Ryan Coogler on “Sinners,” His Epic Film about Race, Music, and the Undead

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<p>When the Oscar nominations were announced this year, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” set a record. It received sixteen nominations, the most for any film ever. The fact that it’s, in part, a vampire movie, made by a director who’s not yet forty, makes that feat all the more remarkable. Coogler—who previously directed “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/creed-is-a-knockout" rel="noopener noreferrer">Creed</a>” and “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/the-passionate-politics-of-black-panther" rel="noopener noreferrer">Black Panther</a>”—sat down with the <i>New Yorker</i> staff writer <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/jelani-cobb" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jelani Cobb</a> to discuss the recurrent themes of history, faith, and race in his work, and how he refracted them through the lens of horror in “Sinners.”</p> <p><i>This segment originally aired on April 11, 2025.</i></p> <p> </p> <p>Further reading: </p> <p>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/05/05/ryan-coogler-profile" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ryan Coogler’s Road to ‘Sinners</a>,’ ” by Jelani Cobb</p> <p> </p> <p>New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Join host David Remnick as he discusses the latest in politics, news, and current events in conversation with political leaders, newsmakers, innovators, <i>New Yorker</i> staff writers, authors, actors, and musicians.</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>