The Sound of Resistance: Music, Space, and Cultural Appropriation in Sinners

Purpose: This study examines how music and space in Sinners construct Black communal memory and bring it into conflict with the threat of cultural appropriation. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative, interpretive audiovisual analysis compares four scene and sequence clusters: the opening of the juke joint, Sammie’s central performance, Annie’s protective knowledge, and the vampires’ call at the threshold. It traces sound source, spatial direction, camera movement, embodied response, and boundary markers. Findings: The arrival of patrons, exchanges at the door and bar, and live music establish the juke joint as a shared social space. Sammie’s performance connects bodily participation to intergenerational memory through a montage of musicians and dancers from different periods. Annie’s knowledge defines belonging through agency and ties to the ancestors. The vampires’ call erodes the boundary through familiar voices, invitation, and a coercive demand for access. The ethical distinction between the two musical communities lies in the conditions they place on participation. Research limitations/implications: The analysis is limited to a single film text. It does not examine the production process, audience reception, box-office performance, or music sales. The findings therefore concern the film’s textual organization. Practical implications: The observational framework may help film sound scholars examine sound source, spatial boundaries, and embodied responses together. Originality/value: The article advances discussion of cultural appropriation in Sinners by comparing the blues inside the juke joint with the vampires’ call outside, focusing on the threshold and terms of participation.