever. Especially the really huge numbers — like 145% on China — these hysterical numbers make everything seem even less trustworthy.”

The bridal industry is uniquely vulnerable to the tariffs on Chinese imports, in that as many as 90% of bridal dresses are made in China.

According to Angie Oven, a bridal shop owner in Salem, Oregon, and the president of the National Bridal Retailers Association, the industry has finally recovered from the pandemic just to have to deal with tariffs.

“The overriding feeling is despair,” Oven, told Business Insider following a meeting with 75 of the group’s members. “There’s a little bit of PTSD right now because a lot of us really just recovered from COVID.”

Sandra Gonzalez, the vice president of the NBRA, also said that the trade group wants their industry to be added to the trade exemptions list.

“Our No. 1 goal is to be removed from the tariff list. We do not have the infrastructure to produce the quality of goods that brides are demanding of us,” Gonzalez said. “To build the factories and train the people, that would take a whole generation.”

According to Alicia Adams, the owner of Her’s Bridal and Special Occasion in Minden, Louisiana, the expectation is that if the tariffs hold, the increase in cost will be passed onto their customers: future brides.

“Now that it’s over 100%, obviously those manufacturers and designers aren’t able to absorb those costs. They’re going to have to pass it down to us, which means we would have to pass it down to our brides.”

by Daniel Johnson

April 14, 2025

U.S. Naval Academy’s DEI-Driven Book Purge Draws Backlash

Democratic Reps. Adam Smith and Chrissy Houlahan said in a letter to the secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force that the book removals constituted 'a blatant attack on the First Amendment.'

As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, the U.S. Naval Academy pulled nearly 400 books from its Nimitz Library earlier in April to avoid running afoul of an executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal government; but now, some critics warn the targeted book removal harkens back to an ugly chapter of American history.

According to ABC News, the list of titles removed from circulation includes books like I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, White Rage by Carol Anderson and Bodies In Doubt by Elizabeth Reis.

The books have been removed in an effort to comply with Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” issued in January, which has since been extended to include military academies and includes phrases like “discriminatory equity ideology” and a reference to gender ideology as part of “the tyranny of so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies.”

Some, like Katherine Kuzminski, the Director of Studies at the Center for New American Security have issued criticism of the unclear criteria in the executive order itself, which has resulted in military leaders scrambling to comply with the executive orders through efforts like the military academies’ effective ban of the books.

“There isn’t any clear criteria,” Kuzminski told ABC News. “It leaves leadership scrambling — how do we ensure compliance without being accused of overcorrecting?”

She continued, referring to the Air Force’s initial decision to scrap training materials featuring the Tuskegee Airmen, which was later added back after outrage. “Particularly in the Air Force, when the Tuskegee Airmen learning module was removed from basic training for a few days, leadership was trying to follow through with the best of intentions.”

Leadership, she told the outlet, is governed by a strict code to comply with lawful orders, which puts them in the position of having to enforce a haphazard executive order that seems designed to appeal to the president’s rabid MAGA base and no one else.

Richard Kohn, a military historian and a former chief historian for the Air Force, went further in his critique, saying that the executive order is a “cleansing” and that “It reveals a certain kind of weakness in the current administration’s confidence. They’re determined to appeal to their MAGA constituency by rolling back decades of progress on race, religion, and diversity.”

Democratic Reps. Adam Smith and Chrissy Houlahan said in a letter sent to the secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force on April 4 that the book removals constituted “a blatant attack on the First Amendment” and warned that they were “an alarming return to McCarthy-era censorship.”

In their letter to the Navy’s secretary, John Phelan, they demanded that he stop the review of the books immediately.

“To develop the next generation of Naval officers, the United States Naval Academy must remain committed to intellectual freedom by ensuring the Brigade of Midshipmen can access, explore, and express ideas freely without restriction or interference. Thus, we demand that you immediately cease the review and removal of books and materials at the United States Naval Academy,” they wrote.

The military academies have generally issued brief statements affirming their compliance with executive orders, or no response at all, when asked by ABC News to provide comment on the removal of the books.

U.S. Naval Academy spokesperson Cmdr. Tim Hawkins told the outlet that “nearly 400 books” were removed from circulation before issuing a boilerplate statement. “The Naval Academy’s mission,” Hawkins said, “is to develop Midshipmen morally, mentally and physically…to prepare them for careers of service to our country.”

Kohn, however, remained critical of the move from the Naval Academy.

