Sinners 4K UHD Review

“Delroy Lindo makes a point partway through Sinners, arguably Sinners at its most direct, as Remmick plays his own version of the blues. “White folks, they like the blues just fine. They just don’t like the people who make it,” says Lindo, exposing the hypocrisy of racists who repeatedly emulate black culture in a desperate bid to cover their own spiteful, jealous inadequacies. Inside the burning barn, Caton plays his music. The vampires watch. They wish they were Caton. They wish they had his talent. They don’t, but they’ll use their fangs – privilege in the eyes of Sinners – to take it.”

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A “10” disc in our internal vernacular – meaning perfect audio and video scores – Sinners is visually striking. With both a wide aspect ratio and openings to full IMAX 70mm height, both the 35mm and 70mm scenes appear impeccable. Definition stays gorgeously firm in either format, doling out detail en masse with spectacular fine textures evident. A heftier grain (but only in comparison) on the 35mm shots is easily resolved by the encode.

A delicate Dolby Vision application brings a tiny zest to the overall contrast, but performs brilliantly when showing flames or sparks. The intensity picks up to make those moments stand out, appropriate that when used, Sinners is likewise picking up energy. The distinct, rusty black levels may not carry traditional shadows and thickness, but still create depth with a vintage aesthetic. To note, Sinners is drenched in darkness so to maintain image integrity makes this special.

Once into the club, the palette saps most of the primaries, choosing to swell the image with bold warmth, almost entirely orange. Previously, the enriched tones give vividness to sunrises, fields, and set design.

Blistering Dolby Atmos spares nothing, and the outright magical audio mix gives Sinners so much added life. Musical segments offer the full depth and power available to this track. Surrounds stretch the music into each speaker, spreading outward as the smooth lyrics pop from the center. Gunfire pushes power through the low-end, as do flames.

Ambiance is elegant, separating channels to box in a train station or the early moments of the party. Soft, ambient conversations can be heard in the rears precisely placed. Sound editing makes some stellar choices too, panning audio appropriately through camera moves and cuts. Up for a best sound Oscar, there’s a reason Sinners has a shot at the award.

Beginning with a half-hour making of, additional featurettes focus on Michael B. Jordan’s dual roles, the music, visual effects, the cultural traditions of the deep south, and finally, deleted scenes.

The following six screen shots serve as samples for our subscription-exclusive set of 72 full resolution, uncompressed 4K screen shots ripped directly from the UHD: