When Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan sat down with JustWatch to promote Sinners (2025), it went from a standard interview to a full-blown roast of Ryan Coogler after the director labeled A Walk to Remember (2002) as his guilty pleasure re-watch. Beside him, Jordan and some of their crew erupted into fits of laughter, prompting Coogler to tease, "Why you laughing at me?" But honestly, if you've ever seen A Walk to Remember, then you're probably giggling right alongside Jordan.
WATCH: Michael B. Jordan Can't Stop Laughing At Ryan Coogler's Guilty Pleasure Movie
Starring Mandy Moore and Shane West, this Nicholas Sparks adaptation chronicles the love story between a rebellious bad boy and a minister's daughter. It's labeled a coming-of-age romantic drama, but before you start swooning, wipe that dopey smile off your face. A Walk to Remember ends with [spoiler!] the death of Moore's character, who spends a good chunk of the movie hiding her cancer diagnosis. If you can get through this movie without crying, then you're stronger than most of us because ouch, this one hurts.
In that sense, Coogler revealing A Walk to Remember as his comfort movie makes for a bit of unintentional comedy, hence Jordan's laughter. Most people wouldn't consider a heartwrenching, gut-twisting feel-sad film comforting, but Coogler does and without shame. He points to watching it during his high school years and called it "very useful on a home day," meaning it carries nostalgia for him, and let's be real, nostalgia can make us defend some wild things.
'A Walk To Remember' Rightly Remains A Feel-Sad Favorite
That's not to say Coogler's adoration of A Walk to Remember is wrong. In fact, poll a thousand fans of feel-sad romantic dramas like The Fault in Our Stars (2014) and Brokeback Mountain (2005) and most will tell you that A Walk to Remember is an early 2000s masterpiece that hurts you in the best way possible. It's a powerful story about love, faith, and loss that's made all the better thanks to Moore and West's genuine chemistry. While it might bum out viewers craving something more upbeat, it certainly qualifies as one of those films you should watch at least once, if you're in the right headspace.
Millennials, especially, might even tap into that same sense of nostalgia Coogler has. With high school protagonists navigating the early aftermath of the new century, A Walk to Remember offers familiar technology, settings, and vibes for anyone sporting a birth year starting with "19." (These characters still talk on landlines!)
It seems A Walk to Remember's nostalgia and emotional devastation are the perfect ingredients for a guilty pleasure. Take one look at the YouTube comments on our interview with Coogler, and it's obvious people agree: "Ryan Coogler is a man with taste." A Walk to Remember folds me every time. That movie hurts bro." "Don't laugh at Ryan… he has excellent taste! A Walk to Remember is a classic."
Why To Watch 'A Walk To Remember' (And What To Watch After)
Again, if you're someone who likes your movies to come with a good cry, then A Walk to Remember is for you. Nostalgia aside, it harbors one of Mandy Moore's best performances and some truly memorable scenes. After all, don't we all remember the sheer glee we felt watching Moore stand in "two places at once."
While Ryan Coogler hasn't directed any romantic dramas, Fruitvale Station (2013) shares an equally heartbreaking ending to A Walk to Remember, just with a true story appeal. If you're searching for more romance, then you'd probably prefer Sinners, which features a couple of complicated love stories. Much more gory and brutal than A Walk to Remember, Coolger's historically-set and critically acclaimed vampire story, which just broke records with an unprecedented 16 Oscar nominations, is perfect for fans of supernatural stories with juicy thematic undertones. Thank me later.
