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How Sinners emerged as one of the big winners at the 2026 Oscars
Ryan Coogler’s film Sinners (2025), starring Michael B. Jordan in a dual role, is a hit at the box office with $368 million in revenue. As the most nominated feature in the history of the Academy Awards, surpassing Titanic and La La Land, it finally won four Oscars on March 16th, 2026.
Published on 23 January 2026. Updated on 16 March 2026.
Ryan Coogler’s phenomenonal Oscar-winning film Sinners
Shot in Louisiana between November 2024 and February 2025, Sinners (2025) marks the fourth collaboration between American director Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan, following Fruitvale Station (2013), Creed (2015), and Black Panther (2018). The story is set in Mississippi in 1932. Twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore return to their hometown to open a cabaret-like tavern, but soon have to face an invasion of vampires…
Conceived as a tribute to Hoodoo culture — a syncretism born from Central and West African traditions, as well as African American and Native American legacies — the horror film captivates us thanks to its formal device. Michael B. Jordan embodies two brothers, a technical challenge made possible through body doubles and sophisticated visual effects.
In the run-up to the 98th Academy Awards, held on the night of March 15th–16th, 2026, the film had no fewer than 16 Oscar nominations across 12 categories. It thus became the most nominated film in Oscar history, an all-time record that places it ahead of La La Land (2016) and Titanic (1997).
But the blockbuster ultimately lost out to the political epic One Battle After Another (2025) by Paul Thomas Anderson, which won the award for Best Picture. Sinners still walked away with no fewer than four statuettes, including “Best Original Screenplay” and “Best Cinematography.” Meanwhile, Michael B. Jordan won the Oscar for Best Actor, the first of his career, that night.
A feature film with Michael B. Jordan as the lead character
Audiences, and some of the critics, were stunned by Michael B. Jordan’s double performance, praising his ability to make a distinction between the twin brothers. This feat inevitably brings to mind Split (2017) by M. Night Shyamalan, in which James McAvoy portrayed 23 different personalities. A tour de force that was both praised and criticized for its controversial portrayal of dissociative identity disorder.
The film also impresses with its scale. Ryan Coogler secured a substantial budget nearing $90 million, and particularly favorable compensation terms, ensuring a visual spectacle worthy of the project’s ambition.
Above all, Ludwig Göransson’s soundtrack is what struck audiences, blending Delta blues and original compositions. Everyone remembers a now-iconic dance scene, led by British actor Jack O’Connell.
A project echoing Robert Rodriguez’s work
Still, Sinners follows a somewhat familiar structure. The first half, grounded in realism with crime and economic issues at stake, suddenly gives way to supernatural horror. A framework that directly recalls From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino, in which two criminals (George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) take a family hostage before finding themselves trapped in a bar full of vampires.
The lineage is undeniable. Besides, Ryan Coogler fully embraces that cinematic legacy and also cites influences from blues music and the legend of Robert Johnson, who is said to have sold his soul to the devil… Should we really heap such praise on a film that, while effective, is ultimately quite unoriginal?
Sinners, the most nominated film in Oscar history
One thing is certain, the film made waves during the awards season. Last January, Sinners was already boasting impressive numbers. Seventeen nominations at the Critics’ Choice Awards, including for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay, and seven Golden Globe nominations with two wins.
This year, it became the most nominated feature film in Oscar history. Its commercial success — $368 million at the box office — and critical acclaim with a score of 84 on Metacritic make it the frontrunner, even ahead of Paul Thomas Anderson‘s One Battle After Another, which eventually won the award for Best Picture.
Yet, some voices are questioning this dominance. Some critics feel like the second half of the film lacks the direction of the first part. They argue that Ryan Coogler is sacrificing intimacy for spectacle. Others point out that the Academy has historically been reluctant to give horror films, even hybrid ones, the award for Best Picture. For instance, Get Out only won Best Original Screenplay in 2018. During the 98th edition of the Oscars, Sinners eventually won four awards.
Sinners (2025) by Ryan Coogler, currently out in theaters.
