Ryan Coogler hosts ‘Sinners’ screening in Mississippi town where film is set

Clarksdale, Miss. (AP) — Hundreds of people packed inside a local auditorium Thursday to see the hit film “ Sinners,” set in their community and steeped in Mississippi Delta culture.

The special screening of the blockbuster horror film included an appearance by Director Ryan Coogler and was made possible by a community petition.

“I have family from Mississippi — my uncle, my grandfather — and I had never been until working on this script,” Coogler said, addressing the crowd. “It really changed me, just to come here.”

The movie, starring Michael B. Jordan as twins, is about two brothers coming home to Mississippi to launch a juke joint. It’s also a supernatural vampire flick that blends elements of drama, action and music.

“Sinners” composer Ludwig Göransson, actor Miles Canton and others who worked on the film also attended the screening.

“Anytime that filmmakers take the time out to pay homage to the Delta, especially, because we’re the root of music, the blues culture, that means a lot,” said Brandice Brown Williams, a theater teacher who brought two of her students to the screening.

The film is set in 1930s Clarksdale, Mississippi, but current day Clarksdale doesn’t have a movie theater, making it difficult for people to see the film about their hometown. Community organizers decided to change that, starting a petition to invite the cast and crew to Clarksdale and to collaborate on hosting a public screening.

“The love you have for Southern folk, Mississippians and Clarksdale came to life through your commitment to writing us right,” community organizer Tyler Yarbrough said. “We are ready. We are waiting. And we would be proud to welcome you back to where it all began.”

During the screening, the crowd was expressive — in response to various scenes, they gasped, laughed and cheered. Afterward, Coogler and others stayed for a Q&A.

One attendee, Cindy Hurst, praised the film, calling it a “really good visual representation of the beauty of the Black culture.”