Two of the most exciting young American filmmakers currently working have movies hitting theaters this weekend, which offers the occasion to take a look through their filmography and track their journey to how they got here. While Ryan Coogler and Andrew Ahn have tackled different genres, the California-born and bred filmmakers have had remarkably similar journeys in their careers. Here’s a rundown of their work, and where to stream these films, before you catch “Sinners” or “The Wedding Banquet” in theaters this weekend.

The Sundance Film Festival launched the careers of both filmmakers. The USC-educated Coogler debuted at the festival in 2013 with his first feature “Fruitvale Station,” starring Michael B. Jordan (who would go on to star in almost all of Coogler’s subsequent films, including “Black Panther,” “Creed” and “Sinners”). Jordan stars as Oscar Grant, a young man who was killed in 2009 by police officers at a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station in Coogler’s native Oakland, California. “Fruitvale Station” is available to rent on iTunes or Amazon.

Ahn’s debut feature “Spa Night,” which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, is also set in his hometown of Los Angeles. The film follows the journey of David, a Korean American teenager from a financially struggling family who grapples with his sexuality after taking a job at a spa and discovering illicit sexual activity taking place. Stream “Spa Night” on Netflix or Kanopy.

By 2015, Coogler was onto his second film, “Creed,” also starring Jordan, a spinoff of the iconic “Rocky” series, with Jordan playing Adonis Creed, son of Apollo. The boxing drama also co-starred Sylvester Stallone, reprising the role that made him a star. Stream “Creed” on Prime Video or MGM+.

Ahn followed up “Spa Night” with the 2020 film “Driveways,” an uncommonly sensitive project written by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, about a young boy (Lucas Jaye) who finds an unlikely friendship with an older man (Brian Dennehy) living next door to his late aunt’s house, which his mother (Hong Chau) is packing up. In his final performance, Dennehy is spectacular, in the kind of low-key indie performance the legendary actor wasn’t always known for. Stream “Driveways” on Prime Video, Peacock, Tubi or Kanopy.

Coogler moved on from one franchise to another with 2018’s massive, culture-shifting “Black Panther” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starring the late Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, prince of Wakanda. “Black Panther” is the highest-grossing film directed by an African American filmmaker and won three Academy Awards. He also directed the sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which was released in 2022. Stream both films on Disney+ or rent or buy them on iTunes/Amazon.

Ahn’s third feature was “Fire Island,” written by and starring comedian Joel Kim Booster, who transposed Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” to the gay vacation enclave. Starring Booster, Bowen Yang, Matt Rogers, Margaret Cho, Tomas Matos, James Scully and a large ensemble cast, “Fire Island” is the kind of friendship rom-com you want to live inside of, a cozy, welcoming, very funny and very real kind of film. Stream it on Hulu.

That list of films to watch or rewatch should set you up nicely for two of the most anticipated films of the year, “Sinners” and “The Wedding Banquet,” even though they’re both in different genres (vampire movie vs. rom-com). Whatever your pleasure, there’s something to stream or catch in theaters this weekend.

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