“Sinners” is a Ryan Coogler film starring Michael B. Jordan. Jordan and his twin brother made a big splash when HBO Max launched on July 4, 2025. Set in the 1930s Jim Crow South, the movie follows Smoke and Stack Moore as they come back to their hometown in Mississippi to open a juke joint. But they soon have to deal with a vampire threat. It’s horror, history and blues music. 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and 96% from the audience. $90 million budget and $365 million worldwide. One of the biggest horror movies of 2025.
Sinners was at the top of the HBO Max charts for weeks. It drew in viewers with its mood and Jordan’s double performance. The movie has a rich cultural background of Black American history and Black American Sign Language (BASL) which made it even more powerful. Coogler wanted to tell a complete story with no plans for a sequel. It gave us a “full meal” of feelings. Regret to redemption. Slow burn and creepy music. A must see for horror fans looking for something new. But even a beloved movie like Sinners can’t stay at number one forever.
Check out A Minecraft Movie featuring Jack Black and Jason Momoa based on the world’s most popular video game. Coming to HBO Max on June 20, 2025. It moved from second place to number one in a week. 48% on Rotten Tomatoes but made $955 million worldwide. Biggest box office of 2025. It was a big deal when it hit theaters. Fans even brought live chickens to the showings and lots of memes online.
The movie works because Gen Z and younger viewers loved the funny and nostalgic vibe. Directed by Jared Hess the movie goes full ridiculous with scenes like the “Chicken Jockey” that went viral. Some critics called it a meme movie but with an 85% audience score it’s clear fans had a blast. On streaming platforms it’s clear social media excitement can trump good reviews. The movie is easy to get to with an American Sign Language version which helps it reach more people. This is Sinners being inclusive.
So what can we learn from this shift in streaming? “Sinners” and “A Minecraft Movie” are two different kinds of movies coming in 2025: one is a highly praised horror movie and the other is a popular movie based on a meme. Sinners focuses on deep storytelling and creativity while Minecraft has a ton of popularity from fans online.
Their battle for number one shows how streaming services like HBO Max cater to different audiences: horror fans and families. Sinners may not be at the top anymore but its influence is still strong. Meanwhile Minecraft shows how powerful pop culture is. Both movies are on HBO Max and are worth watching for different reasons.
