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Sinners · written by Ryan Coogler · 2025
Scene 18 of 110 · ≈ 2 min on screen · Act one
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.
Smoke and Stack collect Sammie outside the church while Jedidiah watches his son leave with wounded pride.
In the sedan, the twins puncture Sammie's dream of northern freedom by describing Chicago's racism in another form.
The trio uncovers the twins' hidden truck of supplies, kills a rattlesnake, and splits up to prepare the opening.
This scene
Stack drives down the Mississippi road...he drives much faster than his brother. He eyes his cousin.
STACK
You and Uncle Jed doing okay? You
can tell me the real...
SAMMIE
We fine. He just don’t like me
playing this blues is all.
Stack smiles at the sweet, trivial nature of this conflict.
STACK
Shit you lucky he care at all.
SAMMIE
You always said you’ll tell me
what happened with Uncle Adam when
I got older, and well I guess I’m
older. Did ya’ll really kill him?
Stack’s smile fades, mostly.
STACK
Nah. We ain't kill him...
(beat)
Smoke did.
(longer beat)
Our Daddy knocked me unconscious.
By the time I came to, Smoke was
halfway done burying him.
SAMMIE
He used to beat ya’ll?
STACK
Me mostly. But he ain’t mean it.
Sammie contemplates this.
STACK (CONT’D)
You been making your way out to
them juke joints... you seen
people drinkin’ corn liquor and
carrying on?
Sammie nods.
STACK (CONT’D)
Well then you seen decent peopl e
take to drinkin’ and get to
behavin' like somebody they
ain't..?
SAMMIE
Sure as I’m sittin’ here.
STACK
Well our Daddy, he was mostly
good. But when he would drink...
he’d turn into somebody else.
Sammie nods. Stack looks at the guitar.
STACK (CONT’D)
You been taking care of that
thing, huh?
SAMMIE
I can’t thank ya’ll enough for
this. It play so right. Where
ya’ll get this from, anyway? Ain’t
seen one like it.
STACK
That’s Charlie Patton’s guitar. Me
and my brother won it off him in a
card game.
Sammie’s eyes light up. He looks down at the guitar.
SAMMIE
I had Charlie Patton’s guitar this
whole time?
STACK
Honest to GOD.
(beat)
Let’s see if you play like him.
Sammie slips his slide over his finger and begins to play (TRAVELIN’).
He has a command over the instrument that can’t be taught. It’s God given. His eyes close, and he begins to hum a tune.