Ryan Coogler, whose Sinners is up for a record-setting 16 potential wins at this weekend’s Oscars ceremony, is reimagined as a charming sleep paralysis demon in a new skit format making the rounds on social media.
As you may have seen, one example of this in action finds a Coogler imitator speaking to the camera while cloaked in darkness, at one point offering the sleep-deprived viewer a cup of coffee.
“So, we in your nightmare, right?” the Coogler-imitating individual asks. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. We in your nightmare. … Sometimes it could be a traumatic experience, right? Of all the myriad of people that you could have had as your demon, right? You chose me. So I’m just eternally grateful for the opportunity.”
Unfortunately, the clip in question, which originated from @jharvin15 on Instagram and TikTok, ultimately morphs into being a full-blown ad for Kalshi.
Notably, the video above isn’t the first to employ this format. A previous example, shared earlier this month by @espy.psd, shrewdly incorporates Coogler’s much-beloved remarks on the limitless possibilities of mix-and-match soda machines at movie theaters.
“I’m not a big soda person, but like, when they started to let you mix and match the drinks, I got involved with that,” Coogler said to Amy Poehler in a Good Hang podcast chat back in January, thus inspiring a slew of memes that ultimately led to the video below.
Sinners—already the winner of multiple BAFTA and National Board of Review awards, among other honors—is competing in Best Picture and 15 additional categories at the 98th Academy Awards. Winners will be announced this Sunday (March 15), with returning host Conan O’Brien. Among the film’s 16 total nominations are two for Coogler, specifically, including Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.
See a full list of nominees here, then catch up on any nominated films you may have missed.
