Ryan Coogler is thanking his fellow titans of cinema for inspiring “Sinners.” The critically acclaimed Warner Bros. feature stars Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers Smoke and Stack who return to 1932 Mississippi after surviving World War I. The duo open a blues club and soon are faced with battling Irish vampires who have migrated South. The film marks the latest collaboration between Coogler and actor Jordan, whose 13-year partnership began with “Fruitvale Station.”

Now, Coogler is reflecting on crafting “Sinners” and pointing to the auteurs he calls his “cinematic influences.” “I had the gift of the opportunity of making a film inspired by my family and my ancestry, but it was always a film that we wanted to make for audiences, in theaters,” Coogler wrote in a letter shared with IndieWire. “We always had our minds on you, the audience, and felt a deep responsibility to entertain you, and move...