The Academy got it wrong. 'Sinners' will entertain us for generations.

Brian Truitt, USA TODAYMon, March 16, 2026 at 11:02 AM UTC

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For those who’ve championed “Sinners” for almost an entire year, the best picture loss at the Academy Awards hurts because Oscar doesn’t always get it right. And it didn’t here.

It wasn't Ryan Coogler’s phenomenal, genre-defying horror movie but instead Paul Thomas Anderson’s action dramedy “One Battle After Another" that garnered the Academy's biggest prize. Coming in with a historic 16 Oscar nominations, Coogler’s film "Sinners" took home four honors, most notably best actor for Michael B. Jordan and original screenplay for Coogler, while “One Battle” scored six Oscars, including best supporting actor and director.

"You can make a guy work hard for one of these," Anderson said in his best director's speech. And I'm glad he got his flowers – dude can make a really good movie. Could he pull off a 1930s gangster vampire musical period survival thriller revenge epic, though?

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Smoke (Michael B. Jordan, center), flanked by brother Stack (also Jordan) and pal Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller), is wary of uninvited guests in the period horror film "Sinners."

“Sinners” is an innovative, meaningful film that will undoubtedly entertain generations and influence creators for years. “One Battle” is an above-average dad movie.

You could tell there was a rooting interest for all things "Sinners" in the room, with the Oscars crowd exploding into applause at every mention. They were into young standout Miles Caton's rousing performance of original song nominee "I Lied to You," which brought in Shaboozey and Misty Copeland. And everybody went crazy when Jordan won best actor, embraced his director and honored his mom before losing the words for what that moment meant him. "Hoo, man, y'all" is all he could say at one point.

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From Emma Stone and Demi Moore having a catch-up to all the winners embracing their major moment backstage, here's a look at everything going on behind the scenes at the 98th Academy Awards.Pictured here, Conan O'Brien talks to Amy Madigan, winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for "Weapons," backstage during the Oscars.

Of course, dad movies are cool, too. And for a good bit of “One Battle,” it’s a rocket ride. Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) are political activists and lovers taking the fight to the Man on the regular, sending powerful folks like snarling military man Colonel Lockjaw (Sean Penn) into conniptions. When Taylor exits the movie early, and we move forward 16 years to Bob raising their teenage daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti), it becomes more static. Willa goes missing, Bob gets help from eccentric sensei Sergio (Benicio Del Toro), and Lockjaw is on their tail as the story slowly (and successfully) shifts to be Willa’s story.

Taylor is a force. Infiniti is the future. Yet Anderson isn't exactly subtle. Lockjaw works for authoritarian figures and aligns himself with a secret white supremacist group. Bob is a stoner dad who’s a mess but needs to get it together for his kid. And Willa symbolizes the theme of passing down a rebellious spirit and an impatience for injustice to the youngsters. The strength of Bob and Willa’s relationship is what stays with you – and it’s the main reason why I’m not crashing out right now. (Like with “Anora,” I'm not mad, just disappointed. OK, I'm a little mad.)

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as an ex-revolutionary who needs to find his missing daughter in Paul Thomas Anderson's action thriller "One Battle After Another."

"One Battle" is a very angry movie very much of the moment. But “Sinners” is timeless. It also takes a different tack with its messages. It has a lot of things to say, about our past and present, though not so obviously. Instead it’s woven naturally into an unnerving tale of violence and vampires.

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Twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Jordan) return home to Mississippi from the Chicago gangland of the 1930s to open a juke joint. They plan an opening night with close friends and family while also making right with old lovers (Wunmi Mosaku and Hailee Steinfeld), and things are mostly OK until the bloodsuckers show up.

Ryan Coogler accepts the award for best original screenplay for "Sinners" during the 98th Oscars ceremony.

“Sinners” just exudes inspired originality, as it was born both from Coogler’s fandom for Stephen King and “Twilight Zone” and love for his family. Backstage at the Oscars, Coogler opened up about how his parents both lost their fathers within a couple of weeks of each other, so his late Uncle James filled an important role in his life while quietly influencing the writing of "Sinners."

“He was the closet thing I had to a grandfather,” Coogler said. “I’m so proud that he gave me the gift of his stories about Mississippi. … He continues to give me gifts from where he is now.”

The newest Oscar-winning actors and their trophies: Jessie Buckley (far left), Michael B. Jordan and Amy Madigan.

Also, when’s the last time you saw a scary movie with a full-on musical number? Coogler trippily takes you out of time to see the entire history of music at one house party. But it’s easy to see him raise the point of white people historically stealing Black music as evil Remmick (Jack O’Connell) and his Irish vamp band show up liking the blues and wanting to “consume” the partygoers. Not to mention the fact that those who survive this gory night then have to face the real monsters: the Ku Klux Klan.

Looking back on Oscars past, “Sinners” even having a shot at the biggest prize in Hollywood is a victory in itself. Horror fiends know how special the movie is, but the Academy has only honored one genre film with best picture (1991’s “Silence of the Lambs”) and nominated just eight movies over nearly a century.

"Sinners" found a loyal audience by being unlike anything else, in an industry where everything seems like something else. Coogler and Co. wholly deserved their seat at the table, and film lovers everywhere – especially those who can appreciate an excellent scary movie and a celebration of Black culture – have it to hold close to their hearts and pass on to the next generation what extraordinary art a movie can be.

The Oscars might be one battle after another. "Sinners" is forever.

Contributing: Charles Trepany

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Sinners' lost best picture at the Oscars. We'll never forget it.

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