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Sinners · written by Ryan Coogler · 2025
Scene 27 of 110 · ≈ 4 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.
Sammie wants the freedom, recognition, and musical life he imagines beyond the plantation.
Grace leaves Lisa in charge of the white customers' store and goes to hear what Smoke needs.
Grace sees the wounded thieves outside and confronts Smoke for bringing trouble back to town.
Grace bargains over rush signs and flowers, agrees to help, and asks Smoke where Stack is.
This scene
Stack parks and he and Sammie exit the car.
The railroad station is BUSTLING with Delta locals. BLACK folks and WHITE folks keep their general distance.
Folks move around in various degrees of dress and every few feet, a BLACK MUSICIAN is stationed, hat turned upside down in front of them, playing the Blues in hopes that a passing stranger throws them a coin.
Sammie looks around with wonder. If he ’s been here before, we can’t tell.
We hear the sounds of someone playing an INCREDIBLE HARMONICA.
SAMMIE
Is that Delta Slim?
STACK
Sure as hell is.
We reveal DELTA SLIM (Black, 70s) hunched over, breathing magic into his harmonica. (HARMONICA SOLO).
Stack looks at him, smiling. He pulls out a wad of money and places a dollar in Slim’s hat.
As he stops playing it becomes clear that Slim is buzzed.
DELTA SLIM
I thank you for your generosity...
He pulls out a flask and sips from it, then looks up and spots Stack. He bright ens.
DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
I guess that Chicago wind blew yo
black asses back down here huh?
He realizes something. Looks around.
DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
Where’s the other one?
STACK
Down the road.
DELTA SLIM
So you are, wait don’t tell me...
Smoke!
STACK
Stack.
DELTA SLIM
Stack! Like I said. You Stack
clear as day.
(beat)
Who’s the boy?
STACK
This here is my cousin Preacher-
boy Sammie, finest blues player in
the Delta.
Delta S lim stews his face at this.
DELTA SLIM
I got socks twice as old as this
boy here, what the hell he know
about the blues?
SAMMIE
I can show you better than I can
tell you.
Sammie gets ready to play. Delta pits his hand in his pocket.
DELTA SLIM
Now hold on just a minute now.
This here is my plot. If you
wasn’t his cousin I’d cut you too
thin to fry.
STACK
But he is. And you threaten him
again I’mma make yo drunk ass
swallow that harmonica.
Delta Slim holds his hands up in surrender.
STACK (CONT’D)
You still nice on the keys?
DEL TA SLIM
Depends on who you ask.
STACK
I’ll give you $20 to come play the
keys at our juke tonight. Wanna
have a battle of the blues. Having
everybody come down.
DELTA SLIM
I wish I could, but Imma be at
Messengers same as I am every
Saturday night. I already
committed.
STACK
What’s Messengers paying you?
DELTA SLIM
(whistling first)
For a gangster you sure ask a lot
of questions.
STACK
They ain't payin’ you $20 a night
I know.
DELTA SLIM
The thing is you ain't offering
$20 a night. You offering $20
TONIGHT.
DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
I ain’t never heard of your juke.
Maybe it’s here tonight but is it
here next week? The week after?
(beat)
I been at Messenger’s every
Saturday for ten years now.
Messengers gon' be there ten more
years at least. Shit that’s
probably longer than I’ll be on
this earth. I play, and I get as
much corn liquor as I can drink.
Ole sinner like me can’t ask for
more than that.
STACK
I guess I’ll drink to tha t.
Stack pulls out the glass bottle. Carbon dioxide escapes as he pops the cap. Delta Slim’s eyes chase the sound.
DELTA SLIM
What you got there?
STACK
Irish beer, straight from the
North Side of Chicago.
DELTA SLIM
That’s beer?
STACK
Wind ain’t blow us down here empty
handed.
Stack extends the bottle towards Delta Slim who accepts it and takes a swig- it’s cold and bittersweet.
DELTA SLIM
My goodnes s.
Stack’s smile fades. If he were a great white shark, here’s where his eyes would go white.
STACK
I got 500 more bottles just like
that. Ice cold. I pay you $40
tonight, and as much beer as you
can drink no strings after that.
Act now I’ll even let you finish
that bottle in your hand.
Delta Slim takes another sip, thinks.