This $368 Million Horror With 97% on RT Just Broke the Oscar Record With 16 Nominations

Not only has Ryan Coogler's Sinners become a frontrunner for the upcoming Oscars, it has also made history by receiving a record number of nominations.

Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' Just Received 16 Oscar Nominations, Breaking All Records

With 16 nominations, Sinners broke the long-standing record of 14 nominations previously held by such titans as Titanic and La La Land.

This horror film grossed $368 million at the box office, boasts a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and proved that genre cinema can compete for the highest awards. It is nominated in every key category, from Best Picture to all technical categories, including Costume Design, Sound, and Visual Effects.

Sinners is only the second movie in history to receive nominations in all technical categories, plus Best Original Song, after Titanic.

This result highlights the project's phenomenal scale and the Academy's strong support.

What Is 'Sinners' About?

The story takes place in 1932 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Twin brothers and World War I veterans Smoke and Stack Moore, former gangsters, return to their homeland with an ambitious plan to open a juke joint.

They purchase an abandoned sawmill and assemble a crew that includes their cousin Sammie, who is a guitarist. However, the threat isn't limited to local racists.

As night falls, the club becomes the target of a gang of musically gifted vampires led by the charismatic Irishman Remmick.

'Sinners' Is a Superb Movie, but Does It Really Deserve So Many Nominations?

Undoubtedly, Sinners is a powerful and bold artistic statement. Coogler masterfully fuses historical drama, vampire horror, and a musical revue into a cohesive and stylistically flawless film.

Sinners looks and sounds stunning. The soundtrack, featuring contributions from blues legends, and the production design transport viewers to the heart of the American South.

The central metaphor of cultural appropriation and the struggle for identity is poignant and timely, and is brilliantly visualized through the imagery of vampires stealing the music and soul of an entire people.

However, the question of Sinners' record-breaking 16 nominations remains. The movie has notable flaws: its pacing is uneven, and the leisurely dramatic buildup in the first half contrasts markedly with the dynamic second half.

Some plot lines are crudely developed, and the vampire horror elements are archaic with no attempt at innovation.

Is Sinners a masterpiece worthy of an absolute record? Perhaps not. But it is certainly an event – a film that boldly breaks genre boundaries with stunning scope.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Sinners'?

• Sinners has 97% from critics and 96% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.5/10.

• On Letterboxd, Sinners scored 4.1/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Sinners'?

Sinners is available to stream on HBO Max.