Ryan Coogler has honored one of his greatest influences, Spike Lee, by declaring his legendary 1992 film Malcolm X as the most crucial American film ever created.
In a recent conversation on 7 PM in Brooklyn, the Black Panther director shared how Lee’s 1992 masterpiece influenced his perspective on American filmmaking—and moved him to tears years later. For Coogler, it was incredibly meaningful when Lee appeared on 7 PM in Brooklyn and called watching Sinners the “most extraordinary cinematic experience” he’s enjoyed in quite some time.
“I believe that Malcolm X stands as the most vital American film ever created. Without a doubt,” Coogler stated, highlighting its cultural significance above universally celebrated classics like The Godfather and Citizen Kane. “I don’t believe they held the same importance as Americans that Malcolm X did.”
Coogler celebrated both Lee’s fearless directing and the incredible ensemble cast—featuring Denzel Washington, Delroy Lindo, Angela Bassett, and Giancarlo Esposito—for capturing Malcolm X’s powerful story. “The reality that they created that film when they did, that it begins the way it begins—nothing ignites your passion like that,” he continued, highlighting the movie’s unforgettable opening.
Coogler also remembered seeing Malcolm X with his father on its premiere night as a kid, describing it as a life-changing moment. Years down the line, he got the opportunity to screen his own project, Sinners, for Lee, who praised it as the “most incredible cinematic experience” he’d experienced in ages during his appearance on 7 PM in Brooklyn.
“Hearing him say that meant everything to me man […] man I broke down man,” Coogler shared. “I had tears streaming down my face, man.”
