At the recent Gula Conference press event for the upcoming thriller “Sinners,” it was revealed that there’s far more pulsing beneath its genre surface. The film, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, also boasts rich historical detail, cultural complexity, and deeply grounded performances—thanks in part to a cast that includes Delroy Lindo, Li Li, and Wunmi Mosaku.

Veteran actor Delroy Lindo returns to a physical role with powerful intensity, stepping into a character that required him to throw more than just wisdom around. One of the film’s standout sequences unfolds in a gritty juke joint brawl, and Lindo shared how seriously the team took the choreography involved.

“Fighting is choreography—just like dance,” Lindo said. “And the more violent the fight, the more crucial it is that every move is exact. I came to New Orleans a little late because I was finishing another project, but the moment I got to set, Ryan’s team had everything lined up. The fight captain showed me how I would fit into the scene, and we worked methodically. By the time the cameras rolled, we all knew exactly what needed to be done.”

But beyond the physical, Lindo highlighted something deeper: “There was always openness. If I had an idea or wanted to try something that felt more organic, the space was there to explore it. That generosity—it starts with Ryan and Mike. It created a space where we all felt empowered.”

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That spirit of research and authenticity was echoed by Li Li, who portrays a Chinese American woman living in the Mississippi Delta—an often overlooked piece of American history that Sinners takes time to illuminate.

“I wasn’t aware of the Chinese American community in the Delta before this,” Li Li admitted. “But when I started digging, it was incredible. They ran grocery stores that served both Black and white communities, but they also faced their own prejudice. I drew inspiration from Frieda Kwan, who we used for dialect work. She had this thick southern accent, and it completely rewired my thinking about identity and cultural intersections.”

Li’s character offers a rare representation of the Chinese American South—down to details like food, fashion, and speech. “Ryan made sure it wasn’t just surface-level. He treats every culture with reverence and attention,” she said. “It was a real gift to tell a story so rooted in truth.”

On the emotional side of Sinners, Wunmi Mosaku’s performance as Annie delivers one of the film’s most intimate love stories—set against the haunting beauty of the Louisiana wilderness. Her scenes with Michael B. Jordan’s character, Smoke, take place in a shop that’s as much a character as the people inside it.

“It was magical,” Mosaku said. “The oaks, the moss, the candlelight, the spell books—some with actual spiderwebs—it all felt alive. Annie’s shop isn’t just where she works; it’s her heart. Her grave is right outside, and when she says, ‘I’m not going anywhere else,’ you believe her.”

Production designer Hannah Beachler’s vision elevated these moments, turning the set into a living, breathing world. “There’s even a moment where pussy willow seeds are floating behind Smoke—it’s so romantic, so cinematic. That environment gave us something to connect to. It deepened our performances.”

From spellbinding scenery to carefully choreographed fight scenes, Sinners is a genre film that refuses to settle for the surface. It blends action with emotion, fantasy with history, and spectacle with substance. And if the cast’s reflections are any indication, audiences are in for a richly layered ride.

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