Coleman attributes the word-of-mouth success of “Sinners” to one simple fact: It’s a good movie. Combine that with Coogler’s track record and a star lead actor in Michael B. Jordan, and success seems inevitable. But audiences and reviewers seem shocked when a scary movie becomes popular, even though it’s a fairly common occurrence.

On Saturday, Warner Bros.’ “Sinners” reached a box office milestone that no original film has achieved in eight years: $200 million in the U.S. and Canada.