"I was chickensh*t"- Ryan Coogler shares the struggles he had to do while coming up with his first entirely original work in Sinners
Ryan Coogler has made five movies in 12 years. His latest is Sinners, a period horror drama that he wrote, directed, and produced.
Sinners is an original story, unlike his earlier films. Black Panther is part of the Marvel universe, Creed is a Rocky spin-off, and Fruitvale Station is based on a true story.
In an interview with The Atlantic published on April 23, 2025, the director revealed that he was afraid while making this movie because it was different from what he had done before. He explained:
"I’ve been engaged with audiences in this medium for over a decade now, and I still hadn’t engaged fully. I didn’t want to get caught up in the comfort of not being fully exposed. I didn’t want to look back at myself and say, "Man, I was chickensh*t." So I went for it with this one, and convinced some of my greatest collaborators to come with me."
Ryan Coogler on how he felt when he decided to make Sinners
Sinners follows the story of twin brother and World War I verterans, Smoke and Stack, who move to their hometown, Mississippi Delta to start a juke joint. However, on the night of the opening, they are confronted with evil forces that they must deal with.
Also read: How many post-credits scenes are there in Sinners?
In the aforementioned interview with The Atlantic, Coogler was asked if he was eager to make this original movie, which is obviously different from his previous work. He replied:
"I got afraid, bro. Because when you’re working with other things, there’s also something to hide behind a little bit. It takes quite a bit of the pressure off. And the reality is, you’re less exposed if somebody doesn’t like it."
The filmmaker explained that if someone didn't like one of his previous movies, the blame could have been put on aspects of the movie that did not concern him. However, with this movie, if a viewer were to not like something, Coogler himself might have been the one to blame.
Luckily, both critics and audiences have found Sinners quite impressive. It not only has high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes but also has an A rating on CinemaScore, which is a rare feat for a horror movie.
Also read: 5 reasons to watch Ryan Coogler's Sinners
Ryan Coogler revealed the biggest narrative influence on Sinners
Sinners marked Ryan Coogler's first venture into the horror genre. It is also his fifth collaboration with Michael B. Jordan, who has starred in all of Coogler's movies in some capacity. Jordan plays the dual role of the twin brothers in this movie.
Also read: Why is Sinners rated R? Explained
During his conversation with The Atlantic, Coogler also opened up about the movies that influenced his latest outing. Some of the movies he named are From Dusk Till Dawn, Inside Llewyn, No Country for Old Men, and Lover's Rock, among others. He also revealed the biggest influence, saying:
"The biggest narrative influence on the film is Salem’s Lot, the great Stephen King novel. I haven’t seen the show or the movie, but I read that book, and it blew my mind—how you get caught up in the workings of this town and how they’re treating each other. And all of a sudden, Dracula shows up. That never left my consciousness."
Elsewhere in the interview, Coogler also that the movie is a "love letter" to his late uncle who was from the Mississippi Delta and was a huge fan of the blues music.
Sinners is now in theaters.
