Column: 'Sinners' is the story of our moment, from a past chapter of 'divide and conquer'

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Oscar nominations are officially out, meaning for the next couple of months social media feeds will be saturated with debates over who and what is worthy of a statue.Leading that discussion is another Ryan Coogler masterpiece, this time “Sinners,” which is up for a record-breaking 16 awards, including best picture.Set in the Mississippi Delta during the Jim Crow era, the film is often characterized as a horror movie, which is understandable given the villain is a vampire.

However, what elevates “Sinners” beyond the gore — what makes it a delicious piece of historical fiction — are the details woven into the story’s fabric.From the presence of the Indigenous Choctaw people to the segregated sides of the same street, Coogler paints a picture of 1930s America with a documentarian’s brush.

In traditional horror movies, fright is centered and dialogue is a backdrop.“Sinners” prioritizes the moment in time in which the fright occurs — both visually and sonically — making it as much a period piece as it is a movie with vampires in it.How many Oscars “Sinners” will win is good fodder for all that social media debate.

However, what is not debatable — in fact, what is painfully clear — is that Coogler made the best picture for our times.That’s because at its core “Sinners” is a story about belonging — both who does and who does not.

There are no grand speeches about diversity undergirded by uplifting music.Instead, Coogler methodically reminds the audience that this country has always been a multiracial kaleidoscope by meticulously portraying life in America just a century ago.The vampire Remmick is more than just an antagonist with fangs.He is the immigrant son of an Irish man whose homeland was stolen and faith stripped away during the centuries of English rule.

We don’t know how old the vampire is.But we do know that by 1690 roughly 80% of ...