Sinners – Discovering the Warner Bros. 4K Edition with IMAX and 65mm

Deep South of the United States, 1932. Veterans of World War I, the twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore return to Mississippi to challenge systemic racism: they buy a large warehouse to set up a club for African Americans to dance, drink, and have fun. The dream soon turns into a nightmare when vampires, led by an Irish immigrant, sow terror and death.

The film shines for its setting: Autumn Durald's cinematography captures the heat of the South amidst dust, worn wood, sweat, and blues. Ludwig Göransson's soundtrack underscores the cultural roots of the Black community. Unfortunately, not everything works at the same level: the main characters too often remain archetypal figures, lacking significant emotional evolution, and much of the conflict loses depth, while still remaining on not entirely predictable tracks.

On one hand, Coogler tackles difficult themes like racism and social injustices; on the other, he chooses a narrative that leaves no room for ambiguity or doubt: the metaphor of vampirism is powerful, but rarely surprising. The result is a decent film, visually fascinating and with moments of sincere intensity, also thanks to Michael B. Jordan's “doubling” role, yet remaining trapped in a formula already seen.

Analog Art, Digital Spectacle

Shot entirely on analog 65mm (IMAX MKIV, IMAX MSM 9802, Panavision 65 HR, Panavision System 65 Studio, 100 and 500 ASA film stock) resulting in a native 4K master, used for the creation of this UHD encoding. Aspect ratio that shifts from a more “open” IMAX 1.90:1 to a wider 2.75:1, HEVC encoding on a triple-layer BD-100 (3840 x 2160/23.97p). Reference material for a total spectacle thanks to Dolby Vision, especially in the presence of native 10-bit screens and infinite black. This would allow for maximum enhancement of the long night of horror that runs through the narrative like a high-voltage cable.

Emotions also from the audio front with the Italian Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track and ATMOS objects (24 bit), which knows how to deliver doses of adrenaline and charge the atmosphere with tension between dialogues, effects, and bass depth. A soundstage presence that is felt especially in the second part, from the moment the vampires assault the club. Similar but less impressive is the English original, half a step below and with a 16-bit track. Curious is the presence of a double descriptive audio track for the visually impaired: USA or UK. The BD-50 with the 2K version only has Dolby Digital 5.1 for Italian (640 kbps).

Extras: Dancing with the Devil: The Making of Sinners (32') with personal reflections from director Ryan Coogler on the influences of his life in the film; Blues in the Night: The Music of Sinners (14') on the creation of the original soundtrack and a journey into the Mississippi Delta; Thicker than Blood: Becoming the Smokestack Twins (11') with Michael B. Jordan on the dual role and its challenges; Spirits in the Deep South (8') introduces Hoodoo and its narrative role; The Wages of Sin: The Creature Effects of Sinners (11') on prosthetic effects and vampiric make-up. Finally, 7 deleted scenes from the final cut (19'). Italian subtitles. Also available in steelbook version.