“You can’t make ideas safe for people, but you can make people safe for ideas,” Kohn, a specialist in civil-military relations, told ABC News. “If you don’t mentor students in the academies to understand what’s going on in American society, you don’t really educate them.”

by Daniel Johnson

April 13, 2025

State Department Discloses Fate Of U.S. Man Wrongfully Deported To El Salvador

Supreme Court upheld a lower court's order requiring the Trump administration to 'facilitate' the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

Although the Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s order requiring the Trump administration to “facilitate” the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia — a Maryland man wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March — the administration has only confirmed that he is “alive and secure” but still being held in a Salvadoran prison.

According to CBS News, Michael G. Kozak, a senior State Department official, provided the update via a filing that was submitted minutes after an April 12 deadline set by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis.

“It is my understanding based on official reporting from our Embassy in San Salvador that Abrego Garcia is currently being held in the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador,” Kozak wrote. “He is alive and secure in that facility. He is detained pursuant to the sovereign, domestic authority of El Salvador.”

That language suggests the federal government could be using El Salvador’s sovereignty as a shield to avoid taking responsibility for an action the judge deemed “wholly illegal from the moment it happened.”

This position from the federal government was made possible by the Supreme Court cautioning Judge Xinis on April 10 to make her determination “with due regard for the deference owed to the executive branch in the conduct of foreign affairs.”

The nation’s highest court also instructed the federal government to be prepared to share next steps with U.S. District Judge Xinis, writing in its ruling, “For its part, the Government should be prepared to share what it can concerning the steps it has taken and the prospect of further steps.”

On the day before the filing was submitted, an attorney for the government struggled to provide the judge with any information about Garcia’s location, which she responded to with an order that the administration disclose his “current physical location and custodial status” as well as “what steps, if any, Defendants have taken (and) will take, and when, to facilitate” the return of Garcia, which is the portion that Kozak failed to address.

According to MSNBC, Garcia’s lawyers petitioned the Supreme Court, the court whose opinion Trump has alleged that he respects, ahead of their decision, writing that it was the position of Garcia’s legal representation that the Court’s insistence on due process “underscores that Abrego Garcia — who was removed without reasonable notice or an opportunity to challenge his removal before it occurred, and in conceded violation of a court order prohibiting his removal to that country — must have a remedy for this constitutional violation.”

sinners, ryan coolger, micahel b. Jordan

by Daniel Johnson

April 13, 2025

Ryan Coogler’s New Film ‘Sinners’ Is Already Dazzling Critics Ahead Of Its Release

The film, set in the 1930s, stars Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who are trying to restart their lives before being confronted with a great evil.

Ryan Coogler’s new genre bending film, Sinners, which is set to come to theaters on April 18, is currently enjoying rave reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, maintaining a relatively rare 100% score on the film review platform.

According to Games Radar, the film, which is set in the 1930s, stars Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who are trying to restart their lives in their hometown before being confronted with a great evil.

Although the film is set during the Jim Crow era, reviewers like Julian Roman at MovieWeb note that the film explores the period with nuance.

“Sinners brilliantly illustrates Black life in the violent and poverty-stricken Jim Crow-segregated South while portraying a vibrant cultural landscape brimming with music,” Roman wrote in his review.

Likewise, Brandon Lewis wrote in his review for Geek Vibes Nation that Coogler’s latest film is a “swaggering magnum opus” that also “chips away at the borders of Blackness to posit a new path while giving credit to past ones forged for survival.”

Also present in the film is a contribution from one of Coogler’s more important Black Panther collaborators, Ludwig Göransson. Göransson is the composer who is responsible for the brilliant, soaring, and haunting scores of both Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

According to the reviews, Göransson’s exquisite attention to detail shines through in this film, just as it did in Black Panther‘s original score.

As Chalice Williams noted in her review for Black Girl Nerds, “It’s important to highlight one of the stars of Sinners: the music. The fierce and sexy way blues music is intertwined in each scene is captivating and propels you back to a time when instruments and bold, beautiful voices were so prominent. You can’t help but be mesmerized by the piercing sounds of the harmonica or the plucking of guitar strings as it so heavily adds to the story. Music becomes its own character and ultimately contributes to how much you end up enjoying the film.”

Williams continued, noting that Sinners, like Get Out before it, has the potential to transform what defines a horror film.

“In conclusion, Sinners is hands down the best movie of the year for many reasons. Coogler’s unique approach to incorporating vampires in a way that hasn’t been done before is utterly genius and deserves the highest praise…Sinners truly redefines what it means to be a horror film, especially with having some wild twists and turns and an ending that was worthy of audiences breaking out into roaring applause.”