Ryan Coogler opens up about one of the most stressful moments he faced while making sinnersand, surprisingly, it had nothing to do with vampires or the film’s 1930s setting.
Instead, the director says the scene that nearly destroyed him involved timing, precision and a moving car.
After the film garnered widespread praise and major awards attention, Coogler reflected on the experience during EW Awardist Podcast.
He pointed to a driving sequence featuring Michael B. Jordan and his stunt double, Percy Bell, who play twin brothers Smoke and Stack.
What looks simple on the screen, he said, is not.
“Every day was different. Every scene was different. Watching the movie, there are certain scenes that you wouldn’t think were difficult,” Coogler explained.
Then he recalled what stood out the most: “Remember the day I almost lost my mind, when you guys had to drive the car and go into the bushes? Doing that shot was crazy, because Mike was driving, and we had to do a repeat pass of the car going up and landing, and they would get out of the car at the right time and then interact with the bush at the right time.”
The challenge went beyond simply hitting the target.
Coogler noticed that the twins move differently in subtle ways, from how they walk to how they exit a vehicle.
“You can see the difference in performance, but also, because of the timing, they have to get into the bushes a certain way,” he said, explaining how even small mismatches could ruin the illusion.
Despite the pressure and repetition, Coogler admitted the hard work was worth it.
He said the scene finally “looks good” in the final cut, a result that is especially gratifying given how close it came to falling apart on set.
sinnersreleased by Warner Bros., it has become one of the most talked-about horror films of the year and is currently nominated for seven Golden Globes, including Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Drama Motion Picture.
The film follows twin brothers Stack and Smoke, played by Jordan, who return to their hometown in the Mississippi Delta in 1932 to open a music venue that soon becomes a death trap when musical vampires descend.
For Coogler, the moment serves as a reminder that sometimes the most challenging scenes are the ones audiences never suspect.
