There is a new top movie on HBO Max, which, ironically, may indicate how a key race in the entertainment industry will go after a game-changing development.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is near-universally agreed to be one of the best movies of 2025, alongside the likes of One Battle After Another and Hamnet. Starring Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku, and Delroy Lindo, among others, Sinners just broke the all-time record for the most Oscar nominations for a movie, earning nods in 16 categories, including (of course) Best Picture.
Sinners reentered the Top 10 on streaming ahead of the 2026 Oscar nominations being announced on January 22. However, per FlixPatrol as of January 26, Sinners is again the no. 1 movie in the world on HBO Max, for the first time since it initially became a streaming hit upon its release on the platform. One Battle After Another has consistently been the no. 1 movie since its streaming release in December 2025.
Sinners’ main cast of characters dance in Blu-Ray poster art
One Battle After Another can match Sinners’ critical acclaim, with the contemporary political thriller holding a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and having earned 13 Oscar nominations. It is more than likely that one of the two will win Best Picture in March 2026. Other movies currently popular globally on HBO Max, after these two juggernauts, include Death of a Unicorn, Weapons, and 2025’s How to Train Your Dragon.
Sinners’ resurgence is due to the fact that it just made history, but it also possibly, coincidentally, indicates how the rest of the awards season will go. Before this point, One Battle After Another seemed to be the frontrunner for Best Picture, winning over Sinners at the Critics’ Choice Awards and Paul Thomas Anderson winning Best Director both there and at the Golden Globes over Coogler.
But now, thanks to its 16 Oscar nominations, critical and audience enthusiasm for Sinners may pick up again, and the Best Picture race could shift back in its favor. Additionally, both Sinners and One Battle After Another are slated to return to IMAX theaters following their Oscars nominations, again positioning them as the two biggest and best movies of 2025.
Sinners also grossed $368 million worldwide, and has an audience score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes to match its 97% critical approval rating; it won the Golden Globe for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. Jordan, Mosaku, and Lindo are nominated for acting Oscars, while Coogler is the presumed winner for Best Original Screenplay.
Sinners is available to stream via HBO Max and is still being screened in some theaters in other formats, while IMAX dates have yet to be confirmed.
Release Date
April 18, 2025
Runtime
138 minutes
Director
Ryan Coogler