May 12, 2025
‘Sinners’ Not-So-Subtle Nod To Voodoo Is Just One More Way Ryan Coogler Connects The Diaspora
Coogler’s "Sinners" offers a compelling cinematic exploration of Black spiritual traditions, moving beyond simplistic portrayals often seen in mainstream cinema.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners wasn’t just a movie; it was a journey–a plunge into the heart of the Mississippi Delta, where the land itself whispers stories of the past, pain, resilience, and a spiritual heritage that refuses to be erased. Coogler, a storyteller who understands the weight of our stories – think Black Panther, think Creed – doesn’t shy away from the shadows. He embraces them, and in Sinners, he uses those shadows to illuminate a truth about Black spirituality that Hollywood has too often distorted.
Sinners hummed with a different kind of energy, a spiritual energy that vibrates beneath the surface of the regular vampire narrative. It’s in the way Coogler centers Voodoo and Hoodoo, not as cheap thrills or exotic curiosities, but as living, breathing traditions that have shaped Black life in the South for generations.
Hoodoo’s Grounded Presence
Wunmi Mosaku’s portrayal of Annie is a revelation. She wasn’t a mystical caricature, and Coogler took great care to ensure she wasn’t seen that way; she’s a Hoodoo woman, herbalist, and rootworker. She embodies the power of Conjure, that blend of African spiritual science, Native wisdom, and whatever else we had to grab onto to survive.
Annie’s knowledge of plants, her ability to see what others can’t, her fierce protection of her community – that’s Hoodoo. It’s about healing what’s broken, shielding ourselves from harm, and calling on the spirits for guidance. It’s practical, sacred, and a testament to our ancestors’ ingenuity. She’s the bridge, showing us a world hidden in plain sight.
Haint Blue: A Veil and a Shield
The color blue in this film isn’t just a design choice. That “haint blue” that coats Annie’s home and clings to her clothes is a language. It’s the color of protection, a shield against the unseen, against those “haints” that would harm us. It reminds us how our people, even in the face of unimaginable cruelty, found ways to guard their spirits. That blue is a visual echo of a spiritual battle, a constant reminder that we’ve always had to fight for our souls.
The Ancestral Echo
Sinners understands that our past isn’t dead. It’s alive, it’s in our blood, it shapes who we are. Coogler wasn’t afraid to show that connection, that conversation between the living and the dead that’s at the heart of Voodoo.
But it isn’t a simple story of good ancestors and evil spirits. The past can be a source of strength, but can also hold darkness and unresolved pain. Sinners gets that complexity. It shows that our spiritual inheritance is a tangled web; we must navigate it with wisdom and respect.
Voodoo’s Deep River
While Hoodoo flows through Sinners, the deep river of Voodoo is always there, too. Voodoo, with its structured theology and pantheon of loa, is the mother tradition, the source from which Hoodoo draws so much of its power.
You might not hear the word “loa” on the screen, but you feel their presence. You feel it in how the film explores possession and shows the power of spiritual forces to shape human events. Dr. Yvonne Chireau spoke about Coogler’s interest in that “ancestor moment,” where the sacred and the everyday blur. That blurring, that intermingling of worlds, is Voodoo at its core.
Erzulie Dantor and Erzulie Freda: A Comparison and Contrast
In Haitian Vodou, Erzulie is a complex and multifaceted loa, or spirit, who embodies various aspects of femininity and love. She is a powerful figure, and her manifestations are diverse. Two of her most prominent manifestations are Erzulie Dantor and Erzulie Freda, who, while related, possess distinct characteristics. I also have to acknowledge the colorism and polarization present in the depictions of Dantor and Freda. Erzulie Freda is often represented with lighter skin and is associated with beauty and luxury. In comparison, Erzulie Dantor(whom I’m an initiate of) is depicted with darker skin and linked to strength and resilience, reflecting societal biases.
It’s also important to note that in traditions like Dominican Vodou, which is organized around the concept of the 21 Divisions (or “Las 21 Divisiones”), Erzulie, or spirits analogous to her, may also appear within that framework, demonstrating the breadth and adaptability of these spiritual traditions.