Ryan Coogler you have done it again — constantly raising the bar for us all, and doing it flawlessly.
The 38-year-old filmmaker is behind global successes like Black Panther and the Creed franchise. His latest film, Sinners—Coogler’s first entirely original project—captured $48 million during its domestic opening weekend, mesmerizing audiences with its performances and intricate themes. Achieving such traction with a horror film is indeed remarkable!
Michael B. Jordan stars as twins “Smoke” and “Stack” Moore, who leave their criminal past in Chicago behind to return to a small hometown in 1930s Mississippi. As they attempt to establish a juke joint as a refuge from the racism of the Old South, a supernatural threat emerges. These creatures crave not only blood but a skewed sense of community. The sophisticated writing delves into complex issues such as religion, race, and the influence of music, while this cross-genre film also reflects on themes like ancestry, colonialism, and cultural appropriation. Although not strictly based on a true story, the movie draws from Coogler’s personal experiences, especially influenced by the loss of his blues-loving Uncle James.
Even considering all aspects, Sinners is quite unique. If you’re among those visiting your local IMAX to see it for the fifth time, worry not—we have additional recommendations to keep you entertained between theater visits or until it starts streaming.
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Photo: Everett Collection Dev Patel’s directorial debut similarly touches on deeper concepts — corruption, the caste system, religion and oppression — in this underdog action story. In the fictional Indian city of Yatana, our protagonist “Kid” spends his nights wearing a gorilla mask and being beaten bloody in a dingy underground fighting club. Finally, an opportunity comes along to infiltrate a high-end nightclub frequented by the city’s elite. Little by little, Kid’s motives are revealed, and the plan for revenge becomes tangible. Not only did Patel pour his heart and soul into the unflinching storytelling, but the actor even broke his hand and some toes putting his all into the stunt work. Fun fact: Both Sinners star Jack O’Connell (playing Remmick the vampire) and Patel got their start on British TV series Skins.
Watch monkey man on prime video
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Photo: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection If you’re looking for more of Ryan Coogler’s work, check out Oscar-winning Judas and the Black Messiah. Directed by Shaka King and co-produced by Coogler, this true story follows William O’Neal’s (LaKeith Stanfield) acceptance of a plea bargain to avoid prison time, in exchange for becoming an FBI informant tasked with monitoring the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, and it’s captivating Chairman, Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya). The film garnered six nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards. Kaluuya won Best Supporting Actor for his role, and the film’s Best Picture nomination marked the first for an all-Black producing team in the history of the ceremony. The Skins connections run deep! Kaluuya also began his acting journey on the late 2000s show.
watch judas and the black messiah on prime video
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Photo: Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection Wait a minute, hear us out on this one. Ryan Coogler himself said inspiration for Sinners came from this absolute wildcard source material. So while nothing out there will be exactly like double Michael B. Jordans fighting evil, why not check out some of the movies that influenced it? (It was nominated for an Oscar too!) Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) discovers the dire consequence of his many years of embarking on dangerous journies– he’s burned through eight of his nine lives. Facing mortality for the first time, Puss sets out on a new quest to restore his lives by finding the mystical Wishing Star. Other iconic voices in the animated adventure include Florence Pugh, John Mulaney, Olivia Colman and Salma Hayek.
watch puss in boots: The last wish on prime video
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Photo: ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection No, not the Britney Spears one. According to The New Yorker, there’s a myth in Clarksdale, Mississippi that famed, real life bluesman Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for superb guitar mastery. If you were enthralled by the transcendence of blues music Sinners, and the idea of the supernatural, Crossroads is your next watch to dive deeper into its roots. Young guitar player Eugene (Ralph Macchio) learns of a lost Robert Johnson song, and breaks Johnson’s old companion Willie Brown (Joe Seneca) out of prison to search for it. The pair travel the South immersing themselves in the blues and eventually coming head-to-head with the Devil himself. Like Sammie’s father said, “You keep dancing with the devil, one day he’s gonna follow you home.”
watch crossroads on tubi
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©New Line Cinema/courtesy Evere Thirsty for more vampires? For increased bloodshed, bloodsuckers and carnage, you can always revisit this exhilarating horror. Titular human-vampire hybrid and black leather trench coated Blade (Wesley Snipes) dedicates his life to avenging his mothers death and eradicating the creatures of the night. The superhero film became a first major success for a Marvel character movie, and remains a reliable rewatch over two decades later as we continue to mourn Mahershala Ali’s rendition.
watch blade on prime video
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Photo: Everett Collection Jamie Foxx stars as Django — a slave offered freedom in exchange for helping a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) hunt down a pair of vicious slavers known as the Brittle Brothers. Their successful mission leads them to hunting down more criminals, landing on the plantation of Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) where Django’s wife is still enslaved. Brutal and bloody, this Tarantino screenplay is perfect if you’re hungry for another Southern-set period action thriller.
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From Dusk till Dawn IMDb Rating: 7.3
Before Quentin Tarantino started spending most of his time behind the camera, he starred opposite George Clooney in this Robert Rodriguez-helmed action-horror film. Tarantino and Clooney star as criminals who unknowingly take their hostages into vampire-occupied territory, and unsurprisingly, chaos ensues. Penned by Tarantino, the pulpy cult classic is gruesome, thrilling, and unexpectedly funny.
[Stream From Dusk till Dawn] Everett Collection
Sinners takes a spin on and joins the territory of classic vampire-siege films. In one of its closest comparisons, From Dusk Till Dawn, outlaws Seth Gecko (George Clooney) and his brother Richard (Quentin Tarantino) take a family hostage and escape to Mexico after a deadly bank robbery. Hiding out at a strip club, the Titty Twister, until a guide arrives at dawn to take the fugitives to a safe place for criminals, the brothers discover they’ve stumbled into a nest of vampires. Some slight differences– the vampires in this flick are quite more kitchy compared to the red-eyed, taloned demons in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and it’s much more b-rated as you may be able to tell.
Claire Waheed is a recently graduated freelance writer currently based in Texas. She loves all things pop culture and new adventures.
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