Sinners is the fifth movie by Ryan Coogler, and also happens to be his fifth collaboration with Michael B. Jordan. The duo is firing on all cylinders here, with both amazing directing and acting work, not to mention other technical aspects of the movie, which are all very impressive.
It mixes southern vibes, horror, music, and a violent feel that makes it stand out. Whether it’s the vampire horror, the racial themes, or even just a familiar face, these movies have something that’ll probably remind you of the movie in some way. So if you liked Sinners and are looking for more great movies, this list is for you.
8Fruitvale Station (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94 Percent
Ryan Coogler made his feature-film debut with Fruitvale Station, and it’s one of the best directorial debuts from recent times. This movie is highly personal, almost like a memory that got turned into a film. It’s based on the real-life story of Oscar Grant, a young man who was wrongfully killed by a police officer.
Michael B. Jordan plays Grant, and this was his biggest and best role since starring in multiple episodes of The Wire as a teenager. This was also, of course, the start of Coogler and Jordan as a dynamic duo,which continued with Creed.
7True Grit (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95 Percent
Hailee Steinfeld made her acting debut in the Coen Brothers’ gritty western, True Grit, and, impressively, was nominated for an Oscar in a supporting role. Sinners is probably the best live-action movie she’s been in since then, and also the first time you’ll hear her with a Southern accent since.
In the movie, she plays a smart and tough kid hunting down her father’s killer.It’s a western, but not your usual type, being more grounded and really focused on great character work. The dialogue in this movie is super sharp, and Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin all exhibit great performances.
6Da 5 Bloods (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92 Percent
Da 5 Bloods is very different from Sinners, but it’s still worth watching. It’s about four Black war veterans who go back to Vietnam to find their old squad leader’s remains, along with some buried gold. Spike Lee directed it, and his signature style shines here.
The movie shifts between past and present, and it tackles stuff like trauma, loyalty, and what war does to people. Delroy Lindo, who also stars in Sinners, gives a great leading performance here. There’s also this sense of anger and sadness that kind of connects to Sinners.
5Nosferatu (2024)
Rotten Tomatoes: 84 Percent
If you’re into horror and vampires but want something way different, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu might be your thing. It’s a remake of the old silent film, but Eggers makes it creepy in a really weird and stylish way, leveraging his signature period-piece style.
If you’ve seen his other movies like The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman, you know what you’re getting. It’s slower at times, but it has a great haunting atmosphere. It’s eerie, artistic, and looks absolutely stunning, thanks in large part to its realistic lighting.
4Django Unchained (2012)
Rotten Tomatoes: 87 Percent
Django Unchained is a great revenge western, and it doesn’t hide its spaghetti-western influences, but it has enough ofthat Tarantino flairto make it stand out from other movies in the genre. You’ve got big performances from everyone here, especially Christoph Waltz, Jamie Foxx, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
The movie’s story is obviously very violent and intense, with slavery and racism being a big part of it. The themes of race, power, and freedom also overlap with Sinners. It also looks absolutely stunning, one of the best-looking Westerns ever made, rivaled closely by Tarantino’s own The Hateful Eight.
3Nope (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 83 Percent
Both Ryan Coogler and Jordan Peele have some parallels, both starting off their directorial journeys in the 2010s and having only a few movies, but each of them is highly acclaimed and deals with themes of race and introspective character stories. Jordan Peele’s Nope is some of his best work, and a whole different experience when watched in IMAX, much like Sinners.
The color grading is stellar and makes the few instances of bright colors really pop against the desolate backdrops of the desert. It’s a very subversive UFO/Alien thriller, and the third act kind of switches genres and turns into a real spectacle, in a meta-narrative way.
2A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes: 96 Percent
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is an indie vampire movie that is very different and grounded. It’s an Iranian production, shot in black and white, with a very low budget. The result is something that feels so immersive and real.
The main character is a quiet vampire girl who roams a ghost town but doesn’t prey on everyone she comes across. It’s very moody and doesn’t really follow a normal plot, but it thoroughly feels like a great movie experience that can also feel a little uncomfortable at times.
1Green Book (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 77 Percent
The Green Book has more of a mainstream vibe, but the themes hit close, and it’s still a great watch. Green Book is about a Black pianist named Don Shirley who goes on tour through the Deep South in the 1960s and forms a great bond with his driver slash bodyguard.
While the movie deals with Jazz music and not the Blues like in Sinners, the story and character development are simple but emotional and compelling. Black music and southern history play a big part here, and this movie shows a different but related side. Mahershala Ali gives a standout performance that deservingly won him an Oscar.
