Los Angeles, February 27 Actor Vin Diesel has praised Ryan Coogler's period horror drama "Sinners" as one of the best films of the year, calling it a "rich historical exploration of culture".
Coogler's film, starring Michael B Jordan as twins, has received 16 nominations for the 98th Academy Awards, setting a record for the most nominations in Oscar history.
The twins, set in 1932 Mississippi, aim to open a juke joint to escape their past. However, on the opening night, bloodthirsty vampires attack them.
Diesel said he and his family were already fans of Coogler's "Black Panther," and they are now impressed by "Sinners."
The star of the "Fast and Furious" franchise said that as the Oscar season approached, he wanted to share his thoughts about some of the great performances and storytelling.
"I'd like to take a moment to reflect on one such story… 'Sinners'! Sixteen Oscar nominations. The most in the history of the Academy Awards… Wow, Sidney Poitier would be proud. What was once a door he had to kick open, has now become a stage where filmmakers of colour don't just show up, they literally rewrite the record books. Profound. That is the continuum," he wrote.
Poitier, the star of films such as "In the Heat of the Night", "Lilies of the Field" and "The Defiant Ones", was the first Black actor to win the Best Actor Oscar.
Diesel said he watched the film with his family, who were already fans of "Black Panther."
"Wow. There are so many great things to say about this film. The beautifully articulated portrayal of a twin's existence – myself, of course, being a twin," he said.
Diesel said he was curious and wanted to read more about the director who made the film.
"Beyond his defiant insistence on being fairly compensated, negotiating a reversion deal that does more for the plight… than most recent achievements in this industry. Beyond the box office dominance. Beyond the critical acclaim. I kept reading. And then I saw it. Born in Oakland, California. Man, that hit different... 'Sinners' is, hands down, one of the best films of the year. Congratulations," he said.
The Oscars are scheduled to take place on March 16.
