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Sinners · written by Ryan Coogler · 2025
Scene 48 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.
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.
As night falls, the twins organize the door, electricity, and entrance for the opening.
The completed juke lights up with food, liquor, and musicians ready for its first night.
Delta Slim teaches Sammie that the blues carries a sacred connection to African ancestry.
This scene
Sammie and the Twins walk around the empty Juke. Nervousness setting in. Annie organizes the bar materials anxiously, while Stack paces. Suddenly they hear Cornbread talking to someone at the door.
CORNBREAD (O.S.)
Right this way.
A male PATRON (Black, lifelong sharecropper, 60s) enters and sits down at the bar.
PATRON
I’m happy to stick round till
ya’ll get to playin’. Just need
somethin’ to wet m y whistle.
ANNIE
We got whisky, Irish beer, Italian
wine.
PATRON
Man ya’ll some classy niggas ain’t
ya. Too fancy for me. I don’t need
no Irish nothin’. Corn liquor’ll
do.
Annie looks to Smoke, who nods.
ANNIE
That’ll be 50 cents.
The Patron reaches into his pocket, pulls out FOUR DIMES.
PATRON
Damn. All I got is forty.
(beat)
But these are good at the Maybell
general store.
The Patron pulls out two W OODEN PLANTATION CURRENCY NICKELS. Sits them down.
A long pause as Annie, Smoke, and Stack share looks. Sammie tries to follow this with his eyes.
Stack jumps in before it gets even more awkward.
STACK
You like that cold right?
Annie eyes Smoke who seethes but doesn’t move to stop it.
Stack pulls out a dew covered mason jar of moonshine and hands it to the PATRON, and slides the coins to Annie.
PATRON
Thank ya kindly.
He smells the liquor, savors it.
SMOKE
Let me holler at ya’ll.
Smoke walks to the back room, Stack, Annie, and Sammie
As the elders of the party enter Smoke turns to Samm ie and stops him.
SMOKE (CONT’D)
Not you... keep an eye on him.
Sammie nods and turns, eying the Patron.
Smoke closes the door behind him. Sammie tries to listen through the door.