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In Sinners, Hailee Steinfeld doesn't just portray a vampire—she resurrects generations of family memory and unspoken history. The horror-thriller, directed by Ryan Coogler and hitting theaters April 18, unfolds in the haunted Mississippi Delta of the 1930s. But for Steinfeld, the most haunting element wasn't the supernatural—it was the emotional excavation of her own roots.
"It brought me so much closer to my mom and to my grandfather," Steinfeld said in an interview with People. "This role... my imagination ran wild with thoughts of what his life might have looked like." Her character, Mary, is a multi-racial vampire navigating a racially divided South. Offscreen, Steinfeld, whose grandfather was half-Black and half-Filipino, mirrored Mary's journey by delving into her family's past.
The preparation wasn't just academic. "Part of my research included understanding my own family history a bit better," she told Good Morning America on April 2. "This character challenged me in ways I've never been challenged." She described the experience as "unlike any role I have ever played."
The film, which stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as twin WWI veterans, Smoke and Stack, explores legacy and grief with chilling intimacy. Coogler, known for Black Panther, revealed the idea for Sinners was born from personal loss. "It all started with my Uncle James," he told Deadline. "When I was grieving, I found myself listening to blues music... If the room was dark enough, it felt like he was right there with me."
Coogler's vision extends beyond fright. The horror genre becomes a vessel for confronting intergenerational trauma. "I do believe you feel that and you see that when you watch this movie," Steinfeld emphasized. "It affected all of us so personally and so deeply."
The film also ignited real-world discussions. "Even after seeing the movie last night with just some family, the conversations about this movie are so important," Steinfeld noted. According to Backstage, she has previously described her upbringing as "a bunch of stuff in between," with Christian and Jewish traditions blending at home.
More than a genre piece, Sinners becomes a conversation starter—a mirror for those exploring identity in layered and often painful ways. "I'm just so honored to be part of this story," Steinfeld said. "It served me in a way I didn't know I needed so bad."
