Ryan Coogler Says ‘Sinners’ Is His First Film That Is “Just Me” — And We’re All Dying for More of What He Has Up His Sleeves
From the outset, nothing about Sinners, the upcoming vampire-hunting horror-thriller by Ryan Coogler, suggests that it is a deeply personal expression from one of our finest working directors. Both Fruitvale Station and Creed are contemporary stories about the harsh, and often tragic, realities of life, while Sinners merely looks like an inventive genre exercise executed on the biggest stage thanks to the spectacle of IMAX photography. In a recent, candid interview with Deadline, Coogler, from his perspective, admitted that Sinners is his first feature film that is truly “just me,” a representation of himself as a person and an artist. Whether he’s valid in his claim is less interesting than how this comment relates to the state of the industry and his reflection on his already storied career. At the very least, this honest statement only makes our excitement for Sinners go through the roof.
‘Sinners’ Marks Ryan Coogler’s First Original Film
In an era where many filmmakers are stuck in the franchise enterprise, Ryan Coogler parlaying his critical and commercial success with the Black Panther movies to make an original film on a substantial budget gives everyone optimism that the industry still has some respect for singular visions. Sinners, lacking any ties to Rocky Balboa or the MCU, is sold on the name value of Coogler and his on-screen muse, Michael B. Jordan. If the film finds a mass audience, Coogler could ascend to the class of filmmakers who have attained brand-name status, like Christopher Nolan and Jordan Peele.
For the 38-year-old Coogler, Sinners is not as much a continuation of his past success, but rather, an inaugural phase in his career. “I still haven’t really opened myself up to the audience,” Coogler told Deadline, reflecting on what he’s brought to the screen as a premiere blockbuster filmmaker. “I still haven’t brought something that was just me,” the director continued, a stunning admission from someone who imbues so much personal expression into franchise films that suppress anything that challenges the formula. When you break it down, by the letter of the law, Sinners marks Coogler’s first original film; Fruitvale Station was based on a true story, Creed was a legacy sequel from a story created by Sylvester Stallone, and Black Panther was part of an ongoing mega-franchise.
If you ask any cinephile, they’ll assure you that Ryan Coogler is one of our top singular, idiosyncratic auteurs. However, if he emerged in any other era, he would hardly be considered a top-shelf director in the mold of Steven Spielberg or Francis Ford Coppola, but instead, a reliable, studio journeyman due to his track record with pre-existing stories. Any director raised in the studio system in the 21st century aspiring to reach that coveted “auteur” status has to play the game of franchise filmmaking, something Coogler has excelled at beyond anyone’s expectations. In this insightful interview, he also refers to Black Panther, arguably the most autobiographical film in the MCU, as a “job I was hired for.” Even for an extraordinary talent like Coogler, the wiggle room for creative independence is severely limited.
Ryan Coogler’s Shorts Represent His Sense of Personal and Intimate Filmmaking
Without the inherent restrictions of pre-existing lore and brand management, Sinners teases to be a big-screen approximation of Coogler’s early short films. Fig, his 2010 short about a young mother turning to sex work to provide for her daughter, laid the groundwork for his long-running fascination with family and identity and signaled his ability to capture intimate sensibilities with grandeur. His first directing credit, the six-minute student film, Locks, is set in his hometown of Oakland, CA, where a young man wanders through the local neighborhood and reflects on the cultural association of his dreadlocks, demonstrating the future blockbuster filmmaker’s chops at poetic narratives.
Directors are often highly self-critical, so Ryan Coogler’s comments could be a symptom of a passionate artist’s unyielding drive for creative fulfillment. For film fans, a candid interview with a director is the best source for attempting to understand the inscrutable method of an intensely cerebral craft. With Coogler showing that he was hungry to finally direct a film that was “just me,” and not bound by the demands of pre-existing material, the release of Sinners can’t come soon enough. Don’t interpret Coogler’s statement as a poignant indictment of his filmography—use it to feel blessed that a director of his caliber is receiving a sizable budget to direct a personal story with the scope of a blockbuster. Today, most directors are resigned to staying put inside the IP sandbox. Coogler, whose new film could help boost moviegoing spirits after a rocky first quarter of 2025, is ready to take a new road, and we’ll be right by his side.
Sinners is now playing in theaters.
