Overview of "It's Been a Minute" — Sinners vs. One Battle After Another
This NPR episode (host Brittany Luce) convenes Slate culture writer Nadira Goff and RogerEbert.com associate editor Robert Daniels to unpack the heated awards-season debate over two Best Picture frontrunners: Sinners (dir. Ryan Coogler) and One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson). The conversation covers why these two very different films became pitted against each other, the main artistic and political critiques leveled at each, fan responses and media treatment, and what each film is capturing about contemporary America.
Context & controversy
- Two competing narratives animated the discourse:
- Fans of Sinners argued the film has been unfairly treated by trades, critics, and awards bodies, and thus defenders rallied online.
- Fans of One Battle After Another and some critics argued that legitimate critiques of that film’s depiction of revolutionaries (especially Black women) were being dismissed as racism.
- The discussion was recorded just before a BAFTA incident in which members of the Sinners cast were targeted with a racial slur shouted from the audience; the moment intensified scrutiny of how institutions and broadcasters handle race and abuse during awards shows.
- Comparison to past awards-era clashes (e.g., La La Land vs. Moonlight) surfaced repeatedly: both debates double as arguments about representation, who gets to narrate Black experiences, and how mainstream outlets frame those debates.
Film breakdowns
Sinners (Ryan Coogler)
- Style & themes: An original, high-profile genre film (vampires) that mixes sensuality with a critique of how whiteness absorbs and commodifies culture and people.
- Cultural force: Massively popular with audiences and many critics; a box-office hit and a phenomenon with an energized, mobilized fandom.
- Fan reaction: Defensiveness partly fueled by early trade coverage perceived as dismissive (e.g., tweets/posts about early profitability) and by the film’s placement—or omission—on some year-end lists from predominantly white outlets.
One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson)
- Style & themes: A sprawling studio-backed drama about revolutionary activism, parenthood, and self-preservation across periods; interrogates white supremacy and political violence.
- Key flashpoint: A 30–45 minute prologue centered on Teyana Taylor’s character, Perfidia Beverly Hills, drew most criticism — for sexualized scenes, moral ambiguity, and portrayal of a Black woman revolutionary who makes ethically fraught choices.
- Defenses: Supporters argue the film portrays revolutionaries as imperfect but impactful, is rare in scale for a mainstream studio to tackle these subjects, and deliberately critiques white supremacy and its moral structures. Teyana Taylor’s performance is singled out as powerful and essential to the prologue’s effectiveness.
- Common critique: Some viewers read the film as failing to offer clear revolutionary political aims or as flattening/remaking Black female characters in ways that make audiences uncomfortable.
Main points of contention
- Media coverage and perceived double standards: Fans felt trades treated Sinners differently (early tweets about profitability, list exclusions), intensifying distrust.
- Representation vs. moral judgments: Debates often collapsed into arguments about which film was more “moral” or “authentically” pro-Black; this framing drove online vitriol.
- Race and aesthetics: Accusations surfaced that One Battle After Another’s awards push might be propelled by white liberal guilt; counter-arguments stressed the rarity of big-budget films interrogating white supremacy.
- Treatment of Black women onscreen: Perfidia’s sexuality, parenting decisions, and possible postpartum struggles prompted both artistic critique and discussion of discomfort with complex Black female characters.
- Access and fandom infrastructure: Sinners benefited from wide release, viral marketing, and a visible auteur fandom; many smaller Black films lacked distribution and thus could not marshal the same grassroots energy.
Why audiences are polarized
- Historical parallels: The clash echoes past award-era culture wars (e.g., Moonlight vs. La La Land) where one film becomes shorthand for a set of representational stakes.
- Stakes are perceived as broader than trophies: For many fans, awards outcomes are tied to institutional recognition and cultural legitimacy for Black-led stories.
- Fandom dynamics: Sinners’ accessible theatrical run, social-media moments, and Coogler’s engaged fanbase gave it momentum that funneled energy into defending one title over others.
- Geographic and industry disparity: Independent and limited-release Black films struggle to build mass fandom due to marketing and theatrical access limitations, concentrating attention on the most visible titles.
What each film captures about America today
- Both films, despite divergent forms, are read as responses to modern iterations of white supremacy and authoritarianism.
- Sinners: Uses genre and allegory to critique assimilation and cultural extraction, resonating as a symbolic take on racial power dynamics.
- One Battle After Another: Portrays rebellion, flawed revolutionaries, and moral compromise — offering a galvanizing (if messy) image of resistance and hope against oppressive systems.
- Shared resonance: Audiences gravitate to both films because they depict fighting back, offer cathartic or hopeful finales, and address contemporary anxieties about power, race, and agency.
Key takeaways & recommendations
- Watch both films before forming a definitive opinion; many critiques hinge on specific sequences or performances (e.g., One Battle After Another’s prologue, Sinners’ metaphorical scope).
- When evaluating cultural debates, separate legitimate artistic criticism (including from Black women critics) from reductionist online vitriol that frames differences as simply racial animus or “guilt-driven” awards.
- Consider distribution and access as factors: a film’s visibility often depends less on merit and more on marketing, format, and release footprint.
- Broaden your viewing: seek out smaller Black films that didn’t get wide play to avoid funneling all cultural energy into a single title.
- Be cautious of binary framing: asking which film is “more moral” or “should win” can obscure why multiple films might matter in different ways.
Notable quotations (paraphrased/direct)
- “Sinners was left off best-of lists from predominantly white publications... combine that with the Academy’s history and a fanbase, and people are wound up.” — Nadira Goff
- “The criticism of One Battle After Another is largely about that first 30–45 minute prologue.” — Robert Daniels
- “It dedicates two hours of the movie saying: I gave you this really complicated Black woman. Do you think you can still love her by the end of this?” — Nadira Goff (on Perfidia’s arc)
Episode credits
- Host: Brittany Luce
- Guests: Nadira Goff (Slate), Robert Daniels (RogerEbert.com)
- Produced by Alexis Williams; supervising producer Barton Girdwood; VP of programming Yolanda Sanguini
- Program: It's Been a Minute — NPR