Ryan Coogler, the acclaimed director of the hit film Sinners, is getting a dark new treatment. In a recent social media experiment, Coogler steps into a haunting role that’s sure to send shivers down fans’ spines. An imitator has morphed him into a sleep paralysis demon in a chilling TikTok skit, showcasing an unsettling new persona.
Sinners director Ryan Coogler is transformed into a sleep paralysis demon in TikTok skit
In a hair-raising TikTok skit, Ryan Coogler, the mastermind behind Sinners, undergoes a dark metamorphosis, emerging as a haunting sleep paralysis demon. In the creepy clip, a Coogler lookalike emerges from the shadows, offering a sleep-deprived viewer a cup of coffee.
“So, we in your nightmare, right?” the Coogler doppelganger 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.”
However, the unsettling clip, originally posted by @jharvin15 on Instagram and TikTok, ultimately morphs into a clever advertisement for Kalshi. Notably, the video above isn’t a one-off experiment. A previous example, shared by @espy.psd earlier this month, cleverly weaves in Coogler’s hilarious musings on the wild possibilities of cinema snack combos.
“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,” the acclaimed director said while chatting with Amy Poehler on the Good Hang podcast in January 2026.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners (2025) is a supernatural horror-thriller set in 1932 Mississippi. Michael B. Jordan stars as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who return home to escape the Chicago Mafia and start a juke joint. They soon face a deadly evil that puts their lives at risk.
The critically acclaimed film is Oscar-bound with 16 nominations, including Best Picture and two nods for Coogler – Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Notably, the film has previously received accolades, including the BAFTA and National Board of Review awards.
Originally written by Sibanee Gogoi on Mandatory.