Ryan Coogler’s latest film, Sinners, has proven to be the most acclaimed hit of 2025 thus far, as it eclipses the trappings of many familiar genres. While Sinners may ostensibly be a vampire thriller, it is also a deeply emotional period drama about race relations in the Jim Crow South, and a powerful condemnation of cultural appropriation. Although Coogler has cited elements of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and The Thing as inspiration for the supernatural components of Sinners, the most jaw-dropping sequence in the film is an extended party sequence that explores the history of black music. The musical montage in Sinners was inspired by Lovers Rock, an arthouse film by Steve McQueen that was released as part of the Small Axe miniseries.
What Is ‘Lovers Rock’ About?

Image via Amazon Prime Video

Small Axe was a five-part miniseries that explored the experiences of West Indian immigrants living in London throughout the second half of the 20th century. Although each of the five entries connected to broader themes of tolerance, subjugation, and cultural diffusion, they each told a standalone story that could be considered a film in its own right; although they were released online as a result of their debut in the second half of 2020, each of McQueen’s entries in Small Axe explored a different component of his filmmaking interests, and were just as “cinematic” as his other films. Lovers Rock takes place at a reggae house party in London, and follows the blooming romance between the young immigrants Franklyn Cooper (Michael Ward) and Martha Trenton (Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn). When speaking about the film, Coogler stated that he was impressed with how McQueen “showed how the whole world can be contained in those four walls.”

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Lovers Rock is an immersive experience that shows the world as its characters perceive it, and does not try to “explain” theoretical concepts about music and its impact on culture. One of the most impressive aspects of the Small Axe project is that McQueen depicted the beauty of black British culture without having to “explain” it to an outsider; Lovers Rock opens in the middle of a party, and forces the viewer to pick up on the practices and dynamics that the characters have taken for granted. Although there is certainly skill in making great music videos, Lovers Rock is more than a concert film, as it has a straightforward narrative about the self-actualizing power of reggae. When given the freedom to express themselves, both Franklyn and Martha are able to be unflinchingly honest with one another, which sets the stage for their romance.
‘Lovers Rock’ Is a Fascinating Experiment by Steve McQueen

Lovers Rock shows how music can be a universal language in which people of different backgrounds can participate in; Small Axe explores the diversity within the broader population of West Indian immigrants, each of whom has a different reason for living in London, but the power of reggae allows them to take pride in their collective culture. Given how few films there are about this era in history, it was judicious of McQueen to focus on what made this culture so unique. What’s most impressive is that Lovers Rock never loses its sense of momentum, as it does not immediately announce the transition between songs, or stop to give the characters a break. McQueen is able to show how a party can feel like an entire world for those that are living in it, which makes his decision to exclusively focus on the events within four walls even more brilliant. Nonetheless, the brief shots of the outside world, in which racism and intolerance exist, reflect the sad fact that the beauty of Lovers Rock does not exist within a void.
Lovers Rock is a particularly rewarding experience for those that have watched all of Small Axe, as it is the one entry in the miniseries that is unapologetically joyous. Mangrove is a difficult courtroom drama about judicial bigotry, Red, White and Blue is a haunting examination of police brutality, Alex Wheatle is a timely reminder about the horrors of incarceration, and Education explores the systematic barriers faced by black children. Lovers Rock is a powerful reminder of how music can offer a reprieve from pain, but there’s nothing inauthentic about its sense of hope.

Small Axe

Shaun Parkes

Frank Crichlow

Malachi Kirby

Darcus Howe

Rochenda Sandall

Barbara Beese