Ryan Coogler’s five favourite movies: “The world needs women filmmakers”
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(Credits: Far Out / Alamy)
Ryan Coogler is the man of the moment, with the success of Sinners showing a potentially promising future for studio pictures and an undeniably bright future for the director. After films like Fruitvale Station and Black Panther, the director showcased his genius in new ways through his Jim Crow era vampire slasher, with dark undertones that infuse meaning into a previously well-trodden genre.
The world of horror filmmaking is ripe with meaning and links to socio-political issues in the real world, but Coogler plays on the tropes of the genre to create something that is highly entertaining and also meaningful, commenting on the exploitation of Black culture and music through the history of blues and a town plagued by blood-suckers.
Many are coining Coogler as one of the saviours of cinema and the next best thing to happen to Hollywood. The director describes his influences and the films that led him down the rabbit hole and into the world of cinema for good.
Despite becoming well-known for the monstrosity that is Emilia Perez, Jacques Audiard was once known for making good movies, with Coogler praising one in particular as being one of his all-time favourites. A Prophet, directed in 2009, follows a man sentenced to prison who joins forces with a group of Corsicans in the prison, toughening himself up to win their validation. When describing the work, Coogler said, “A Prophet, it’s a film I’ll probably go back to the most.” Many of us have our comfort watches, even if they are the least comforting stores to return to.
For many directors, the films we watch as children are the most formative of our lives, informing the types of stories we gravitate towards and those that make us feel something. Like many cinephiles, Coogler was touched by the power of Spike Lee, discussing two gems he saw at too young an age, yet had an indescribable impact on his understanding of the medium.
Coogler said, “I saw two movies with my dad in the cinema, I was way too young. One was Boyz n the Hood, and the other was Malcolm X. And you got another Spike classic, you got Do The Right Thing. It felt alive, and it felt like home.” The impact of Lee’s work cannot be overstated, with his astute perspective adding life and meaning to cinema as a whole.
And finally, Coogler described Andrea Arnold’s knockout feature Fish Tank as one of his most cherished movies, saying, “Number five is a movie called Fish Tank. It’s one of those films like Love and Basketball, like Daughters of the Dust, that’s like a rallying cry of why the world needs women filmmakers.” Coogler has been vocal about his support and call for more diversity in the industry, particularly when it comes to female directors.
Arnold is one of the boldest creative voices to emerge from Britain. Subsequent films from her, like American Honey and Bird, shine a light not only on young girls coming of age but also on working-class stories that are rarely showcased on the big screen.
Ryan Coogler’s five favourite movies:
- A Prophet (Jacques Audiard, 2009)
- Boyz n the Hood (John Singleton, 1991)
- Do The Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989)
- Malcolm X (Spike Lee, 1992)
- Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold, 2009)
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