There are very few filmmakers with a track record as strong as Ryan Coogler’s. It’s not just that Coogler has never made a bad movie; he’s never made a movie that fell short of greatness — and he often faces insurmountable odds. He made a Rocky movie that shifted the focus to a new underdog boxer. He made a sequel to a groundbreaking Best Picture nominee that he had to rework from scratch following the tragic and untimely pᴀssing of his star. And every time, he’s managed to deliver a movie that’s mᴀssively entertaining, deeply moving, and filled with interesting themes.
Much like Steven Spielberg, no matter what genre he’s working in — whether he’s making a sports movie or a superhero movie or a gangster movie that turns into a supernatural horror movie — Coogler is always the same master visual storyteller exploring human characters and universal emotions. Coogler and his go-to leading man Michael B. Jordan have produced five stellar movies so far, ranging from the eye-popping spectacle of the Black Panther movies to the harrowing true story of Fruitvale Station. From the beginning of Fruitvale Station to the end of Sinners, Coogler has made his mark as a true visionary.
5
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Released In 2022
Although it’s arguably Coogler’s weakest film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever isn’t a bad movie by any stretch; it’s actually one of the highlights of the MCU’s hit-and-miss Phase Four. Very few movie productions have faced the uphill battle that Coogler’s Black Panther sequel did. Coogler had written a completely different version of the sequel before his тιтle star, Chadwick Boseman, sadly pᴀssed away. This forced Coogler to start from scratch and retool the sequel’s story to pᴀss the torch on to T’Challa’s sister, Shuri. And despite this unspeakable behind-the-scenes tragedy, Coogler managed to deliver one of Marvel’s best post-Endgame movies.
Rather than pivoting away from Boseman entirely, Coogler channeled the filmmakers’ and the audience’s collective grief into a touching tribute to the late actor. Wakanda Forever opens with the eponymous nation mourning the loss of their king. The sequel isn’t quite as тιԍнт as its predecessor; the flooding of Wakanda’s capital city would’ve made for a better climactic sequence than the CG-heavy final fight on the warship and, while Dominique Thorne is great as Riri Williams, Ironheart feels shoehorned into this already-overlong movie. Still, Wakanda Forever has a delightfully complex villain in Namor, and it’s a beautiful tribute to Boseman.
4
Black Panther
Released In 2018
Coogler gave Marvel Studios its first Best Picture nomination with the first Black Panther movie in 2018. After T’Challa had been introduced in Captain America: Civil War, his debut solo adventure solidified him as one of the MCU’s most exciting new heroes. Very few MCU movies go beyond their surface-level comic-book spectacle to explore deeper themes, but Black Panther is a poignant commentary on colonialism. Erik Killmonger is the MCU’s answer to Heath Ledger’s Joker; his methods are questionable, but he actually has a point. Killmonger wants to use Wakanda’s resources to flip the horrors of colonialism on the colonizers.
It was the first proof that a Marvel movie could be more than just superficial blockbuster entertainment.
There are a few small but noticeable imperfections that prevent Black Panther from ranking as one of Coogler’s absolute best movies. The final fight between T’Challa and Killmonger doesn’t hit as hard as their initial deathmatch, because the weightless CGI takes out all the impact, and the climactic battle as a whole feels very formulaic. Nevertheless, Black Panther is one of the greatest superhero movies ever made. It was the first proof that a Marvel movie could be more than just superficial blockbuster entertainment. Superhero stories are the modern myths, and Coogler captured that perfectly with T’Challa’s first solo outing.
3
Sinners
Released In 2025
Coogler’s latest cinematic opus, Sinners, is one of his most ambitious films, one of his most fiercely original films, and one of his finest films. Like Everything Everywhere All at Once, Sinners manages to balance a bunch of disparate genres at the same time — it’s simultaneously a gangster movie, it’s a horror movie, it’s a musical, and it’s a Jim Crow-era historical drama — and it pulls them all off spectacularly. The story of twin gangsters returning to their Mississippi hometown to open up a juke joint would’ve worked brilliantly as a straightforward drama even if the vampires never showed up.
FACT: Sinners grossed $48 million in its opening weekend (via Box Office Mojo).
Sinners is oozing with style, but that style is backed up by just as much emotional and thematic substance. It’s a blood-drenched, action-packed gangsters-versus-vampires movie, but it’s also a thoughtful meditation on racism, mortality, U.S. history, and artistic expression. Coogler’s usual collaborators are firing on all cylinders in Sinners. Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw shoots gorgeously on film, Ludwig Göransson provides a typically mesmerizing musical score, and production designer Hannah Beachler and costume designer Ruth E. Carter craft a living, breathing portrayal of 1930s Mississippi. Coogler’s first original blockbuster is a bona fide masterpiece, and a showcase for his singular imagination.
2
Creed
Released In 2015
Coogler successfully reinvigorated the Rocky franchise and kickstarted a wave of legacy sequels with 2015’s Creed. He introduced Apollo Creed’s long-lost son Adonis as a new up-and-coming fighter preparing for his first big match. Creed is a retelling of Rocky Balboa’s own story with a twist; Donnie is another underdog trying to make his name on the boxing circuit, but unlike Rocky, he has a legendary name to live up to. Donnie doesn’t just have to prove he can hold his own in the ring; he has to live up to the iconic legacy of the father he never knew.
Creed doesn’t deviate far from the established formula of these kinds of movies — there’s a world-famous challenger, an uplifting training montage, and an emotional final fight — but it does exemplify why that formula works. These stories are an inspirational metaphor for any difficulty faced in life. Donnie’s quest to overcome adversity and self-doubt and become a champion could be used to represent any struggle that anyone has gone through. Coogler understands this story well. He copies the most crucial dramatic element of Rocky: it was never really about boxing; it’s a love story that happens to revolve around a boxer.
1
Fruitvale Station
Released In 2013
Coogler has made nothing but great movies since his directorial debut, but his first film still holds up as his best work. Fruitvale Station tells the harrowing true story of the events leading up to a police officer’s murder of 22-year-old Black man Oscar Grant. Michael B. Jordan’s three-dimensional portrayal of Grant established a long-standing working relationship with Coogler that continues to this day. As much as it’s a rallying cry against police brutality and the insтιтutional racism and systemic corruption that led to Grant’s death, Fruitvale Station is a celebration of Grant’s life. Coogler walks that fine line masterfully.
Ryan Coogler has since explored a wide range of stories and genres, but Fruitvale Station remains his masterpiece.
Coogler’s approach to dramatizing this shocking incident is incredibly effective. Rather than dwelling on the murder itself, Fruitvale Station focuses on humanizing Grant. It’s more of a character study than a true crime story. It chronicles the day leading up to the killing, showing his relationships with his girlfriend, his daughter, and his mother, and his struggle to find steady work. The film doesn’t shy away from portraying Grant’s flaws; it depicts him as a real human being with depth and dimension. Ryan Coogler has since explored a wide range of stories and genres, but Fruitvale Station remains his masterpiece.
