Ryan Coogler Calls Spike Lee’s 'Malcolm X' the Most Important American Film Ever Made

Ryan Coogler has paid tribute to one of his biggest inspirations, Spike Lee, by saying his iconic 1992 film Malcolm X is America's most important film ever made.

During a recent interview on 7 PM in Brooklyn, the Black Panther filmmaker explained how Lee's 1992 epic shaped his understanding of American cinema—and brought him to tears decades later. According to Coogler, it meant the world when Lee was a guest on 7 PM in Brooklyn and stated watching Sinners was the "greatest cinematic experience" he's had in a long time.

"I think that Malcolm X is the most important American film ever made. No question," Coogler said, emphasizing its cultural weight over widely regarded classics like The Godfather and Citizen Kane. "I don't think they were as important Americans as Malcolm X was."

Coogler praised not only Lee's bold direction but also the powerhouse cast—including Denzel Washington, Delroy Lindo, Angela Bassett, and Giancarlo Esposito—for bringing Malcolm X's legacy to life. "The fact that they made that movie when they did, that it opens like it opens—nothing lights you on fire like that," he added, referencing the film's iconic beginning.

Coogler also recalled watching Malcolm X with his father on opening night as a child, calling it a formative experience. Years later, he had the chance to show his own work, Sinners, to Lee, who called it the "greatest cinematic experience" he'd had in a long time during his own appearance on 7 PM in Brooklyn.

"It meant the world to me to hear him say that bro [...] bro I cried bro," said Coogler. "I had tears coming out of my eyes, bro."