‘The recent press conference for Ryan Coogler’s Sinners didn’t just spotlight the film’s eerie southern setting and electric genre energy—it revealed a set built on heart, home, and humanity. Hailee Steinfeld, Omar Benson Miller, and Jayme Lawson shared intimate reflections on what it felt like to work on a project where the atmosphere behind the camera was just as compelling as the story being captured on film.

For Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Mary, one of the film’s central figures, the character’s transformation was amplified by a moody, nighttime shoot schedule and the immersive environment of the film’s main gathering place—the juke joint.

“So many of our scenes were shot at night,” Steinfeld said. “We’d walk into the juke when it was light, and come out when it was light again. But it never felt tiring—it felt magical. For Mary, this wasn’t just a location. It became her home. Even though it was new to her, everything inside—the people, the music, the layout—felt familiar. It was her way of reconnecting to something she’d lost.”

She praised the set design and attention to detail, pointing out how the creaking wood floors, the chairs, and even the shoes people wore added authenticity. “You could feel the history of that place,” she said. “And even though Mary’s past life might’ve looked different, maybe even more glamorous, this was where her heart was. This was home.”

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Meanwhile, Omar Benson Miller brought humor and humility to the conversation but spoke seriously about what made Coogler’s set different from any he’d worked on.

“I’ve been doing this a while,” Miller said. “Ryan Coogler runs the most egalitarian set I’ve ever been on. And I say that with so much respect. Once you step out of the trailer, it doesn’t matter who you are—everyone’s equal. Ryan knows everyone’s name, asks about their weekend. You feel valued, and that’s rare.”

It’s a sentiment that resonated deeply with co-star Jayme Lawson, who called working on Sinners her favorite experience to date.

“What Ryan created was a space where we could bring our own stories,” Lawson explained. “He shared his with us, and in return, we felt trusted—completely. He was never precious about the work in a way that shut you out. Instead, it was a gift he wanted to share.”

She even confessed to coming to set when she wasn’t scheduled to film—just to be part of it. “I don’t know anyone else who does that, but I needed to be in that room. Watching Ryan work, being in that energy, was something I’ll never forget.”

In the end, Sinners is more than a film—it’s a collaboration built on trust, shared vision, and the belief that stories rooted in truth deserve to be told with care. Whether it’s Mary discovering her place in a juke joint, or a cast and crew finding their creative footing on an equal playing field, the message is clear: Sinners may be a story about darkness and the unknown, but behind the scenes, it was all about light and belonging.

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