The first time many people took notice of a young Michael B. Jordan was in the 2013 drama Fruitvale Station. It was evident from his performance that he had what it takes to be a major talent in Hollywood, and he has gone on to be exactly that.

That film also saw the directorial debut of Ryan Coogler, who Jordan teams up with again here for the fifth time, in this period vampire tale.

1932, Clarksdale, Mississippi and returning home after living the gangster life in Chicago for seven years are identical twins Smoke and Stack Moore (Jordan).

They return with big plans, where they purchase an old sawmill and convert it into a juke joint for the local community to enjoy, where booze and the blues will be flowing.

They get local blues legend Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) to play, and even rope in their own young cousin Sammie (Miles Caton) AKA Preacher Boy, to play guitar and sing.

It’s opening night, and it’s going to be one that no one who attends it is going to forget in a hurry, but for all the wrong reasons, when stranger Remmick (Jack O’Connell), drawn their by the music, wants an invite, as he’s keen to sink his teeth into the occasion.

Coogler’s film, which he also wrote, may well be set in the thirties, and enjoyably so, but it bears a striking resemblance to the 1996 vampire flick From Dusk Till Dawn, directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino.

Much like that film, this is a film of two halves: the first plays out like a family drama, as it sees two brothers with a criminal background return to their roots; and the second a vampire film. In fact there is no hint of any vampire activities until the 41st minute of the film, with the arrival of O’Connell’s character. Rodriguez’s film starts off as a crime flick, before turning into a vampire film that takes place in a club, as this one does.

Perhaps the main difference is that instead of a Clooney, you get two Michael B. Jordans, which many would see as a fair trade.

And although he’s good, as you would expect in the two roles, it’s the young Caton, making his acting debut who blows up on screen; he comes across as a natural at the early stages of the film, and then he sings and just takes it to a whole new level.

The non vampire section of the film, although intriguing and rich in atmosphere, is rather sluggish, and could have done with finding another gear getting there. And when it does show its teeth, it doesn’t quite make the impact hoped for, despite O’Connell turning on the devilish charm, which may disappoint horror aficionados after a serious horror fix, as they won’t get it here.

So although both parts don’t quite work on their own or together, Coogler does enough to keep things engaging, especially with a few key scenes that centre around music and dance.

And let’s face it, the fact you get twice as much Jordan is enough for most watching.

Although the film’s finale lends itself to a sequel, Coogler has stated that he’s not really interested in making it a franchise, especially as he feels the film is a self-contained story as it is. For us, what’s hinted at in the film’s closing credits would have actually made a stronger second half to this film, with its first half trimmed considerably, and its second half moved to its place in the beginning.

Still, Sinners is an interesting take on the vampire film, and although not wholly original, Coogler’s impressive vision and period setting is one that should satiate anyone’s appetite for suckers of blood.