Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan have done it again. The director/actor duo, which previously teamed up for the films Fruitvale Station, Black Panther, and Creed, are back with a new genre-binding period piece that delves into horror and suspense.
Coogler recently held an exclusive virtual press conference where he shed light on the new film Sinners and reconnecting with Jordan.
Relationships like the one you share with Michale B. Jordan seem rare. How has that pushed you to grow creatively?
It’s incredible, man. Mike had already been a working actor when we first met—he’d been on some major TV shows, and he’d been in the game for a long time. But he hadn’t had a lead role in a feature yet. When we worked on Fruitvale Station, that was his first time in that lead role, and it was my first time directing a film. So in a lot of ways, we grew up in the industry together. Mike’s a truly gifted actor. He has this natural charisma and an ability to channel empathy effortlessly. But what really makes him stand out is his dedication to his craft and his constant desire to push his limits. He’s always looking for new challenges. Working with someone like that, someone who’s not only talented but also grounded, has been an amazing experience. We’ve gone from work friends to family. And the great thing is, I can always call him up and pitch a new idea, knowing he’s someone who’s always looking to grow. I knew this role would be something that would challenge both of us.
This film seems incredibly personal. Can you talk a bit about the personal elements you’ve infused into this story?
With each film, I feel like it gets more personal. But this one is definitely the most personal I’ve worked on so far. I dug deep into my own family history. One of the biggest inspirations was my maternal grandfather, who I never got to meet. He passed away just a year before I was born, but he was from Merrill, Mississippi. He moved to Oakland, California, where he built a house that our whole family still looks to.
Then there was my Uncle James. He passed away during post-production on Creed. I spent my whole life with him, and he was from a different time in Mississippi. He never spoke about Mississippi unless he was listening to the blues or having a drink of whiskey. I miss him profoundly.
This film really allowed me to explore my roots, especially the music that meant so much to my uncle. It’s not just about telling my family’s story; it’s about honoring their legacy. This film, in a way, became a way to preserve that part of my personal history.
Let’s talk about the horror genre. You’ve said before that when you work on a film, you often have nightmares. Did you have to conquer any personal fears?
That’s a great question! I’ve definitely faced some personal fears with this film. Horror is an interesting genre because it taps into real human fears, and this one is no different. While I won’t get into specifics, there were definitely moments that forced me to confront some deep-seated personal anxieties. As for the nightmares, yeah, it’s strange. On past films, I’ve had awful nightmares, like really intense ones. But with this project, the scenes were so wild and surreal that I didn’t experience the same kind of terror. In fact, I was able to sleep like a baby. Maybe making the film itself was a way of getting those subconscious fears out of my system.
It sounds like this film has a lot more to offer beyond the supernatural. How do you use these elements to elevate the story?
Exactly. For me, the best horror films are the ones that can stand on their own without the supernatural elements. The supernatural just heightens the experience. The fear is real, but the supernatural element helps to magnify it. This film is a love letter to the genre and to cinema itself. In a post-COVID world, we’ve all been isolated, and I’ve really missed that communal experience of watching a film in a theater with a crowd. I wanted to create a movie that could give people that feeling again—watching something in a room full of strangers, sharing in those collective reactions, whether we laugh or scream. That energy is irreplaceable, and it was a big inspiration for this project.