TT 512: SINNERS and CATCHPENNY

strongly recommended

a main character in SINNERS is a blues guitarist played by Miles Caton

There’s been a lot of buzz about Sinners. I loved the movie generally and was notably impressed with how the blues was treated. Hollywood usually tramples musical subtlety into the ground, but Ryan Coogler (who wrote, directed, and co-produced) shows a truly sympathetic approach to an esoteric topic. This is a blues movie done right. (Who knew such a thing was possible?)

If you’ve seen the film already, read Harmony Holiday’s intimate take.

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There is music in CATCHPENNY also, including the use of a Sinéad O'Connor LP as a talisman

One of my favorite thriller writers, Charlie Huston, works on an expansive and sophisticated literary canvas, closer to “this is a great American novel” than most genre authors. He finally has a new book out, Catchpenny. While quite different in overall conception, Catchpenny’s topical accuracy recalls Huston’s previous brilliant book, Skinner, another huge thriller that tackles the current condition head-on.

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I didn’t know anything about either Sinners or Catchpenny before going in. Both effortlessly took me on a journey and delivered truly unexpected twists. They both also have rather spectacular codas, so make sure you stay alert all the way to the very end.