PHOTO COURTESY WARNER BROS. PICTURES

The excellent “Sinners” is an old-school western. It’s a tale of barely reformed outlaws cashing in their chips and trying to go straight, running up against the consequences of their past and the prejudices of their time.

It also has a vampire movie in the middle.

Undoubtedly, Ryan Coogler’s lyrical film is a work of horror, from its ominous, flash-forward opening to its several blood-soaked conclusions. The soul of the story, however, is out of John Ford; its characters are searching for freedom amid impossible circumstances.

The bloodsuckers are the biggest obstacle, but far from the only one.

Twin brothers Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) have rolled back into their Mississippi hometown with a sack full of cash, having fled the gangster life in Chicago — only after profiting handsomely from it. They know about a former sawmill that will transform effortlessly into a late-night juke joint; with their guitar-prodigy cousin (Miles Caton) in tow, they spend a day gathering hands for a raucous grand opening.

My moviegoing companion pointed out that this sequence plays out like an inverse “High Noon,” as the brothers go around town asking for help and receiving it. That night, the drinks flow and the music transcends, quite literally.

Meanwhile, a mysterious character shows up at an out-of-the-way shack, begging an unwitting couple to be let inside. He says he’s being pursued and needs shelter; when the couple agrees (and subsequently ignores an ominous warning from his pursuers), they quickly find themselves with blood on their necks.

The showdown that results is epic in scale and frequently terrifying. “Sinners” is about more than this specific band of vampires and victims, however; with each subsequent scene, the moral lines will grow muddier.

The metaphor isn’t necessarily literal (or, at the least, it’s not too neat). But its resonances, while rooted in history, are universal; the human desires and societal circumstances should be familiar to every viewer. “Sinners” is not a parable; it’s meant to be felt.

Occasional narration and one sequence of magic realism reminds us that music has the power to wordlessly span time and place. In its best moments, “Sinners” does the same — and in every moment, it’s a phenomenal work of artful entertainment.

My Rating: 9/10

“Sinners” is now playing in theaters.