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Sinners · written by Ryan Coogler · 2025
Scene 64 of 110 · ≈ 3 min on screen · Act two
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.
Remmick, Joan, and Bert arrive outside the opening-night juke after hearing Sammie's music.
Sammie and Pearline slip into the back room and have sex while the party continues.
Stack hears the lovers through the door and is summoned upstairs by Grace to speak with Smoke.
Smoke shows Stack the till and reveals that plantation credit is draining the twins' real cash.
This scene
Cornbread notices the drifters approaching from the distance. He taps a SMOKING PATRON.
CORNBREAD
Go get the twins.
The trio led by Remmick arrives at the front door. Cornbread blocks their passage.
REMMICK
Evenin’, sir.
CORNBREAD
Good evening. How can I help you
folks?
REMMICK
We heard tale of a party. Food,
blues music, drank and the like.
(beat)
We like to drank, we happen to be
musicians,
(beat)
And we walked here, so we hungry
as dogs.
Remmick smiles... maybe too wide.
REMMICK (CONT’D)
You wouldn’t mind us coming in,
now would you?
CORNBREAD
I think ya’ll at the wrong place.
Joan takes issue with this.
JOAN
What makes you say that?
Cornbread hesitates, just as the Twins arrive, Mary at Stack’s side, and Annie at Smoke’s. Pearline exits the back room, with Sammie in tow. They head towards the commotion at the front door.
REMMICK
You fellas must be the owners of
this establishment.
SMOKE
That’s right. And you are?
REMMICK
Name’s Remmick. And this here is
Joan and Bert.
Sammie approaches.
SAMMIE
Stack, ya’ll alright?
Remmick hears Sammie’s voice and catches eyes with him.
REMMICK
And you must be that voice I heard
from out here. It was beautiful.
JOAN
Goddamn beautiful voice.
BERT
Even through these walls.
Smoke steps in front of Sammie.
SMOKE
Where ya’ll from?
JOAN
Down the road.
STACK
How far?
REMMICK
North Carolina.
SMOKE
(beat)
Ya’ll Klan?
Remmick is genuinely offended by this.
Buff Rev. (06/03/24)
REMMICK
We believe in equality. And music.
We just came to play, spend some
money, and have a good time.
Smoke shakes his head. Stack thinks on this.
REMMICK (CONT’D)
Let me show ya.
The trio of drifters get their instruments into position and begin to play.
BERT JOAN
You better pick poor robin You better pick poor robin clean, pick poor robin clean, pick poor robin clean, I picked his head, clean, I picked his head, picked his feet, I picked picked his feet, I picked his body but it wasn’t fit his body but it wasn’t fit to eat... to eat...
Remmick joins in.
REMMICK
You’d better pick poor robin
clean,
pick poor Robin clean,
but I’ll be satisfied, having your
family.
CORNBREAD
(under his breath)
Man these pecks ain’t bad...
They are damn good.
PEARLINE
(under hers)
Not bad at all.
Stack, Mary, and Annie are caught up in the music too.
SMOKE
Hol'on just a minute now.
The Trio stops playing.
REMMICK
Aww, it was just about to get
good.
SMOKE
I believe ya. It’s just... this
here is a juke joint.
STACK
Blues music.
BERT
But we got money and we ready to
spend it with ya’ll.
REMMICK
And that music soundin’ goddamn
amazing. And yer sayin’ we ain't
welcome?
Smoke grows more impatient.
SMOKE
If you go down that road, you’ll
get back into town. Plenty white
barrelhouses down there.
REMMICK
So it’s about the color we was
born wit, huh? If that’s the case
how she get in?
Remmick points to Mary.
MARY
Tha t’s none of-
ANNIE
She here cause she family.
Remmick thinks on this, Stack steps in front of his view of Mary.
REMMICK
Well maybe we can all be family...
just for the night.
Remmick steps forward.
Smoke takes a step closer to the trio and puts his hand on his pistol. Stack steps forward after.
REMMICK (CONT’D)
(smiling)
No need for that! We’ll be on our
way.
They amble towards the parked cars and wagons.
RE MMICK (CONT’D)
Maybe we’ll walk real slow, in
case ya’ll change your minds.