One of the most highly-anticipated films of 2025 is undoubtedly Sinners. Long before anyone knew any details about this movie, it already had ample support solely because of its creative team. Filmmaker Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan have become a dynamic duo akin to Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro with four box-office smashes already under their belts. Sinners marks the fifth collaboration between the pair since 2013’s Fruitvale Station and this time they are foraying into horror for the first time. This film follows twin brothers (both played by Jordan) who return to a Jim Crow era South to discover that there is something dark lurking in their hometown.
Nerdist attended an exclusive preview event prior to the film’s first full trailer where Ryan Coogler opened up about Sinners’ surprising inspirations, themes, and what the film means to him personally.
The Films and Books That Inspired Ryan Coogler’s Sinners
One of moderator Juju Green a.k.a. Straw Hat Goofy’s first questions for Coogler was about the film’s inspirations. On its surface, it leans into Southern gothic vibes akin to Eve’s Bayou; however, Coogler lists a litany of films and books that inspired Sinners. He says:
“…I draw on so many and it is a very genre-fluid film. [There is] a lot of Coen Bothers influencing this, starting with, I would say, Inside Llewelyn Davis… definitely some Fargo… Robert Rodriguez is a big one. I think on the nose it would be easy to make From Dusk to Dawn comparisons. But it is actually quite close to The Faculty, which is the remake of The Thing, which is one of my favorite movies. Definitely my favorite horror movie.”
Ryan says Sinners does lean into other Carpenter films but doesn’t go into great detail. He does reveal the film’s book inspirations, specifically the Stephen King story Salem’s Lot. Like that book, Sinners will center on its community and an evil that is lurking in its midst.
Sinners: The Research, Themes, and Music
Sinners’ Southern location (filming took place in Louisiana) was a very intentional move by Coogler. His maternal grandfather hails from Mississippi as well as his Uncle James, whom he lost while finishing Creed. Coogler grew up listening to blues music with Uncle James, who would talk about his experiences in Mississippi. Sinners gave him a chance to not only explore his ancestry and learn more about his family but to put a creative and sinister twist on blues music, which was often referred to as “the Devil’s music.” In the Sinners trailer, we see that a portion of the film will revolve around a juke joint-ish spot, where blues music and dancing reign supreme.
Coogler’s creative team includes people he’s worked with before, like cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and costume designer Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther film franchise). So, when it came to crafting Sinners music, Ryan linked back up with Ludwig Göransson, who did the score for the first two Creed films as well as the Black Panther films. Coogler beams about Göransson’s incredible skills as a musician who plays many instruments, especially the guitar.
“The film deals with American music, blues music… If you know the stories of Tommy Johnson, Robert Johnson, all of that is there… And when you think about the vampire as it exists, it’s got an association and a counterpart in almost every culture. It is the supernatural creature that’s most associated with seduction, that’s most associated with choice. And that aspect is something that’s very present with blues music… There was a contrast between the secular lifestyle and [the church], you know what I’m saying?”
Coogler got lots of room and inspiration to play with Sinners supernatural elements, which includes but is not limited to vampires. But much of that lore as well as the film’s more grounding elements is the result of intense research and working with a team of consultants on everything from Hoodoo to the Mississippi Blues Trail. Coogler did location scouting and even visited the legendary Club Ebony in Indianola, Mississippi where B.B. King frequently played.
“This film was heavily researched,” said Coogler. “We went really hard to make sure that the only make believe in the film is the supernatural. So, we wanted the world to be extremely tactile the same way that we approached our other films…”
Now, Sinners is getting its final touches and readying for its April 18, 2025 release. It’s almost time to dance with the Devil at theaters.
