Spike Lee isn’t just one of the most beloved directors of all time, he's also a true fan of cinema. The filmmaker has been emphatic in his praise of his mentors as well as the great work new artists are doing within the medium. He recently expressed his praise for Ryan Coogler’s box office hit, Sinners, and recalled being able to see the film early with Coogler and his wife, Zinzi. Lee spoke fondly about the experience while also explaining exactly how he reacted amid the screening.
The Malcolm X helmer was a guest on The Bill Simmons Podcast, where he talked to the titular host about his 2025 film release with Denzel Washington, Highest 2 Lowest. Simmons and Lee's conversation included a mixture of movie and sports-related topics, given the latter's love for the New York Knicks. When asked what his favorite film of the year is, though, Lee didn’t hesitate to say Sinners. The Oscar-winning filmmaker revealed that his first experience with the film began with a cold call:
My brother, Ryan, he did the damn thing. Let me tell a quick story. He called me up, and he said, Spike, do you happen to be in LA?’ I said, ‘Yeah, why?’ ‘Well, we’re going through the final thing on IMAX and, if you can get here in an hour, you could see it. I’m rarely in LA, so it wasn’t a mistake I was there, and he took a chance calling me.
Spike Lee is a famous resident of New York City, so it was seemingly fate that brought him to the movie theater that day. Coogler has expressed his own love for the Crooklyn director, so showing Lee his film was a pivotal moment for him as well. Coogler previously said that Lee’s enthusiastic reception of Sinners brought him to tears, and it marked something of a full-circle moment. Lee concurred that he had quite the outward reaction to the film, as he said:
So I’m there. I’m on the right, Ryan’s in the center, and his wonderful wife, Zinzi, is there. I know they’re not gonna want to sit next to me in a movie again, because I was acting like I was [in] my courtside seats at the Garden, and [the Knicks] were killing the Celtics. I was jumping up and down. My mind was blown, especially that musical sequence.
The musical scene in question from the 1932-set film is a sequence in which the character Sammie, played by Miles Caton, plays an intoxicating blues number at the juke joint. "I Lied to You" (an earworm of a song) conjures up imagery of figures representing various eras of Black music. Not only are musicians representing the African roots of the music present in the time-bending scene but so are those who represent rap and hip hop of the 21st century.
Although Spike Lee says he doesn't think Ryan and Zinzi Coogler would want to watch a movie with him again, I can understand just why he was so excited by the juke joint scene and the film as a whole. The musical moment is a gorgeous tribute and adds crucial cultural context to Sinners. It also subtly foreshadows the post-credit scenes, which features a time jump. Clearly, the film struck a chord with Lee, who has nothing but kind words for Ryan's movie:
That film took me to another place. I love movies and, when I see something that’s great, it lifts my spirit. And Sinners, to me, was that film this year.
Lee isn’t the only one that feels this way, as it seems many viewers have had plenty of praise for Sinners. It’s one of the rare instances in modern moviemaking where an original idea is given the scale and the backing to really shine, and audiences come out in droves to see it as well. While Lee may have noticed the musical inspirations in Sinners the most, it’s easy to identify his own influences in Coogler’s work.
It’s incredibly special to not only for Spike Lee to be enthusiastic about seeing the film, but also respond to it in a visceral way, like Ryan Coogler did with Lee's work growing up. It feels very much like a “passing of the torch” moment, and it's incredibly touching. Here's hoping that early screening also wasn't the last one that Coogler and Lee end up sharing.
You can see Sinners for yourself, as the movie is streaming now with an HBO Max subscription. Fans of Spike Lee should also check out Highest 2 Lowest, which is receiving fantastic reviews, and is currently playing in theaters.
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