The “magnificent” movie that blew Spike Lee’s mind: “I haven’t felt this way in a movie theatre in a minute”
If there’s one person who knows a thing or two about great movies, it’s Spike Lee. The veteran director has made some of the most visually striking, culturally relevant American films of all time. From early hits like She’s Gotta Have It and Do the Right Thing to more recent triumphs BlacKkKlansman and Da 5 Bloods, Lee has always been at the forefront of a narrative revolution; an outspoken auteur who’s never afraid to say what’s on his mind.
As well as making brilliant features, Lee is also extremely knowledgeable about the medium. He once made a list of 95 movies every filmmaker should watch. He has been teaching film classes semi-regularly since the early 1990s and is currently a tenured professor at New York University (NYU). In 2002, he was appointed the director of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Basically, when he talks about a movie, we should all listen.
This is why the internet was sent into a frenzy when Lee posted on Instagram that he had just seen Sinners. “I Just Had The Greatest Experience Of Watching A Film In Years,” he wrote, rather annoyingly capitalising the first letter of every word. “My Brother, RYAN COOGLER Invited Me To Experience His New Film SINNERS (In IMAX). His Magnificent Artistry As A Storyteller Iz On A Annudder” Level. And Y’now Brother MICHAEL B JORDAN Did His “THANG, THANG. Da Performances, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Original Score, Songs, Visual Effects Are DOPE… I Haven’t Felt This Way In A Movie Theatre In A Minute.”
In case you somehow missed it, Sinners is a 2025 movie that was written and directed by Ryan Coogler. Jordan stars in a dual role as twins Elijah ‘Smoke’ and Elias ‘Stack’ Moore, a pair of gangsters who decide to open a juke joint in their Mississippi hometown. With talented young guitarist Sammie, played by the incredible Miles Caton, at their side, the brothers unexpectedly run into a group of vampires who are drawn to their “sinful” blues music.
Lee wasn’t the only person impressed with Coogler’s work. The film has been one of the year’s biggest breakout hits, generating over $369million in gross revenue so far. Considering its status as a completely original idea, in a year where sequels and franchise movies have dominated the box office, this is seriously impressive.
Prior to this success, Coogler was best known for his work on franchises like Black Panther and Creed. He hadn’t directed a totally original story since 2013’s Fruitvale Station, which also starred Jordan. He has proven that he is just as capable with his own ideas as he is with someone else’s, and is now firmly established at the top of the directorial pecking order.
This must have been a great full-circle moment for Coogler, who is a self-professed Lee fan. In his long list of inspirations for Sinners, the bespectacled legend was featured front and centre. There’s even a direct connection between the two in the movie. The character of Delta Slim, an old-school blues player who is recruited by the twins to play at their club, is portrayed by Delroy Lindo. He is one of Lee’s most frequent collaborators, having appeared in four of his films, including Crooklyn and Malcolm X.
Coogler is, in many ways, a natural successor to Lee. Both work to champion African-American storytelling and characters, and both have helped launch the careers of now-prominent Black actors. The fact that the master has now endorsed the student is testament to that fact.
