8 Ryan Coogler's Movie Picks Every Cinephile Must Watch, Ranked by IMDb
A film that had a huge influence on Sinners, a classic of Japanese and world cinema, and other works that you definitely shouldn't miss.
Ryan Coogler's Sinners is one of the most successful original movies in recent years that earned $361 million worldwide and received a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Recently, the director visited Criterion, where he picked his favorite films that influenced him personally, Sinners and cinema in general.
8. 'Devil in a Blue Dress', 1995
IMDb Score: 6.8/10
This is an adaptation of one of Walter Mosley's novels about the private detective Easy Rawlins, played by Denzel Washington.
A World War II veteran, Easy has lost his job and may soon lose his home. When he is offered the chance to work as a private detective and find a mysterious beauty in a blue dress, he immediately agrees.
The investigation leads Rawlins into the unpredictable world of big politics, where human life is worthless.
Ryan Coogler admitted that this movie had a massive influence on Sinners:
“My admiration for this film has only deepened. But it's just an incredible piece of cinema, and an incredible film noir.”
7. 'Love & Basketball', 2000
IMDb Score: 7.2/10
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood's Love & Basketball is a movie of rare sincerity, in which the struggle for love and the pursuit of a lifelong dream converge.
Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps play Monica and Quincy, childhood friends who first share a love for basketball and later for each other.
However, their fragile teenage relationship gradually falls apart due to family issues and an uncertain future. Many years later, the couple reunites to try again.
The director revealed that Love & Basketball resonated with him – he and his wife, Zinzi Coogler, were both athletes who met on a track field:
“I can't look at this movie and not see us. [...] This is the one.”
6. 'Love Jones', 1997
IMDb Score: 7.3/10
Theodore Witcher's movie tells the love story of a young writer and a professional photographer.
Witcher has created a surprisingly relatable film containing everything that can happen between two lovers: silly mistakes, jealousy, fear, uncertainty, misunderstandings, arguments, and breakups.
When picking Love Jones, Ryan Coogler admitted that he is a hopeless romantic:
“It's a perfect movie. [...] The performances from Larenz Tate and Nia Long in this movie are exceptional. The chemistry is off the charts.”
5. 'Thief', 1981
IMDb Score: 7.4/10
Although Michael Mann's debut film is considered a classic of independent cinema, it remains less well-known than his other works, especially compared to the similarly minded Heat.
The main character, Frank, is an experienced safecracker. After the death of a fence, he is forced to turn to the fence's killer, a well-known mafioso, to return part of the money he earned.
The mafioso refuses but, knowing about Frank's talent, offers him a job. Frank agrees to the case on the condition that it will be his last.
The director had nothing but praise for Thief:
“The performance of the villain in this, and how the performance is captured – you're slowly peeling back the onion about how dangerous and how evil this dude is. Michael Mann just did a brilliant job.”
4. 'Following', 1998
IMDb Score: 7.4/10
Following is a debut film by Christopher Nolan that is now being talked about far too little. At first, Nolan thought about the concept of people being surveilled. Then, when his house was robbed, he began to reflect on the psychology of criminals and the limits of morality in modern society.
These two ideas merged to create Following, a unique, intricate neo-noir movie exploring the boundaries of society and voyeurism.
According to Coogler, this is the most indie film you'll see from Nolan:
“A lot of the Christopher Nolan trademarks are here in this movie.”
3. 'Malcolm X', 1992
IMDb Score: 7.7/10
One of Spike Lee's most important movies is the 1992 biopic Malcolm X. The three-and-a-half-hour epic about the iconic activist is still considered one of the director's best achievements 30 years later, and Denzel Washington's performance remains one of the most outstanding in his career.
Coogler shared that he watched this movie as a child and it changed his life:
“In my opinion, Spike Lee has made two of the best film openings that I've ever seen. One of them is this one. The other one is Do The Right Thing, with Rosie Perez.”
2. 'Late Spring', 1949
IMDb Score: 8.2/10
Late Spring is widely considered one of the best and most important movies by director Yasujirō Ozu.
Along with Early Summer and Tokyo Story, which frequently appear on lists of the best movies of the 20th century, these three films comprise the Noriko trilogy – a commentary on the changing realities of postwar Japan.
The director admitted that Late Spring helped him realize that he wanted to become a father and also said:
“What I'm going to talk to you about with Ozu right now, in this movie, is his capacity for the most emotional endings you'll ever see in your life.”
1. 'Seven Samurai', 1954
IMDb Score: 8.6/10
Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece is one of the most influential movies in Japanese and world cinema. It significantly influenced the development of the film industry and spawned countless remakes and sequels that could never compare to the original.
Many modern directors, especially those working on big-budget blockbusters, are big fans of Kurosawa's samurai saga. Among them are George Miller, the Wachowskis, John Landis, and, of course, Ryan Coogler.
Ryan Coogler commented:
“What I think he was greatest at, in terms of things I've learned from watching his films, is the art of blocking. The other thing he's great at is poetic fallacy. Choosing when to use wind and rain is just insane.”
