Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller Sinners has officially become the highest-rated vampire film in Rotten Tomatoes history, maintaining a perfect 100% score across 45 critical reviews. The Michael B. Jordan-led horror film has accomplished what even the most beloved classics of the vampire genre couldn’t achieve, surpassing critical darlings like Nosferatu, Let the Right One In, and What We Do in the Shadows. This unprecedented critical consensus positions Sinners as a potential commercial success for Warner Bros. Pictures. With its April 18th release date approaching, the film’s flawless critical reception has generated significant anticipation as audiences prepare to see if the movie lives up to its extraordinary reviews.
The perfect score for Sinners represents a significant achievement when compared directly with other vampire films. F.W. Murnau’s silent masterpiece Nosferatu holds a 97% approval rating based on 74 reviews, while the Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In has a 98% score from 193 critics. Taika Waititi’s mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows earned 96% positive reviews from 190 critics. Other notable vampire films show varying levels of critical reception, with cult favorite The Lost Boys maintaining a 75% fresh rating, Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula sitting at 69%, and Interview with the Vampire holding 63% approval. As more reviews are added to Rotten Tomatoes, Sinners‘ score might go lower, but it’s unlikely it will drop too much.
Sinners marks Coogler’s first venture into pure horror territory, showcasing the filmmaker’s versatility across genres while maintaining his distinctive voice and thematic concerns. The period setting allows Coogler to explore historical and social dimensions within the vampire framework, aspects that critics have highlighted as elevating the film beyond typical genre fare. The film continues Coogler’s impressive streak of critical successes, following his previous acclaimed works Fruitvale Station (94%), Creed (95%), Black Panther (95%), and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (84%).
Sinners Could Give Warner Bros. Pictures a Major Box Office Win
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Early tracking data suggests Sinners is positioned to deliver a much-needed hit for Warner Bros., with projections indicating an opening weekend haul exceeding $40 million domestically. This represents a strong start for a film with a reported $90 million production budget, particularly in the typically challenging April release window. While some tracking services estimate a more conservative launch in the low $30 million range, Warner Bros. is pursuing an intensified marketing push in the final weeks before release, potentially driving those numbers higher as awareness builds among horror enthusiasts and general audiences alike.
The projected opening would establish Sinners as Coogler’s strongest non-Marvel debut, surpassing the traditional three-day weekend numbers for 2015’s Creed, which earned $29.6 million domestically before finishing with $42.1 million over its extended five-day Thanksgiving frame. More significantly, a successful launch for Sinners would provide Warner Bros. with crucial momentum following several underperforming releases, most notably Bong Joon-ho’s science fiction satire Mickey 17, which recently opened to a disappointing $19 million against its $118 million budget.
“I feel like I’m the luckiest guy in the business in terms of the casts that I’ve been able to work with, but this one is up there with the best ones,” Coogler stated during a Q&A event for the film. “Because it wasn’t based on any pre-existing material, I think all the actors took ownership of their characters. That was so amazing.” This creative freedom has apparently paid dividends in the film’s execution, with critics universally praising Coogler’s direction and Jordan’s dual performance as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who return to their Southern hometown only to face a terrifying vampire threat.
Sinners hits theaters this Friday, April 18th.
