michael b jordan standing clutching someone in sinners
(Warner Bros.)

‘A lot of Coen Brothers influencing this’: Ryan Coogler breaks down the new trailer for ‘Sinners’

Ryan Coogler’s vampire movie has been one that has had the attention of fans. With Michael B. Jordan playing twins and starring opposite Hailee Steinfeld and Delroy Lindo, we all were excited.

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I was lucky enough to attend a trailer release press conference where Ryan Coogler spoke with moderator Juju Green about his influences on the film. The new trailer, which makes it very clear that we’re dealing with vampires, allowed us to see more of Coogler’s take on the genre. And he spoke openly about the films and directors that influenced him.

“A lot of Coen brothers influencing this,” Coogler said. He then went on to talk about how movies like Inside Llewyn Davis was one for him as well as Fargo and No Country For Old Men. It was nice to hear him talk about how Robert Rodriguez also was someone he looked to and the pull that got me the most excited about it was Coogler talking about the Stephen King novel Salem’s Lot.

The vampire story has had plenty of adaptations, one as recently as last year. But it is a staple of the genre for a reason and Coogler pulling from King’s work makes me even more excited about Sinners! “But it’s actually quite close to The Faculty quite a bit, which is a remake of the theme. Which is one of my favorite movies. Definitely my favorite horror movie. So it’s a lot of Carpenter, a lot of Carpenter in the film as well. But the biggest influence is truth. Truthfully, the biggest influences are not in cinema. The novel, Salem’s lot.”

The power of Salem’s Lot

Coogler went on to talk a lot about how the town aspects of Salem’s Lot became part of Sinners. “That’s a massive influence on the film,” he said. “Then there’s a real deep cut influence. My favorite thing ever made is the Twilight Zone, Rod Serling. Okay. My favorite episode of that is an episode called ‘The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank’. And that’s probably it, Salem’s Lot and ‘The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank’ are probably the biggest influences.”

The thing about vampire stories is that we have beats we all are looking for. They have been part of our cultural zeitgeist for decades for a reason. But the trailer for Sinners was absolutely breathtaking and really helped to show Coogler’s vision and what fans can expect out of the film. Plus seeing Jordan as twins really was all I needed to get excited for this movie.

We cannot wait to see what Coogler and Jordan have in store for us with Sinners, set to release in theaters on April 18, 2025. You should see it on the biggest screen possible if you can because Coogler shared how he made this film as a love letter to those who want the shared experience of all going to the theater together. He shot Sinners with Ultra Panavision cameras and it is definitely going to be one of those films you won’t want to miss!


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Rachel Leishman
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Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.