Sinners is one of the biggest movies of 2025 thus far. Ryan Coogler‘s unique film deftly weaves between genres, starting off as a crime drama before transcending into an action-packed horror flick. However, while it may be unique, it is not the first of its kind.
Some movies straight up serve the audience with what they come to expect from the outset. Yet, others carefully drip-feed or totally subvert the audience’s expectations. Sinners did just that. Starting off as a slow-burn crime drama before ending with an epic showdown. So, here are 5 of the best slow-burn movies that end in absolute carnage.
5. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019)
Many would say that Quentin Tarantino is the king of slow-burn movies. Through slick dialogue and intense character development, he has a knack for getting the audience to really care about the characters on screen. So, when the chaos eventually unfolds, you’re on the edge of your seat. 2019’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is perhaps his finest example of this. Classed as a “hangout movie”, this crime drama moves along slowly with long dialogue-heavy scenes and careful exposition. While it has its signature crime elements Tarantino is renowned for, there’s much more to it than that.
The backdrop of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is set around the time of the infamous Manson murders, and Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) is thrust into a fictional storyline while some real-life occurrences are woven in too. To that, for the entire movie, the audience sits with a sense of dread as they fear what is coming. But in true Tarantino fashion, he subverted the audience’s expectations and altered history just like he did with Inglorious Basterds. The final showdown of the film sees the Manson clan show up at the house of actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his tough-as-nails stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), and they don’t go down without a fight. The extremely violent showdown is fast, loud, and ferocious, equipped with hand-to-hand combat and a flamethrower for good measure. Truly hard to forget.
4. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
From Dusk Till Dawn certainly belongs in the list of the best slow-burn movies that end in absolute mayhem. And if you thought that there were some similarities between Sinners and this iconic 1996 vampire flick, that’s because Ryan Coogler took inspiration from it in his writing process. Much like Sinners, From Dusk Till Dawn focuses on two criminal brothers who wind up tangling with a herd of blood-sucking vampires. The film starts off as a crime thriller and then morphs into a full-on horror picture. While it gets to the carnage a little quicker than Sinners, it is still careful in its drip-feeding approach until all hell breaks loose. From Dusk Till Dawn is essentially two movies split in half: a crime caper laced with Quentin Tarantino’s smooth-running dialogue, and an over-the-top yet tasteful horror movie packed with spectacular action and grotesque blood and guts.
3. Carlito’s Way (1993)
Carlito’s Way is a movie that got somewhat lost in the conversation amidst a boom of gangster movies in the early 90s. While the likes of Goodfellas and Casino may have overshadowed it, it has since become regarded as a cult classic and an underrated gem in Al Pacino‘s impressive filmography. This served as the second collaboration between Pacino and Brian De Palma after Scarface, and this is perhaps where it went wrong with larger audiences. Scarface is brutal and relentless, whereas Carlito’s Way is the opposite. It is a story about a man wanting to step away from a life of crime, not build upon it further.
However, Carlito’s past simply will not leave him alone. In the movie’s final scene, Carlito plans to run away with his girlfriend and unborn child, but an angry mob of Italian gangsters have other ideas for him, resulting in a chaotic climax at a train station. This extended scene is tense and exhilarating, and it reportedly took so long to film that one day on set, Pacino caught the train home and abandoned the filming process due to exhaustion.
2. Rear Window (1954)
This classic movie likely needs no introduction as it was a trailblazer for thriller cinema. A classic example of how a straightforward idea can be executed masterfully is the 1954-released Rear Window. In this case, less is certainly more, as demonstrated by iconic filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, one of the forerunners of slow-burn suspense and terror.
Despite the film’s rather constrained setting – a single apartment window – Hitchcock deftly creates tension with nuanced storytelling and a careful, slow-burn pace. This gradual development puts audiences on edge, demonstrating that suspense doesn’t need nonstop action. Rather, moviegoers are kept enthralled by Hitchcock’s meticulous use of character development, obscure camera angles, and its lingering sense of dread and claustrophobia. However, when the final act comes in, the pace picks up relentlessly, and the carnage truly feels worth the wait. It is with Rear Window‘s denouement where it establishes itself as a classic and timeless work of art that went on to inspire countless filmmakers including Sinners writer/director Ryan Coogler.
1. A History of Violence (2005)
While not a horror movie like Sinners, David Cronenberg‘s A History of Violence is a slow-burn crime drama that crescendos to absolute mayhem. This well-paced thriller with elements of mystery opens with a shocking display of violence that hooks you in fast before settling into a more melodramatic exploration of dysfunctional family life. Based on the comic of the same name and written by Josh Olson, this taut vehicle stars Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall, a man living a quiet, peaceful life until a violent incident at his diner reveals a darker past.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Stall is not who he appears to be when a mysterious man named Carl Fogarty arrives, hinting at a violent history connected to Stall’s true identity. Although the build up to the climax is deceptively quiet, the final showdown erupts in explosive fashion, with Cronenberg’s signature body horror elements. As Stall cis forced to confront his enemies and his own past, he ultimately returns to the life he fought so hard to leave behind. A History of Violence is one of those movies where you think you know what’s going to happen next, and then just as you feel safe, you are bombarded with a level of violence that is hard to watch but equally mesmerizing.
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