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‘Sinners’ With Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, and Wesley Morris

August 18, 2025 · Sinners (2025) · Action · Drama · Horror · 2:59:03

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Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Van Lathan▶ 23:35Agrees with the prayer hands take and categorizes celebrities into 'prayer hands celebrities and regular celebrities', praising YG for not giving him prayer hands
Wesley Morris▶ 23:28We need to ban prayer hands

Most Rewatchable Scene

Wesley Morris▶ 1:21:45When she gets off the train - her first scene where she confronts Smoke after seeing Sammy

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:55:38Right when Remick floats and things start to turn up in the juke joint
Van Lathan▶ 1:55:10Initially suggests the scene where Smoke comes in talking about the children, camera follows their daughter across the restaurant to retrieve her mom, but then agrees the ending is probably the overall winner
Wesley Morris▶ 1:55:27The ending

Who Won the Movie

Wesley Morris▶ 2:01:17Suggests the movie would have been satisfying if it had just been Michael B. Jordan kills all the vampires, implying Michael B. Jordan won the movie

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 2:01:30Delta Slim and the beer (Irish beer)
Van Lathan▶ 2:02:05Delta Slim twisting the top off the beer and performing for it
Wesley Morris▶ 2:01:35The kitchen sequence when they're preparing all the food

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 2:05:48The fight scene - 8 people against 50 vampires but it plays like 8 on 8, doesn't make sense how they didn't all get bitten right away
Van Lathan▶ 2:06:06Agrees with Bill's fight scene critique, calls it 'The blade conundrum' - vampires don't attack effectively as a group, they retreat when they could finish killing, like Mary leaving the juke joint early

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Van Lathan▶ 2:13:18Clarksville and the American South - praised the beautiful, textured, gorgeous depiction of a place he's connected to, discussing the brutal beauty of the South with old general stores and cotton fields

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 2:20:12Delroy Lindo — Either Delroy Lindo or Buddy Guy
Van Lathan▶ 2:20:16The Native American vampire hunters (Choctaw)
Wesley Morris▶ 2:20:47The Choctaws (agreeing with Van's pick)

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 2:22:36Ludwig used 1932 Dobro Cyclops resonator guitar; Coogler influenced by From Dusk Till Dawn and The Faculty; cast twin double Percy Bell; shot Clarksdale scenes in Donaldsonville, Louisiana; working title was 'grilled cheese'; Remick's backstory places him in 5th-7th centuries; Robert Johnson crossroads legend connection
Van Lathan▶ 2:24:20Personal anecdote about Donaldsonville, Louisiana filming location - dated girl from there, boarded horses there, commented on local high school
Wesley Morris▶ 2:23:23Rhiannon Giddens served as Americana music consultant (same person Beyoncé consulted for Cowboy Carter); Kingfish Ingram appears with Buddy Guy in end band scene; film used Irish culture consultant and other specialized consultants

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 2:26:01Ryan Coogler — Ryan Coogler is at Apex Mountain - has maximum power and juice as a director right now
Van Lathan▶ 2:26:32Agrees Coogler has unprecedented power (could get $250M sight unseen); sees this as beginning of Michael B. Jordan's prime, not peak
Wesley Morris▶ 2:29:16Agrees this is the moment for Michael B. Jordan to get really interesting offers, but sees it as beginning of prime rather than peak

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 2:49:52The Good Doctor - envisioning him as a Spock-like figure providing logical analysis about the vampires while annoying the other characters
Wesley Morris▶ 2:50:27Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson - stating 'Sam Jackson made this movie' and referencing his role in Snakes on a Plane

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 2:51:00Ryan Coogler — Ryan Coogler for directing
Van Lathan▶ 2:50:56Ryan Coogler — Ryan Coogler for directing
Wesley Morris▶ 2:51:14Original screenplay

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 2:53:25Did Josh Allen enjoy this movie? What did Stack and Mary do for 60 years and how many people did they bite?
Van Lathan▶ 2:53:51Do Stack and Mary in 1992 still listen to Irish music?
Wesley Morris▶ 2:54:17What are Stack and Mary musically driven to do now that they're dressed like Keith Sweat and Salt-N-Pepa? How did they survive the 70s and 60s, and did they have favorite restaurants?

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 2:55:57You keep dancing with the devil. One day he's going to follow you home.
Van Lathan▶ 2:56:02White women can come in the party. But not white men.

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 2:56:39Fruitvale Station — Fruitvale Station (paired with Black Panther to follow Ryan Coogler's journey)
Wesley Morris▶ 2:56:28From Dusk Till Dawn

Movies Referenced (36)

Creed (2015)

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Wesley Morris▶ 15:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Black Panther (2018)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 16:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blade (1998)

7 mentions · Van Lathan, Wesley Morris▶ 2:06:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky (1976)

4 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons▶ 15:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 2:35:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dracula (1992)

3 mentions · Wesley Morris▶ 2:29:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Wesley Morris▶ 1:51:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Get Shorty (1995)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Let Me In (2010)

3 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 2:41:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wall Street (1987)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 54:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Just Mercy (2019)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 56:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Malcolm X (1992)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 2:35:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (10)

Steven Spielberg

9 mentions · Wesley Morris, Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan▶ 1:05:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joel Schumacher

5 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for The Phantom of the Opera, 8MM▶ 1:09:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Grinder

5 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for District 9▶ 2:19:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack O'Connell

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 1:27:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Eggers

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for The Lighthouse, The Witch, Nosferatu▶ 1:04:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Spike Lee

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It▶ 1:23:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anson Jew

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Wonder Woman▶ 2:43:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ari Aster

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hereditary, Midsommar▶ 1:04:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 1:03:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Brady

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Hot Chick▶ 33:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (66)

Lee Remick

30 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for The Omen, Anatomy of a Murder, Days of Wine and Roses▶ 26:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Delroy Lindo

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Van Lathan · Known for Sinners, Get Shorty▶ 44:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Will Smith

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Van Lathan · Known for Men in Black, I Am Legend▶ 53:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brad Pitt

5 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Mr. & Mrs. Smith▶ 57:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Baker

5 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for An American Werewolf in London▶ 1:04:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alicia Goranson

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Boys Don't Cry▶ 1:14:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Omar Benson Miller

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for 8 Mile▶ 1:18:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony Edwards

3 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Top Gun, Zodiac▶ 59:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Holy Fuck

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:51:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Miles Caton

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Sinners▶ 1:11:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Buddy Guy

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Sinners, Idiocracy▶ 2:20:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cannonball

2 mentions · Wesley Morris▶ 1:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

Ryan Coogler

54 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Van Lathan · Known for Black Panther, Creed▶ 4:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

7 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons▶ 1:34:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Malcolm X

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Malcolm X▶ 2:35:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Damien Chazelle

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Whiplash, La La Land, First Man▶ 1:04:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Baldwin

1 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 2:10:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nancy Meyers

1 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for It's Complicated, Something's Gotta Give, Private Benjamin▶ 2:01:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (3)

Joan Rope

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:40:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Albert J. Dunk

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Black Christmas▶ 2:04:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christophe Dural

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for La Femme Nikita▶ 2:00:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