Ranking the Films of Ryan Coogler So Far

Ryan Coogler has managed to, in a fairly short amount of time, craft a very prominent position for himself in Hollywood. Prior to Sinners, he was one of the more successful filmmakers in the business when it came to making IP work feel personal. Post-Sinners, he’s cemented himself as an A-list auteur with a voice that demands to be heard. As his film continues to dominate at the box office and in the pop culture lexicon, it only makes sense to take a look back at his work to date. So, today I’ll be ranking Coogler’s movies so far, which have yet to include a miss. H’es aced them all, with the best potentially yet to come.

Below, I’ve ranked all of the features that Coogler has made so far. Fruitvale Station and Sinners are his only non adaptations, with the former still being based on a true story, so it’s fascinating to see him potentially enter a whole new phase of his career. Your mileage may vary, but for me, he’s among the strongest storytellers working today. Behold my list next.

Here now is my Ryan Coogler ranking. Take a gander:

5. Fruitvale Station

Fruitvale Station is very much a first film, but it also undeniably showcases not just the talents of Coogler, but of star Michael B. Jordan as well. It’s clear watching this movie that they’ve got something special brewing. The ensuing years would obviously render that verdict in the affirmative, but the pieces are largely already in place. That said, it really doesn’t compare to what he would get up to next. Still, it’s a strong flick, through and through.

4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a very hard movie to watch a second time, obviously, but in a way, it’s a credit to how well Coogler did an impossible job. The sequel has to be a Marvel sequel, first and foremost, but it also has to eulogize the late Chadwick Boseman. To get a sense of just how well he accomplished things, my review here began like so:

In a lot of ways, the first Black Panther was lightning in a bottle. Capturing the zeitgeist like it did is a rare achievement, made even more so by how it brought together mass entertainment and prestige Oscar attention. It felt like a once in a generation achievement for Marvel Studios, which has never matched that kind of Academy Award recognition. So, you’d be forgiven for going into Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with a certain amount of checked expectations. After all, it was made in the shadow of the unexpected death of lead Chadwick Boseman, requiring a major re-write. Well, I’m happy to report that all of your fears are for naught. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may not get as many nominations at the Oscars, but in many ways, the film is an improvement over the first one. Wakanda Forever, indeed.

3. Black Panther

The first Marvel Cinematic Universe effort to break through with the Academy Awards, Black Panther showed the world how the right filmmaker can make all the difference. Marvel knew how important it was to get this one right and took their time, ultimately letting Coogler cook. Boseman turns in iconic work, as does Jordan as a top-tier MCU villain. The fact that this was such a zeitgeist capturing blockbuster, even scoring an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, speaks to what Coogler was able to pull off.

2. Creed

What easily could have been a joke or a money grab, Creed instead is one of the most surprising sequels ever made. Not only does it work wholly on its own as a boxing drama, it works as a Rocky sequel, while also giving full new dimensions to Sylvester Stallone‘s Rocky Balboa. It’s one of the more crowd pleasing efforts in recent years and a complete reinvention of a dusty old property. This was the easiest movie for Coogler to fall down with, but instead, it was his crowning achievement, at least until this year, as you’re about to see…

1. Sinners

Sinners rocks, as you all know by now. Not only did Coogler make the rare vampire movie that’s good, he managed to mix horror with genuine character work. The drama is as strong as the horror, resulting in something truly special. It’s the best film of the year so far and deserves to be an awards contender, though more on that tomorrow in Sunday Scaries. My rave review from last month here started off with the following:

Okay, listen up folks. For anyone who ever complains that Hollywood never does anything original, Sinners is for you. This is the type of film that spits in the face of those who say cinema has nothing new to offer. By taking one of the oldest movie monsters there is, spinning them on their ear, and filtering it through a setting/time period that’s never utilized them before, and you have something completely singular. There has never been anything quite like Sinners. Not only is this 2025’s first truly great blockbuster, it’s also the best film of the year so far.

What is your favorite Ryan Coogler film to date? Let us know!