· · ·
turning to page one
turning to page one
Sinners · written by Ryan Coogler · 2025
Scene 28 of 110 · ≈ 3 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 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.
Stack brings Sammie to the railroad station, recruits Delta Slim, and offers beer and money for the night's music.
This scene
Sammie and Delta Slim play a guitar and harmonica duet (JUKE). Stack watching a crowd that has formed around them closely. PEARLINE (Black, 30s) hums along to the words and watches Sammie with bedroom eyes. Sammie winks back.
The crowd erupts in applause as Stack does his spiel.
STACK
If ya’ll thought that was bad, you
ain’t seen nothin’ yet. These
two’ll be playing tonight down at
the old sawmill on the riverbank
outside Clarksdale.
On the platform A WELL DRESSED WOMAN preparing to board the train hears Stack’s voice and stops.
STACK (O.S.) (CONT’D)
Gone have us a battle of the
Blues.
Turns around and looks towards Stack, Delta Slim and Sammie inquisitively, as the folks around her board.
Back in the crowd Stack continues his sales pitch.
STACK (CONT’D)
Gon' be something to eat.
Something to drank, and we g on'
sweat till we stank.
Sammie takes his chance to chat up Pearline.
SAMMIE
I’m Preacherboy.
PEARLINE
Pearline.
SAMMIE
I seen you somewhere before?
PEARLINE
Maybe...
SAMMIE
You sing don’t you?
PEARLINE
Time to time.
Sammie looks her up and down, lustfully. Pearline smiles.
PEARLINE (CONT’D)
I’m married too.
SAMMIE
Happily?
Pearline laughs.
PEARLINE
Careful, boy. You gon bite off
more than you can chew.
Pearline heads off.
SAMMIE
Pearline doesn’t answer. Sammie turns back around and sees something in the distance that concerns him- the Well Dressed Woman, staring Stack down.
SAMMIE (CONT’D)
Stack...
St ack turns to him.
STACK
Yeah?
SAMMIE
Don’t look
(beat)
But it’s a White woman staring at
you.
STACK
Shit.
We see genuine fear on Stack’s face for the first time.
STACK (CONT’D)
(beat)
You sure she white?
SAMMIE
She walking over here, now.
(beat)
What should we do?
WOMAN (O.S.)
Excuse me boy...
Sammie looks up at MARY (late 20s, White?), who we get our first glance at. She’s wearing expensive clothes, an expensive wedding ring, and she’s standing too close to Stack for comfort.
WOMAN (CONT’D)
Is this here Smoke... or is this
Stack?
Sammie starts working on a lie that Mary can see coming from a mile away.
STACK
Leave the boy out of this Mary.
(to Sammie)
Don’t look at her. Start playing.
Sammie sta rts to play his guitar.
MARY
You know I waited for you.
STACK
Why the hell would you go and do
that?
MARY
Because you told me you loved me.
STACK
I told you to stay the fuck away
from me too, but I guess you
didn’t hear that part, huh?
MARY
I heard you. But then you stuck
your tongue in my cooze and fucked
me so hard I figured you changed
your mind.
Delta Slim chokes on his drink.
STACK
Keep ya voice do wn now Mary. Now
that’s not how I remember it.
MARY
You remember falling asleep with
your head on my chest? And leaving
in the middle of night without a
fucking word? Or a note?
STACK
It was for the best. I set you up
good out there in Little Rock.
What the hell brought you back
here?
MARY
Buried my momma yesterday...
Now Stack is cut too.
MARY (CONT’D)
Figured I might see you and Smoke
there as much she looked after you
both. But I guess ya’ll love
lasted as long as ya’ll could get
something out of her.
STACK
Yeah. That was all it was for us.
Food and a warm bed.
Stack is lying. May be she can tell.
MARY
Hmm.
(beat)
Rot in hell Stack.
STACK
I will. Maybe I’ll save yo
triflin’ ass a room.
Mary walks away with a mean switch. Sammie watches closely.
SAMMIE
(to himself)
Maybe she ain't White...
STACK
Let’s get to gettin.