Ryan Coogler’s latest triumph gave us a haunting, soulful performance from Michael B. Jordan, and audiences across the globe, especially in Nigeria, where it grossed over ₦600 million, can’t seem to get enough.
But what if we told you this wasn’t the first time Coogler and Jordan cooked up magic together?
Their collaboration is one of Hollywood’s most powerful actor-director duos of the last decade, blending raw emotion, social commentary, and exhilarating storytelling. If Sinners was your first taste, here are five other Coogler-Jordan films you absolutely need to see, plus where to stream them.
1. Fruitvale Station (2013)
Available on: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video (rental), Google Play
This is where it all began.
Fruitvale Station is Coogler’s directorial debut and Jordan’s breakout role. The film tells the real-life story of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by police at a train station in Oakland on New Year’s Day 2009. It’s a quiet, heartbreaking portrait of a young man just trying to do better, framed by a ticking clock we all know ends in tragedy.
Michael B. Jordan delivers a gut-wrenching performance that puts both him and Coogler on Hollywood’s radar. It’s intimate, searing, and undeniably human. If you were drawn to the emotional weight of Sinners, this film will hit just as hard.
2. Creed (2015)
Available on: Netflix, HBO Max (US), Amazon Prime Video
In this spiritual sequel to Rocky, Jordan plays Adonis Creed, the son of the legendary Apollo Creed. With Sylvester Stallone reprising his role as Rocky Balboa, the film charts Adonis’ journey to carve out his own identity inside the ring and outside his father’s shadow.
Ryan Coogler’s direction turns what could’ve been a typical sports drama into a poetic, pulse-pounding character study.
The father-son themes, the search for belonging, and Jordan’s magnetic performance will feel familiar to Sinners fans, just with a few more right hooks.
Coogler took the Marvel Cinematic Universe to Wakanda and changed the game. But what made Black Panther especially unforgettable was Jordan’s role as Erik Killmonger, a villain who wasn’t just sympathetic, but painfully righteous in his rage. His performance was layered, bold, and emotionally devastating, forcing audiences to question their heroes.
Like Sinners, Black Panther doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths: colonialism, identity, diaspora pain, but it also empowers.
If you appreciated the moral complexity in Sinners, you’ll be captivated by the emotional punch Jordan brings here.
4. Creed II (2018)
Available on: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
Though Coogler didn’t direct Creed II due to his commitment to Black Panther, he served as executive producer and shaped the film’s creative direction.
Jordan returns as Adonis Creed, now a champion, facing off against the son of Ivan Drago, the man who killed his father in the ring.
This instalment digs deeper into legacy, masculinity, and vengeance, territory that Sinners also explores. The emotional stakes are just as high, and Jordan brings the same intensity that fans now associate with his work under Coogler’s vision.
5. Creed III (2023)
Available on: Amazon Prime Video
While Coogler wasn’t involved in this one, it marks Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut. The emotional DNA of Coogler’s earlier work is still here, especially as Adonis confronts childhood trauma and brotherhood betrayed.
If Sinners stirred something in you, Creed III will feel like its distant, muscular cousin.
A collaboration for the ages
The Coogler-Jordan duo works because it’s built on trust. Michael B. Jordan is vulnerable, intense, and charismatic in ways few actors can match, and Coogler knows exactly how to frame that fire.
Whether it’s through the lens of justice (Fruitvale Station), legacy (Creed), revolution (Black Panther), or redemption (Sinners), their films challenge the soul as much as they entertain.
So if Sinners made you a believer, go back and witness where it all began. These aren’t just movies. They’re moments. And they’ll stay with you long after the credits roll.
