It's somewhat rare for a horror movie to be treated like a must-see cinematic event on the level of an "Avengers" film. We're talking about the likes of 2017's "It" and Jordan Peele's "Us," i.e. the biggest of big that the genre has to offer. Ryan Coogler, the filmmaker behind "Black Panther" and "Creed," has now managed to position his new vampire movie "Sinners" as one of these blockbuster-level cinematic events, and with good reason. Indeed, "Sinners" is one of the most acclaimed films of 2025 overall thus far.

Given the sheer impact that "Sinners" has had, particularly after its blockbuster box office debut, it perhaps seems fitting that the king of the modern blockbuster, Christopher Nolan, was given a "special thanks" shout-out in the movie's credits. But why, exactly, did Coogler thank the "Dark Knight" and "Oppenheimer" director? That's a good question. Put simply, Nolan helped Coogler get...