Ryan Coogler's Acclaimed Horror Masterpiece Officially Becomes One of Netflix's Biggest Hits

Ryan Coogler has a career that would make most Hollywood directors a bit jealous. The writer-director has produced history-making movies at a very young age, ranging from Hollywood IP blockbusters to original ideas. He has directed the Creed franchise since the mid-2010s, before joining Marvel to direct the massive hit Black Panther and its sequel, Wakanda Forever. At this stage, many directors get comfortable and settle into what's familiar, but last year, Coogler did something different, and it worked.

The director moved away from the gritty, action-oriented narratives he's known for and directed a horror movie. This movie was his first original idea and was a major gamble. He also enlisted long-time collaborator Michael B. Jordan in the lead role. The film, titled Sinners, became a massive critical and box-office success. With a near-perfect score from critics and viewers, Sinners remains Coogler's best movie to date.

Critics called it "a rip-roaring fusion of masterful visual storytelling and toe-tapping music," while viewers called it a "deliciously vicious vampire movie" that is "unapologetically Black." Sinners closed with an estimated worldwide lifetime total of $371 million against a $90 million production budget and approximately $60 million in additional costs. The film recently arrived on Netflix in international territories, giving viewers who missed the chance to see it in theaters a chance to experience the riveting tale of music and horror. Sinners has been one of the most-watched movies on the streamer in the last week, peaking at number five according to FlixPatrol's rankings.

What Other Movies Are Trending on Netflix?

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As usual, the streamer's global chart features a mix of original and licensed movies, with the latter taking a large slice of the pie. At number one is Doing Life, a Netflix Original from Tyler Perry. Meanwhile, the Ice Age franchise landed on the streamer ahead of a new installment next year, and the movies are occupying the second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and ninth positions on the service. Russell Crowe and Jacob Tremblay's psychological thriller Unabomber (#3) is still holding strong in its second week on Netflix. Saudi Arabia has its own version of Schitt's Creek in Crazy, Rich, Incredibly Broke, a comedy about a family faking life. A list is not complete without some sensational documentaries, and the latest from Netflix is The Widower: 'Til Death Do Us Part (#8), which tells the story of a serial killer targeting his spouses. Closing out the list is the latest installment of The Purge, titled The Forever Purge, released in 2021.