It isn't surprising that Ryan Coogler's Sinners (2025) breaks Oscars history with its 16 nominations, but what is surprising is that the academy chose to finally recognize something that's fully groundbreaking. Because more often than not, a movie like Sinners would've been brushed under the rug or maybe given some sort of accolade off-screen. But there's only so many times you can snub excellence before the public gets frustrated, and time and again, moviegoers have been begging for recognition in niche genres because their place in film is vastly significant.
Understandably, horror isn't for everyone, and for a beat, I wasn't sure I could handle Sinners either. But thank goodness I was able to one-up my fear and run to the movies for an IMAX screening because it's the type of story that deserves to be seen on the big screen. However, despite having excellent nominations in the past, like another Coogler masterpiece, Black Panther (2018), the academy isn't always known for allowing genre movies to win, even when they rightfully deserve it. But could Sinners break the mold like The Shape of Water (2017) previously did? I wholeheartedly think so.
Now streaming on HBO Max, if you're somehow still sleeping on the seminal film, watch it before it sweeps awards. And from one scaredy cat to another, I promise you'll be fine.
What Awards Could 'Sinners' Actually Take Home?
There's a good chance that Sinners could take home every award pertaining to music and sound, which includes Music (Original Song), Music (Original Score), Sound, and Visual Effects. In a year where it's running against some pretty great films, its biggest competition in terms of production design is Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein (2025). Still, in a lot of ways, even if the classic novel's adaptation wins, there's still something to be said about how horror is on top this year.
The most unpredictable category every year isn't actually Best Picture, but rather the ones for Best Actor and Actress. Even when the choice seems painfully obvious, the decisions at times are so questionable that you have to wonder if voters actually watched all the films. And sure, all of this is an opinion at the end of the day, but there's often an objective choice, and if you ask me, the Best Actor should go to Michael B. Jordan. Who else in the running is playing two different characters who are uniquely different from one another in the same production? Jordan's performance is sensational throughout Sinners, and given his body of work in the past, it's a clear showcase of his talent in a way that he deserves the recognition.
In addition, while Best Director and Original Screenplay are also tough to predict, there's a good chance that Ryan Coogler could take home one or both. His directorial vision is exactly what makes Sinners such a triumph, so the win as a director would be fully deserved, but the sharp dialogue in his screenplay is also revolutionary. I'm going to go ahead and make the active prediction now that, since Guillermo del Toro isn't nominated for Frankenstein, Coogler should and could certainly win for Best Director. If I were part of the voting committee, he'd have my vote without a question.
Why 'Sinners' Is A Masterfully Captivating Story
Niche genres like horror and science fiction often do the most thoughtfully superlative job of telling relatable stories veiled underneath a seemingly fantastical plot. Whether they include aliens, vampires, or some totally unheard of creature, human complexities and the history that haunts us are very much the nexus point of these genres. Creators tell the stories that they know by finding unique ways to understand everyday battles and bring them to an audience. This notion is especially true for a director like Coogler, who brings Black history to our screens in a way that textbooks fail to educate us on.
Before the credits even roll, and you run to the internet to learn more, the emotions scattered throughout Sinners showcase that this story is bigger than what we understand. Coogler has previously spoken about the fact that his family members are descendants of the Great Migration, but throughout the narrative, we have sprinkles of what it means to leave a legacy and how much turmoil and agony come from fleeing a place where others are out for your blood. The message is literal in Sinners with the inclusion of vampires, but the deeper reminder of the atrociousities that Black people and those from indigenous places faced with colonizers is boldly on display.
This injustice that's at large in history and still a tremendous tragedy plaguing the present is brought to life through Blues music, inimitable performances from the whole cast, and a directorial vision that unveils the fabricated glow America hides underneath. Metaphorically impactful and methodically captivating, Sinners is the type of masterful feature that can and should be studied—the kind of movie you can analyze frame by frame and still find yourself barely scratching the surface of its depth.
And again, a genre like horror often holds indisputable depth in its jump scares—the reminder that the monsters aren't the ones seemingly in closets or under the bed, but they're sometimes the people we pass on the street or the ones who sit beside us at churches, schools, or work. The reality that bleeds from the obscure plot is at times more evocative than the simple truth we can't seem to see when it's staring us right in the eye. For this reason, recognizing Sinners for its impact is a decision that can hopefully leave more room for creative people not to be shunned by awards because their work is a little different from the average drama feature.
