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The Ryan Coogler-directed Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan, is earning rave reviews from critics and fans. The horror film, set against a 1930s Deep South backdrop, explores culture and spirituality through a mostly Black cast. Still, some viewers have taken issue with the casting of Smoke’s estranged wife, Annie, as his love interest.
Jordan plays twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, who return to their hometown of Clarkesdale after seven years. Stack, the louder, flashier twin, reconnects with his petite, white-passing ex Mary (played by Hailee Steinfeld), while Smoke visits his estranged wife Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), a dark-skinned, full-figured woman with whom he shares a tragic history, the loss of their infant daughter.
Following the film’s Easter release, social media exploded with comparisons between the brothers’ exes. Some critics argued that Jordan’s character “deserved” a “sexier” scene partner than Annie, suggesting she fit the mould of an aunt or mother figure rather than a love interest. Neither Jordan nor Mosaku have responded publicly, but support for Mosaku has flooded in online.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “How bigger, heavier-set Black women were treated during slavery and portrayed in media for years is the real reason y’all thought Annie was Smoke and Stack’s mother in Sinners.” Another said, “The second I saw Annie, her charged energy toward Smoke never gave ‘old.’ I immediately knew she had to be the baby’s mother.” Another added, “Wunmi Mosaku as Annie dripped femininity, sensuality, grace, and power. I haven’t seen a full-figured character portrayed with so much depth in a long time.”