Michael B. Jordan & Ryan Coogler. Photo:
Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty
It’s very rare that I encounter people who genuinely inspire me to want to be “a better version of myself.” That expression alone is so overused it feels trite and almost always comes off as disingenuous. However, when it comes to Ryan Coogler, I mean it in the sincerest way possible. The man makes me want to be a better version of myself.
At 38 years old, Coogler has released his fifth feature film, a cinematic masterpiece that was rated 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes at the time I wrote this (ahead of its April 18 release), and is expected to be yet another blockbuster. I went to an early screening, and, well, it’s good.
The movie, which is billed as a horror film — but I think is part comedy and part action as well — follows the story of Smoke and Stack, twin brothers from Clarksdale, Mississippi who return to their hometown after having traveled to Chicago. They try to open up a juke joint but are faced with unexpected evils.
It has great acting, deep symbolism, a double dose of Michael B. Jordan (swoon), and the talents of Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Delroy Lindo and more. Sinners truly deserves every bit of the praise it’s gotten. But the real star, to me, is Coogler, who comes across as an artist who’s fully realized at somewhat of a young age.
I know his repertoire (which includes Creed and Black Panther) a is already astounding, but I truly believe Sinners is Ryan Coogler’s magnum opus.
Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan. Dia Dipasupil/Getty
From the time he came on the scene with Fruitvale Station back in 2013, Coogler seemed like he was a shy and reserved guy. He’d do press for his films and we’d hear him talk about all the stories that inspired him and the work that went into creating each movie, but for the most part, he’d let his actors do the talking.
This press run for Sinners has felt wildly different; he’s stepped more and more into the spotlight and people on the internet, myself included, have noticed.
I first took notice of Ryan Coogler’s current era when he visited The Breakfast Club on April 7. I wasn’t expecting much, not because I thought he’s the type to just give a fluff interview, but because often, people who are as private as he is don’t open up much or answer the questions that the masses really want to know.
I went in thinking it would be something pleasantly distracting to play in the background as I made my lunch and wouldn’t ever really think about again. I was so wrong.
The interview was so insightful, showcasing Coogler’s depth, integrity, the memories and people he holds dearest and the things that move him as a filmmaker. He talked about the genesis of the film ( it was inspired by his late uncle who introduced him to blues music); he spoke about parts of his upbringing and some of his family dynamics; and he got emotional speaking about the late Chadwick Boseman and what that relationship taught him and Michael B. Jordan.
Ryan Coogler and Zinzi Evans. TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic
Even more poignant for me was when he opened up about how the late Nipsey Hussle’s first and final album Victory Lap served as a healing tool for him and his wife of nine years, Zinzi Coogler (née Evans) when they were going through a rough patch in their marriage several years ago.
“Me and my wife was going through a tough time when we released [Black] Panther 1,” he said. “It was really an odd experience because from the outside [looking] in, we was on top of the world, right? And we was to a certain extent, but personally, we was going through some s—.”
It was a revelation that’s rare for Coogler. The two have been together since they were in college, with two kids and another on the way. And while she’s always by his side, he rarely gives that much of a window into their personal lives.
In the 50 minutes he did with The Breakfast Club, he went from being this mythical, magical figure who creates these transcendent movies, to a very familiar voice who engages with the same things I do. That Nipsey Hussle album, in particular, was on constant rotation for me when I first moved to L.A. in 2022. And while I tie it to happier memories,Victory Lap symbolizes a specific time in my life, as it does for Coogler. I walked away feeling like I knew the director.
It all came to a head when the Sinners official Instagram page dropped a video in which he was explainingthe different types of formats the movie was shot in. First of all, it’s very rare for me (and I’m sure many more people) to sit and watch a 10-minute video about anything. And while I couldn’t tell you what a perforation really is, I know I’ll be going to watch the film again at the Vista Theatre in L.A. because Ryan Coogler said it’ll be on 70mm film at a 5-perf projection, and that’s a rare way to watch a film.
The video was as educational as it was endearing. For the first time, people who have long adored his work finally understood his genius beyond just the writing and creating of great pictures. It was an explanation of film formats that was evidence of an artist who has dedicated themselves to their craft, put in their 10,000 hours and has become a master at the medium. It’s no wonder it immediately went viral.
Even more heartwarming was the behind-the-scenes video Juju Green, a.k.a straw_hat_goofy posted on TikTok, which showed that Coogler had written an entire script for the video and was worried that people might not even care to watch.
Again, we got to see a side to him we don’t get to see often. Black Panther grossed over one billion dollars globally and was the first superhero movie to have ever been nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award and yet, Coogler was apprehensive that people might not care to listen to what he had to say about filmmaking. It was a purely human moment that once again, made him so relatable.
With all the press he did, there came some criticism from internet trolls about his strong accent. And while we can brush off the naysayers because they’ll always have something to say, that particular criticism hits home for me.
Michael B. Jordan & Ryan Coogler. Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty
Being from Zimbabwe, English is not my primary language. It’s the language I speak most now, but becuase I learned it second, there are certain words I still have a hard time pronouncing even now, 20 years after I moved to the U.S. And while I’ve grown to love and accept my accent, I’d be lying if I said I’m not sometimes insecure when I pronounce my vowels in my Shona accent.
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And while Coogler, an Oakland native, doesn’t seem to have the same hangups I have, seeing him soar to stardom with his original accent has been admirable. I remember deliberately altering my pronunciation so that I could assimilate with schoolmates faster, and I regret that now because it altered my speech forever. Coogler, though, has been true to his hometown and his upbringing the entire time. In fact, it’s not lost on me that one of the main characters in the film, Sammie, played by Miles Caton, sounds just like him.
Sinners Poster. Warner Bros. Pictures
I know a lot of people are going to show up for Sinners simply because of Ryan’s repertoire, but I also know a thousand more are going to show up because a guy who looks and talks like them has made a film that’s not just good, it’s an extraordinary piece of art.
While watching the movie, I felt so excited at the prospect that it will one day be studied in film schools across the country (which it will, I’m calling it!). The pacing of the story, the nuances in the wardrobe, the symbolism intertwined within — the film theorist in me could do an entire paper on the score alone.
In a world full of fluff, it’s rare to encounter a work of art that feels as soulful, soul-baring and purpose-driven as Sinners. I walked away feeling proud of Ryan Coogler as though he was my own brother. And I have settled on an imaginary brother-sister relationship because I just know Zinzi can fight and I don’t want the ahem … smoke.
