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One of the true treats on the 2025 movie schedule so far is writer/director Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. A genre-bending film that truly is a ride, I cannot recommend highly enough that you see this picture that’s literally “Shot with IMAX” in its native format.
However, as a premium format fan, knowing that this Michael B. Jordan-led horror ensemble was going to be available in 4DX intrigued me. More specifically, I went into this variant of the movie with one scene in particular that I was hoping would blow me away. And after having experienced the journey for myself, I have to say that I walked away with even more to rave about.
Michael B. Jordan’s Tommy Gun Showdown In Sinners Delivers In 4DX
Let’s step back for a moment to the first Sinners trailer; you know, the one that still had the March 7th release date? That short but sweet look into Warner Bros.’ potential box office hit ended on a scene that tied horror and action together in a pretty kick ass image.
Which is your cue to watch that trailer once again, to see Michael B. Jordan’s Smoke firing a Thompson submachine gun:
That image is still burned into my brain, and I’ve seen it on screen twice. But before that second showing, I walked in thinking that if Alien: Romulus’ 4DX experience could make me feel like I’ve been impaled by a Xenomorph, then feeling like Michael B. Jordan firing his finest offering from “The Trunk” should be an easy feat, right? Not only did Sinners deliver impressively on that front, it used both the horror and musical influences of the film to make a fantastic movie even better.
Club Juke’s Musical Setpieces Take Advantage Of 4DX’s Special Seating Quite Nicely
I now strongly believe that Venom: The Last Dance’s 4DX dance scene walked so Sinners’ big musical numbers could run. The more I thought about the combination of Ryan Coogler’s vampire flick and this premium format, another scene rose to join Michael B. Jordan’s guns using a gun as a moment of anticipation: Miles Caton’s space-time jam session at Club Juke.
The trippy sequence that mashes up musical genres across history doesn’t stop at using the vibration features in time with the music. Throughout that extensive shot that pans throughout the club of entertained patrons, the seats tilt to enhance the scene’s dreamlike quality.
As if that wasn’t cool enough, Jayme Lawson’s rendition of “Pale Pale Moon” has the seats in the 4DX vibrating in time with the claps and stomps throughout the song. If the criteria of a good scene from this format is feeling like you’re there, both of these Sinners showstoppers pass the test.
Vampire Slaying Has Never Been Better, Or Wetter
Ok horror fans: now’s one of our times to shine. You’re probably expecting some sort of commentary on what the various encounters with the vampires in Sinners do with its 4DX stage. Well, if you like water, you’re gonna love this thrill ride; as this genre-based talk of the town makes great usage of the seat-mounted water canons – especially when a vampire gets staked, or splashed with pickled garlic water.
These bloodthirsty beasts also get some premium format love, though, as Remmick (Jack O’Connell) and his fellowship use their abilities in a way that keeps the seats moving. Even the opening flashbacks to the night we’re about to see unfold throughout Sinners jolt your seats as sporadically as our protagonist recalls them. Even those of you who hate jump scares are going to appreciate how this sensory dimension makes short scenes of shock stand out.
If Ryan Coogler Didn’t Personally Tweak Sinners’ 4DX, Whoever Did Deserves A Raise
While we know writer/director Ryan Coogler as a blockbuster filmmaker, he’s also someone grounded in the world of human drama. Infusing everything from Creed to Black Panther with the same respect he invoked through making Fruitvale Station, the Oakland-born creative has an eye for drama on any scale.
You can hear as much while watching his recent video for Kodak, in which Mr. Coogler promotes every format, even 4DX:
Sinners’ 4DX presentation hammers that home harder than ever, and two scenes in particular proved that to me. When Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) tells a tragic story involving the death of a friend, the vibrations of the car ride scene he’s inhabiting are actually dialed down.
Meanwhile, when Annie (Wunmi Moskau) engages in an emotional conversation with Smoke, your seat will vibrate when you may not have expected it – as if to portray her skill of witchcraft subtly entering the scene. Much like Sammie’s opening flashbacks, you’re feeling a moment, rather than just an action.
Those are choices I wouldn’t have expected in a major blockbuster’s 4DX showing. So either Ryan Coogler really dug into this format’s nooks and crannies, or the team that programmed the package was of a similar mind as the man himself. No matter what the answer is, Sinners talks the talk and matches its walk to that same level of dedication.
After Sinners’ Impressive 4DX Experience, I Need More Horror Movies To Use This Format
If I had an award to give to the “Best 4DX Experience of the Year,” Sinners would be so embedded in the conversation it’d leave bite marks. The combination of its trademark facets has worked rather brilliantly in genres I wasn’t sure would be a good fit; as seen with Wicked’s 3D/4DX hybrid from last year.
However, this day in the life (and death) has me convinced that horror filmmakers need to go all in on this premium moviegoing variant. Maybe it’s the combination of a late-night showing and the fact that 28 Years Later’s second trailer was attached, but Sinners in 4DX left me thinking about the late horror director William Castle.
The director behind classics such as House on Haunted Hill and The Tingler, he was known for theatrical gimmicks, like seat-based buzzers, that added an extra dimension to chillers of yesteryear. Much like 3D before it, 4DX continues to keep that tradition alive, and it’s something that I’ll continue to follow with great enthusiasm.
Getting squirted with “vampire blood,” flying through the air like a bloodsucker, and dancing at Club Juke are three huge reasons why I think horror films need to get in on this format that’s starting to shine brighter. While Michael B. Jordan firing that iconic World War I armament did deliver the pure joy I’d expected, it’s the rest of Sinners’ 4DX showing that makes me a believer in bringing more frightful adventures into the mix.
Don’t just take my word for it, though, as Sinners is now playing at a theater near you. If you’re not going to see this in either IMAX’s digital or 70mm formats, then this should be the showtime you select in your ticketing app. And if you’ve already seen Ryan Coogler’s latest, don’t worry – it holds up even better the second time around, in 4DX!