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Sinners · written by Ryan Coogler · 2025
Scene 110 of 110 · ≈ 4 min on screen · Last scene of act three
In 1932 Mississippi, gifted sharecropper-bluesman Sammie Moore wants to make a life in the blues beyond his preacher father's rules, but the opening night of his cousins' juke joint becomes a siege by a vampire offering the community belonging at the price of its freedom.
The legend and prologue frame Sammie's segregated Delta life under his father's church and the twins' shadow.
Sammie wants the freedom, recognition, and musical life he imagines beyond the plantation.
He leaves the plantation with the twins, enters the wider Delta, and helps build their juke joint.
Sammie learns the blues is sacred, meets the room's people, and tries to claim a place among musicians and lovers.
His performance unites the juke with ancestral music and gives him the belonging and voice he wanted.
The music attracts Remmick's vampires, who take the juke's people and force Sammie to pay for the freedom he tasted.
After the river fight, Sammie carries the broken guitar back through church, grief, and the Delta road toward his old world.
Sammie reaches the church house still bloodied and dazed from the night's violence.
Jedidiah welcomes Sammie back, but demands that he renounce the blues and drop the guitar neck.
Sammie drives away from the church carrying the broken guitar neck against his heart.
This scene
SAMMIE (now 80 y.o) shreds a Blues riff on an electric guitar. His face still scared from Remmick’s claws, but his suit and custom guitar signal a long journey from that plantation.
The CROWD, diverse, but mostly white, soaks up every second of it. Sammie has the same electricity from his youth, but with the added knowledge that this could be his last rodeo, the crowd savors every note.
MOMENTS L ATER
The Bar is closing up, and the last patrons exit, still buzzing from the show.
Sammie sits his guitar case next to a seat and sits down at the end of the bar.
BARTENDER
Usual?
SAMMIE
Make it a double.
Bartender obliges.
Sammie sips slow, and winces. Just within earshot we can hear the BOUNCER speaking with someone outside.
BOUNCER (O.S.)
We just closed up but I’ll see
what I can do. Wait here.
T he Bouncer enters.
BOUNCER (CONT’D)
Hey Boss I got two out here. I
told em we’re closed but they
offered a couple hundred bucks.
SAMMIE
Don’t bother me none.
The Bouncer nods to Sammie and exits.
BOUNCER (O.S.)
You guys are all good.
FAMILIAR VOICE
Thank ya.
Sammie’s cup stops mid journey to his lips. He waits, listens, and we see the late night patrons enter. It’s STACK, and MARY dressed in early 90s style. Cartier sunglasses on Stack’s eyes, door knocker earnings on Mary, a cherry tootsie pop in her mouth.
She takes a seat across from the Bartender.
Stack sits next to Sammie.
STACK
I’ll have whatever the old man is
having.
BA RTENDER
Careful. I don’t want to have to
be carrying you out of here.
Stack chuckles at this while the bartender pours.
The Bartender then shoots Mary a thirsty look and pours her a drink she didn’t ask for.
BARTENDER (CONT’D)
(whispers)
Ya’ll together?
Mary looks at Stack and back to the Bartender.
MARY
All depends...
The Bartender smiles.
MARY (CONT’D)
What’s your blood type?
The Bartender recoils at the question. Ba cks up and starts cleaning glasses. Mary stares him down and flings spit from her tootsie pop onto the bar before returning it to her mouth.
Sammie looks at Stack.
SAMMIE
How?
STACK
I guess I was the one person he
couldn’t kill.
(MORE)(MORE)
STACK (CONT’D)
He made me promise to stay away
from you... let you live out your
life.
Sammie almost smiles at this.
STACK (CONT’D)
And I see you didn’t listen to him
or yo Daddy either huh?
SAMMIE
I tried. Blues just in me I guess.
Stack removes his sunglasses. He leans towards Sammie. Sniffs the air like a bloodhound... or a grey wolf.
We see in the mirror behind the bar, Stack has no reflection.
STACK
Won’t be long for you, huh?
SAMMIE
Sorosis. Few more months. Figure
I’ll spend em tourin’.
STACK
And drinking? Fighting fire with
fire.
Sammie nods at this. Laughs.
STACK (CONT’D)
I can make it so you can stick
around. Would you like that? Keep
tourin', keep livin’. No pain?
Sammie looks at Stack for a long beat.
SAMMIE
Nah, I reckon I seen enough of
this place. I’d like to know what
comes next.
STACK
What if it’s just a whol e lot of
nuthin.
SAMMIE
Fine by me. It’ll be a nice change
of pace.
STACK
I got every one of them records
you made.
Sammie smiles at this.
STACK (CONT’D)
But I don’t like this electric
shit as much as the real. I miss
the real. The recordings from back
then is dog shit. You still got
the real in you?
Sammie gets up and opens his guitar case. It’s an old Steel Acoustic in there. He slips on his slide. And he plays (TRAVELIN’) in the old way, the Delta way.
Stack closes his e yes and sways to it, Mary nestles in under his arm swaying the same way.
Sammie finishes.
Stack opens his eyes. Pulls out his money and drops two $100 on the bar, revealing a GOLD FOUR FINGER RING that spells out “SMOKE”. Stack stands up, puts his glasses back on and heads towards the door. Mary stands and takes a beat.
MARY
Take care little Sammie.
She turns and catches up with Stack.
SAMMIE
You know something?
Stack and Mary stop and turn back.
SAMMIE (CONT’D)
I have nightmares about that
night, maybe once a week I wake
paralyzed. Re- living it.
(beat)
But before the sun went down, I
think it was the best day of my
life. Was it like that for you?
Stack smiles takes his glasses off again.
STACK
No doubt about it. Last time I
seen my brother... last time I
seen the sun. And for a few hours,
we was fre e.
Stack slips his glasses back on and he and Mary head out. Sammie watches as they go, and smiles at the thought.
FADE OUT.