The podcast dives into how Ryan Coogler's film "Sinners" uses vampires to explore deep societal issues like race and identity. The discussion traces vampire lore from classic texts to modern portrayals, including how figures like Edward Cullen reshaped these monsters into relatable characters. Cultural themes like oppression and resistance are woven through the narrative, showcasing the rich tapestry of music and community. Finally, it examines the existential questions about youth and mortality that resonate within contemporary vampire narratives.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Plot Setup of "Sinners"
"Sinners" centers on twin brothers returning to 1932 Mississippi to open a juke joint amid racial segregation.
The film mixes historical realism with supernatural elements, notably vampires disrupting this world.
insights INSIGHT
Vampires as Cultural Symbols
Vampires in "Sinners" symbolize white cultural appropriation and colonial power dynamics.
They try to integrate by co-opting black culture but also represent hidden societal evils like the Klan.
insights INSIGHT
Role Reversal in Vampire Tropes
"Sinners" reverses the typical vampire trope by making whiteness the invasive threat.
The film portrays black communal spaces as powerful yet vulnerable to white cultural invasion.
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The novel tells the story of Count Dracula, a vampire who moves from Transylvania to England to spread terror and create more vampires. The story begins with Jonathan Harker, an English solicitor, who travels to Transylvania to finalize the sale of a property to Count Dracula. Upon discovering Dracula's true nature, Harker barely escapes with his life. Dracula then travels to England, where he targets Harker's fiancée, Mina, and her friend Lucy. A group of characters, including Professor Van Helsing, Dr. John Seward, and Quincey Morris, band together to hunt down and destroy Dracula. The novel explores themes of good vs. evil, modernity vs. tradition, and the fears and anxieties of the Victorian era, including immigration, sexual desire, and the role of women in society.
The Vampyre
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John Polidori
John Polidori's 'The Vampyre' is considered one of the earliest vampire novels, published in 1819. It features Lord Ruthven, a charismatic and sinister character who preys on innocent victims. The novel explores themes of seduction, danger, and the supernatural, setting the stage for future vampire literature. Polidori's work is notable for its atmospheric descriptions and its exploration of the psychological aspects of vampirism. 'The Vampyre' influenced later vampire stories, contributing to the development of the vampire archetype in popular culture. The novel's enduring appeal lies in its exploration of dark themes and its creation of a compelling villain.
The vampire has long been a way to explore the shadow side of society, and “Sinners,” Ryan Coogler’s new blockbuster set in the Jim Crow-era South, is no exception. On this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz discuss what “Sinners,” which fuses historical realism with monster-movie-style horror, illuminates about America in 2025. They trace the archetype from such nineteenth-century texts as “The Vampyre” and “Dracula” to the “Twilight” moment of the aughts, when Edward Cullen, an ethical bloodsucker committed to abstinence, turned the vampire from a predatory outsider into a Y.A. heartthrob. What do he and his ilk have to say today? “The vampire is the one who can unsettle our notions, and maybe give us new notions,” Cunningham says. “The vampire comes in and asks, ‘But have you considered this?’ ”
Read, watch, and listen with the critics:
“Sinners” (2025) “Black Panther” (2018) “The Vampyre,” by John Polidori “In the Blood,” by Joan Acocella (The New Yorker) “Dracula,” by Bram Stoker “Dracula” (1931) “Love at First Bite” (1979) “The Lost Boys” (1987) “True Blood” (2008–14) “Twilight” (2008) “What We Do in the Shadows” (2019–24)
Critics at Large | The New Yorker 
