Sinners has become the surprise smash hit of the year, breaking records and raking in over $300 million dollars so far at the box office.

Starring Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell and more, and directed by Ryan Coogler, the film has managed to take things that are usually seen as harbingers of low audience turnout (like an R rating and the horror genre) and mold them into a film that’s wildly successful. And it could possibly even save Hollywood – if the studios are willing to take the right lessons from this triumph.

So, what does Sinners tell us about how to make a winning film in our modern era? Let’s take a closer look!