"One of the most exciting finales you'll ever see": The director of 'The Sinners' recommends his favorite film.

Acclaimed American filmmaker Ryan Coogler , director of Sinners , one of the biggest box office hits of the year, recently shared what he considers to be one of the most moving endings ever filmed. Taking advantage of the cinematic phenomenon that is his latest film, the director wanted to celebrate a masterpiece of Japanese cinema that profoundly influenced his artistic vocation.

Already a contemporary reference after titles like Creed or Black Panther , Coogler has won over audiences and critics with The Sinners , a gothic horror story set in the 1930s in the American South. Starring Michael B. Jordan in a dual role, this original production has grossed over $360 million at the box office and has further elevated the prestige of the filmmaker, who wrote and directed the film.

With an ensemble cast and a plot that blends social realism, African-American folklore, and supernatural threat, The Sinners confirms Coogler as one of the most individual authors of his generation. During a recent appearance at the Criterion Closet series, the director revealed his admiration for Late Spring by Japanese master Yasujirō Ozu.

The filmmaker said that it had "one of the most exciting endings you'll ever see in your life," and confessed that watching it at age 20 was decisive during the filming of Fruitvale Station , his debut feature. Released in 1949, this key work of classic cinema delicately narrates the bond between a widowed father and his daughter, caught between familial love and social obligations. According to Coogler, the outcome of Late Spring made him rethink his understanding of fatherhood and the purpose of cinematic art.

This claim is not surprising considering the director's fondness for human stories steeped in truth. In fact, he has cited on more than one occasion the impact that films such as Boyz N the Hood and Malcolm X had on his childhood, as well as his admiration for filmmakers such as Spike Lee, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Michael Mann. In that sense, the choice of Late Spring fits with the narrative sensibility that has characterized his career, and which reaches new heights in The Sinners , a film that not only connects with the viewer due to its visual intensity, but also due to the emotional depth of its story.