Hailee Steinfeld is captivating audiences with her performance in the newly released movie “Sinners.” The film, set in 1932 Mississippi, follows twin brothers who return to their hometown to buy a sawmill and convert it into a music hotspot. However, their plans unravel as inexplicable events begin to occur. Steinfeld plays Mary, a former love interest of one of the brothers, and her performance has been praised as exceptional.
Critics and audiences have flooded social media with admiration, describing her role as a masterclass in acting. For Steinfeld, the film has ignited a deeply personal and emotional journey. “I’m so grateful for the deeply personal connection that each of us has to the material,” she said in a recent interview.
“Mine being with my family history, with my grandfather, who I wish was still here to answer all the questions that I have that this movie raised for me and making this movie raised.”
Steinfeld’s maternal grandfather, Ricardo Domasin, was the son of a Filipino father from Panglao, Bohol, and an African American mother from California. The film became a mirror that reflected questions she had never dared to ask about her ancestry. “This movie brought me closer to my roots in ways I never expected,” she admitted.
“It gave me a hunger to understand where I come from. My grandfather’s life, the struggles he faced, the cultures he carried. I feel like I’m only now beginning to comprehend what that truly means.”
According to multiple cast members, the set carried a chilling energy that often blurred the line between fiction and emotional truth.
Steinfeld’s emotional journey
For Steinfeld, some scenes left her in tears, while others forced her to take long solitary walks to collect herself. Steinfeld also contributed an original track titled “Dangerous” to the film’s haunting soundtrack, marking her return to music after stepping away for several years.
The song’s lyrics are dripping with emotion and veiled references to identity, loss, and survival. Critics are praising director Ryan Coogler’s bold storytelling and genre-blending approach, while Steinfeld’s performance is being hailed as one of the best of her career. “She’s not just playing a character,” wrote one reviewer.
“She’s channeling a story that’s been buried for generations.”
For Steinfeld, the film is more than just a movie. It’s a spiritual reckoning. “I feel changed by this experience,” she said.
“It opened doors in my mind and my heart that I didn’t even know were locked. I wish my grandfather could see this. I wish I could ask him everything.
But maybe, in some way, this movie helped me hear his answers.”
