For British-Nigerian actress Wunmi Mosaku, stepping into the haunting world of Sinners—Ryan Coogler’s latest cinematic dive into supernatural horror—was more than just another role. It was an invitation to dig deeper into her roots, to rediscover the rhythm of her native language, and to honor a heritage that, like the film itself, is rich, layered, and not easily defined.
Mosaku, who was born in Zaria, Nigeria, and raised in the UK, has carved out a space for herself in the horror genre, known for imbuing even the most eerie characters with warmth and humanity. From her powerful performance in His House to the gripping Lovecraft Country, she’s made it clear that horror can carry emotional weight and social commentary. But in Sinners, she finds herself exploring new territory, both on screen and within herself.
Directed by Coogler, Sinners follows the story of twin brothers, Smoke and Stack—played by Michael B. Jordan—as they return from Chicago to the Mississippi Delta, flush with Prohibition-era money and dreams of opening a juke joint. But the past isn’t done with them, especially for Smoke, whose tangled history with Mosaku’s character, Annie, begins to resurface. Annie, a Hoodoo practitioner haunted by personal demons, becomes a pivotal figure in the film’s dance between mysticism, memory, and cultural legacy.
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“It was a spiritual experience, honestly,” Mosaku shared in a recent conversation with OkayAfrica. “Playing Annie helped me reconnect with parts of myself that I hadn’t really explored before. I had to lean into the Yoruba language, really listen to its sounds, its meanings, its emotions. That in itself was incredibly healing.”
For Mosaku, the horror in Sinners isn’t just in the supernatural twists—it lies in the emotional truths the film unearths. “There’s real fear in losing your culture, in being cut off from where you come from. That fear is visceral. Horror allows us to show that—not just through jump scares but through the real terror of being erased or forgotten,” she explained.
It’s this kind of layered storytelling that Coogler is known for. His dedication to authenticity shines through in the film’s textured portrayal of the Mississippi Delta, deeply influenced by West African spiritual traditions and the lived history of Black Americans in the South during the Prohibition era. Coogler’s meticulous research forms the backbone of the story, grounding its supernatural elements in reality and giving Mosaku the tools to build a character that feels both otherworldly and rooted.
Since winning a BAFTA in 2017 for her stirring role in Damilola, Our Loved Boy, Mosaku’s star has continued to rise. Her credits stretch from the gritty corridors of Luther to the wild timelines of Marvel’s Loki, and most recently, the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine. Yet, Sinners stands out, not just as another horror project, but as a deeply personal chapter in her evolving career.
“Horror isn’t just about monsters,” Mosaku said. “It’s about the things that haunt us quietly—the history we carry, the languages we forget, the traditions we’re told to leave behind. Sinners gave me a chance to hold those things close again.”
For Mosaku, the film wasn’t just a performance. It was a reclamation. And for audiences, it promises to be a haunting reminder that sometimes, the scariest stories are the ones that feel closest to home.
