Behind the Hype: Is Sinners Poised to Break Oscar Records in 2026?

Every once in a while, the Oscars hand out so much love to a single movie that you have to stop and ask, 'Is this really happening?' This year, that movie is Sinners—Ryan Coogler's big, bloody vampire epic that exploded at the box office last fall and, apparently, at the Academy too.

Award Season Overload

Not only did Sinners rake in a cool $368 million globally (not bad for a $90 million flick), but now it just smashed a decades-old record by snagging 16 Oscar nominations. Yes, sixteen. If you’re keeping score, that’s more than Titanic, La La Land, and All About Eve—all of which topped out at 14. The Academy apparently can’t get enough of Coogler and his not-so-sparkly vampires this year.

Here’s a quick rundown:

• Best Picture
• Best Director (Ryan Coogler)
• Best Screenplay
• Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan, nabbing his first-ever nomination)
• And, obviously, a ton more—16 categories in all.

Who’s in It, and What’s the Buzz?

First, the vitals: Sinners clocks in at just over 2 hours 15 minutes, stars Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, and Jayme Lawson. Its Rotten Tomatoes score? Sitting at an impressive 97%. On paper, it looks like a lock for awards attention.

But is it really the most Oscar-worthy film ever made? That’s where things get messy. As soon as those nominations dropped, the internet did what it always does—instantly burst into endless arguments.

Not Everyone’s Buying the Hype

As much as people love Coogler’s work (and yes, a lot of fans do think Sinners is awesome), the backlash came fast and furious. For a lot of moviegoers and critics, the excitement seems a bit overcooked.

Probably the loudest complainer was right-wing media guy and professional pot-stirrer Matt Walsh, who set off a firestorm on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter). Here’s a sample of the more controversial feedback floating around:

'It’s like when everyone pretended that Black Panther was some kind of cinematic masterpiece. Everyone knows what’s going on here. Almost all of the praise is exclusively because of the black cast and director. Easily one of the most overrated movies ever made.' — @MattWalshBlog

Walsh got a ton of pushback for that, with many slamming him for racism—not exactly a shock. But scroll through the comments and you’ll see a chunk of regular viewers saying roughly the same thing, just (slightly) less provocatively. Some fans praised the movie’s originality and ending, others thought the action worked even if the acting or visual effects didn’t fully land. But nearly everyone agreed: sixteen nominations? That’s pretty wild.

One user summed up the mixed feelings: 'Good movie. Acting is a little meh, action is good, CGI is not the best, soundtrack is good, and it''s somewhat an original story... Oscar worthy? Not so sure.'

Is Sinners That Good? Or Is Something Else at Play?

Now, look—I get it. The Oscars love a movie that checks all the right boxes. Sinners is ambitious. It’s got social themes, great genre moments, a respected director, a killer performance from Michael B. Jordan (honestly, maybe his career best), and just enough art-house gravitas. On paper, that’s perfect Oscar bait.

But sixteen nominations still feels like the Academy’s gotten a little too excited. The whole thing brings back memories of Black Panther and the debate over whether 'important' films get extra Oscar juice. And—with zero disrespect to Coogler or his cast—this also brings to mind Shakespeare in Love topping the awards in the nineties, or, heck, even The King’s Speech. Sometimes it's about more than the movie itself. Industry maneuvering, cultural narratives, a director in favor—it all piles up.

Does that mean Sinners is only being rewarded because of who made it, or what it represents? Not necessarily. But the fact that the film steamrolled past several other worthy contenders—No Other Choice, Wicked: For Good, pick your favorite—certainly makes you wonder how much the Academy weighs momentum and messaging versus actual movie magic.

The Bottom Line

So here’s where I land: Sinners deserves recognition. It probably even deserves Oscar wins. But the fact that it just rewrote the nomination record books? That honestly feels a bit much. In a decade, people might look back and remember Sinners as a strong, stylish genre flick—not necessarily as one of the all-time greats. Meanwhile, we’ll all be debating the politics of Oscar season, just like always.

Sinners is streaming now on HBO Max, if you want to judge for yourself. Is it really worth 16 Oscar nominations? Sound off in the comments.