The ’70s Horror-Thriller Ryan Coogler Calls a “Masterpiece”
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is not only one of the best horror movies of 2025; it’s widely accepted as one of the best movies of the year, period. While Coogler’s command of the medium and knack for delivering a powerful emotional right hook come as no surprise to fans of previous works like Fruitvale Station, Black Panther, or Creed, the genre-blending spectacle of Sinners shone a new light on Coogler’s deep love and appreciation for horror history.
While out promoting Sinners, Coogler sat down with Deadline and rattled off a list of formative titles that have influenced him as a filmmaker and helped shape his approach to his period tale of two brothers, blues music, and vampires. Along with some of the usual suspects, like Jurassic Park and John Carpenter’s The Thing, Coogler also dropped some surprising titles and bits of info.
One such title was Jeremy Saulnier’s 2015 punk rock horror-thriller Green Room. Coogler was so impressed by the look and makeup effects in the film that he sought out and hired makeup artist Mike Fontaine for Sinners. But when the conversation turned to films that completely “took [his] breath away”, one title stood out: Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now.
If you’ve only ever heard Don’t Look Now mentioned on podcasts or simply haven’t gotten around to pressing play yet, take this as a sign to see what all the fuss is about. Released in 1973, the movie is set in Venice and stars Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie as a married couple mourning the loss of their daughter. Adapted from a story by English writer Daphne du Maurier (Rebecca, The Birds), Don’t Look Now is a chilling meditation on grief and premonition, but it’s also so much more than that.
For decades, Don’t Look Now has been celebrated as one of the most stylish and haunting thrillers of its era. Executed with Roeg’s signature editing flair, the film unsettles through atmosphere, suggestion, and possibly the creepiest red coat ever to exist. It also includes a famous scene between Sutherland and Christie that Coogler called “the best intimacy scene I’ve ever seen in a movie.” And, he’s not wrong. It’s an all-timer.
Considering some of the character relationships and stories in Sinners, it’s easy to see how Roeg’s use of intimacy and grief to inform and amplify the dread within the world of Don’t Look Now influenced Coogler. It’s also easy to see how genuine and heartfelt Coogler’s admiration of the film is. I mean, it doesn’t get much clearer than Coogler calling the film, “a fucking masterpiece, bro.”
So if you’ve been meaning to revisit (or finally discover) this ‘70s gem, take a cue from Coogler. Don’t Look Now deserves your time and a spot at the top of your must-watch list. Set the mood, turn down the lights, let the old-school, pre-Bezos Venice soak in, and see why one of today’s best directors dubs Don’t Look Now a fucking masterpiece.
Don’t Look Now is currently streaming on Kanopy and available to rent or purchase on VOD.
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