Nocturnal Eyes & Alligators: 'Sinners' Makeup Secrets

The creation of the vampire pack in Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" demanded extensive prosthetic work, with designer Mike Fontaine leading the Oscar-nominated team. To achieve the necessary horror and darkness, the makeup department researched real-world animal attacks, particularly from dogs, to craft realistic gashes and transformations for the characters. The film's commitment to practical effects, influenced by movies like "Jaws" and "The Thing," extended to creating the vampires' unsettling, reflective eyes.

A significant innovation for "Sinners" was the development of new contact lenses mimicking the tapetum lucidum found in nocturnal animals. These lenses, created by contact lens designer Christina Patterson, provide a mesmerizing and terrifying gaze, amplifying the vampires' mystique. Despite causing some vision impairment during tests, the actors, including Jack O'Connell, endured painstaking makeup sessions. The production also faced challenging conditions during filming in New Orleans, where the crew had to contend with alligators and mosquitoes while capturing final scenes.