Ever since its release,Sinnershas not only managed to continuea strong streak at the box officebut also dominated in the pop culture conversation.It’s a testament toRyan Coogler’s skill as a filmmaker and how he approaches the idea of fighting vampires in the 1920s.Coogler’s listed multiple influences that shapedSinners,including other filmmakerslikeSpike LeeandQuentin Tarantino, andPuss in Boots: The Last Wish’sinterpretation of Death(yes, really.) But it turns out that the biggest thing that shapedSinnersis an episode ofThe Twilight Zone.
Coogler opened up about his love forThe Twilight Zoneinan interview withSciFi Now, pinpointing the Season 3 episode “The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank” as the biggest influence onSinners.“My favorite thing ever made isThe Twilight Zone,and my favorite episode is called ‘The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank’— probablySalem’s Lotand ‘The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank’ are probably the biggest influences,” he said.Looking at “The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank”, it’s easy to see its connection toSinnersandwhy it’s the episode that stuck with Coogler all these years.
Even by ‘Twilight Zone’ Standards, “The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank” Features a Truly Eerie Premise
“The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank” begins with a funeral in a small Southern town in the 1920’s, where people have gathered to celebrate the late Jeff Myrtlebank (James Best). But much to their surprise, Jeff sits up as though nothing’s wrong…causing the rest of the town to think that he’s been possessed by an evil spirit. While Jeff seems normal, there’s little things that hint he isn’t human anymore. He doesn’t have a heartbeat. He doesn’t need to eat. And in the most unsettling part of the episode, he lights a matchwithout striking it against anything. It’s never quite explained what happened to Jeff or what exactly he is post-death, but it’s pretty clear that he’s not human.
The other thing that makes “The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank” such a chilling watch is that it taps into a deep existential fear: the idea that if someone comes back from the dead, they won’t be the person you know. The irony of Jeff’s resurrection is that when he comes back, he’s far more assertive than he was in his past life, yet that’s enough for the rest of the town to declare him a monster. In many ways, it echoes the fears parents have when their kids grow up and head out into the world, or someone being drafted to war. Those might be drastically different settings, but they’ll still result in someone changing — and in effect, turning into someone you don’t know.
‘Sinners’ Pulls Most of Its Vampire Lore From “The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank”
Sinnersdoes share a lot in common with “The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank”: it takes place in a small town in Mississippi, it has a 1920s setting, and the supernatural is at work.But where “The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank” keeps its supernatural elements vague,Sinnersis upfront about the threat of the vampiresled by Remmick (Jack O’Connell). They’ll drink your blood, they look utterly eerie with their glowing red eyes and blood-soaked fangs, they move far too fast for the human eye to track. In a nice shout-out to “The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank”, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) refers to the vampires as “haints” — the same term Jeff’s friends and family used to describe him when he rose from the dead.
Annie also brings up a disturbing detail that changes how you’ll look at vampires: she says that when a vampire bites its victim,their soul is trapped in their body but the vampire who sired them has access to their memories. A chilling example of this ability happens when Remmick taunts Grace (Li Jun Li) in her native language, threatening her daughter, then has her husband Bo (Yao) do the same thing.The same thing happens when Smoke (Michael B. Jordan) discovers Mary (Hailee Steinfeld) feeding on his brother, Stack, and shoots her; after regenerating, she says, “We gonna kill you all.“It’s a far cry from her earlier interactions with Smoke and Stack, but it also shows that the Mary they knew is gone.
‘The Twilight Zone’ Continues To Inspire Filmmakers, Including Ryan Coogler & Jordan Peele
Coogler’s love forThe Twilight Zoneis only the latest example of howRod Serling’s seriesleft a mark on many filmmakers.Jordan Peelenot only produceda revival ofThe Twilight Zonebut also revealed that an episode of the original series, “Mirror Image”,was a major influencefor his sophomore feature,Us.M. Night ShyamalanlistedThe Twilight Zoneas an influence onOld. When talking about his love ofThe Twilight Zone,J.J. Abramsdropped a profound proclamation: “The Twilight Zoneat its best is better than anything else I’ve ever seen on television.” Coogler’s next projects are actually television-related, as he’s producinga revival ofThe X-Filesalongside Marvel Television projectsIronheartandEyes of Wakanda. Perhaps his love ofThe Twilight Zonewill sink into those projects, as well.
The Twilight Zoneis available to stream on Paramount+.
The Twilight Zone
