THE SINNERS (2020) Reviews and overview

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The Sinners is a 2020 Canadian horror film about a secret cult of seven teen girls in which each of them embodies a deadly sin. Unfortunately, after they go missing one by one, they realise there’s more to their small religious town than they had thought. The movie was previously titled The Color Rose.

Directed by Courtney Paige from a screenplay co-written with Erin Hazlehurst and Madison Smith, based on Paige’s story, the Globetrotter Pictures-Neon Cinema Films production stars Kaitlyn Bernard, Brenna Llewellyn, Brenna Coates, Keilani Elizabeth Rose, Jasmine Randhawa, Carly Fawcett and Natalie Malaika.

Plot:
Seven A-list students from a religious town get a lot more than they bargain for when they dabble in the occult. Calling themselves the Seven Deadly Sins, one of them confesses all their wrongdoings to the local pastor and the stakes get raised.

Suddenly the fun games and attic rituals cause one of them to end up dead. And the cat and mouse games begin. Who is killing them and how will they ever get their perfectly ‘innocent’ school lives back? Who can they really trust and who will help them find their way back to the light?

Reviews:
“The premise of the film is genuinely intriguing; the mystery is well-kept despite how predictable it seems in retrospect, the production is propped up by its highly illecebrous cast, well-edited tempo, and superb cinematography. Despite some silly dialogue and lack of authentic chills, The Color Rose is a sick and circuitous little import worthy of plucking when it hits the streets.” Arrow in the Head

“Paige’s debut might resonate with a younger audience, but it otherwise unravels at the slightest tug of its plot threads. The Sinners prefers to tell over show; expect major plot beats to unveil through lengthy exposition dumps that still don’t bring clarity. It contributes to a confusing plot without any emotional heft.” Bloody Disgusting

“The first half of The Sinners made some bold character and story choices in the setup, but by the time of Aubrey’s actual death, it’s hard to care who sinned who, as the convoluted plot tries to cover too many characters’ points of view before the credits roll.” BritFlicks

The Sinners had all the ingredients to be a fantastic film but sadly it’s let down by the last 30 minutes. Until that point everything was fitting into place – great acting, an intriguing story, it looks visually interesting and the soundtrack is killer. Unfortunately, the ending feels like a slap in the face and it left me scratching my head rather than feeling satisfied.” Entertainment Focus

” …an admirable effort – it feels like it’s trying to follow in the footsteps of female-led, lighter horrors like The Craft and Jennifer’s Body but ultimately it lacks the charisma of those superior movies. There is a lot of talent on show here, both in front of and behind the camera; but unfortunately, it seems to lack the commitment to put a foot firmly in any particular genre…” HNN

“A film sure to be enjoyed by the younger market that it is targeting, The Sinners, however, doesn’t quite have enough to fully satisfy a more mature and genre experienced audience. It does nonetheless remain an entertaining watch that channels some of the teen classics.” The Hollywood News

“Despite a powerful message and characters, The Sinners has some glaring issues with tonal inconsistency that make it difficult to fully engage with the film. There are times when the film feels almost surreal, with strange, unexpected scenes and hazy shots that lend the film a dream-like quality that I completely dug. Other times it feels more like a soapy high-school drama…” Killer Horror Critic

“The quality of the direction, acting, sound design is all very competent. There is a large cast, and some of the actors are a little stronger than others but the standard is good […] this is a “film of two halves” both work fine independently, but I am still not convinced they work together as a single, coherent piece of work.” Nerdly

“I wish the kills had been more graphic and staged with more panache. (This is likely the result of budgetary issues.) The proceedings would feel more like a horror flick this way and less like a Lifetime movie. […]There are certainly enjoyable elements of the flick […] There’s also a doozy of a twist I didn’t see coming … kudos on that humdinger.” Alec Toombs

Release:
The film premiered at the Mammoth Film Festival on March 1st 2020 as The Color Rose. The film had its UK premiere, as The Sinners, at the virtual Arrow Video FrightFest on October 21st 2020.

In the USA, The Sinners is released on VOD on February 19th from Brainstorm Media. In the UK, Signature Entertainment will release The Sinners on Digital platforms on 22nd February 2021.

Cast and characters:
Kaitlyn Bernard … Grace Carver
Brenna Llewellyn … Aubrey Miller
Brenna Coates … Tori Davidson
Keilani Elizabeth Rose … Katie Hamilton
Jasmine Randhawa … Stacey Rodgers
Carly Fawcett … Molly McIvor
Natalie Malaika … Robyn Pearce
Aleks Paunovic … Sheriff Fred Middleton
Lochlyn Munro … Detective O’Ryan
Dylan Playfair … Kit Anderson
Tahmoh Penikett … Pastor Dean Carver
Loretta Walsh … Brenda Carver
Elysia Rotaru … Maggie Middleton
Jerry Trimble … Coroner Earnest Feldman
Michael Eklund … Detective Zankowski
Jen Araki … Summer Dobson
Karis Cameron … Hannah Carver
Kevin Forrest Clark … Sage
Kaya Coleman … Alexis
Lindsay Gibson … Secretary Sheila Hartmann
Maxwell Haynes … Luke Carver
Devon Kenzo … Tyler
Francine Laimana … Mrs Hamilton
Kalani Laimana … Mr Hamilton
Craig March … Mr Miller
Madison Moore … Melody Miller
James Neate … Andy Lund
Courtney Paige … Sasha Taylor
Amber Piche … Mrs Miller
Pierre Piche … Mr Rogers
Mila Santos … Veronica
Taylor St. Pierre … Deputy Douglas Sanders
Brendan Taylor … Principal Ian Eldridge
Samantha Thomas … Emmy Johnson
Teagan Vincze … Claire Miller
Alexanne Wagner … Petra

Filming locations:
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

Technical details: 
90 minutes

Trailer:

Related:

7 DEADLY SINS (2019) Reviews and overview

SE7EN (1995) Reviews and overview

DEVIL’S NIGHTMARE (1971) Reviews and overview

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