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Sinners · written by Ryan Coogler · 2025
Scene 86 of 110 · ≈ 4 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.
Smoke refuses the drifters entry, turning a suspicious visit into the siege of the juke joint.
The survivors choose to stay inside and let Mary investigate the outsiders, entering the vampire problem on their own terms.
Smoke and Sammie argue over whether music is a respectable calling or the life that makes Sammie feel free.
Smoke catches Mary drinking Stack's blood; she survives his gunfire and declares that the whole room will be killed.
Stack dies in Smoke's arms, and Smoke names him the best thing about himself.
Delta Slim holds the crowd back and ends the party as the patrons file out in fear and confusion.
Annie explains that Stack is no longer himself and that the vampires must be kept outside.
Smoke locks the mill, announces Stack's death, and watches Bo leave to bring Grace's car around.
CONTINUOUS
Pearline approaches Sammie who stands at the door.
PEARLINE
Preacherboy, I’m scared to go out
there.
Sammie gives her a look that mirrors her sentiment.
SAMMIE
You can stay here with us.
Annie speaks up in the hall.
ANNIE
I want everybody to listen up. We
had us a situation. Nobody should
be going outside.
ANNIE (CONT’D)
It ain't safe out there.
PATRON #1
I ain’t scared of no rabies, or
whatever Hoo Doo this hammer
talkin’ bout. I’m worried about
these cracka s.
As the group debates, the remaining patrons make their way out.
Grace approaches Bo and pulls him away from Smoke.
GRACE
Bo, we gotta go...
BO CHOW
I can’t leave em. He just lost his
brother.
GRACE
How the hell you plan on helping
him fix that? Cause if you know a
way, I got some folks I’ll love
for you to help me bring back too.
Bo looks at Grace with an answerless expression.
BO CHOW
Let me go g et the car.
Bo looks around and heads out the door and into the darkness.
AT THE ENTRY DOOR
Delta Slim and Smoke hear someone approaching from the darkness. It’s Cornbread.
CORNBREAD
Hey Slim, Smoke!
DELTA SLIM
Where the hell you been at, man?
CORNBREAD
Seeing a man about a dog, like I
told you. Turned out I needed more
relieving than I imagined.
This scene
(beat)
Ya’ll starin’ me down like I
missed somethin’.
Cornbread finally notices Smoke is covered in blood.
CORNBREAD (CONT’D)
Goddamn Smoke... what happened to
you?
SMOKE
What happened to me? Stack is
dead. What the fuck happened to
you? You was supposed to be
watching the place. Not taking a
hour long piss.
CORNBREAD
I’m sorry. Well let me come in and
help.
Annie clocks this.
ANNIE
Hol’on.
She extends her hands to Smoke to stop him.
Smoke looks back at Annie confused. Delta Slim as well.
They stare at Cornbread, who stares back at them with an almost c omically confused expression.
CORNBREAD
What ya’ll doing?
The three continue to stare without budging.
CORNBREAD (CONT’D)
Smoke. Just step aside and let me
on in.
ANNIE
Why you need him to do that? You
big and strong enough to push past
us.
CORNBREAD
Because that wouldn’t be very
polite of me now, would it? I
don’t know why I’m even talking to
you. Probably your fish sandwich
that made me so sick. Using that
old stale grease.
ANNIE
I ain't never used stale grease
and you know it.
CORNBREAD
Smoke, come- on.
ANNIE
Don’t talk to him you talking to
me right now. Why you can’t just
walk yo’ big ass on in here
without an invite, huh? Just go
ahead and admit to it.
CORNBREAD
Admit to what?
ANNIE
Admit that you dead. One of them
white folks out there killed you.
And you a haint now.
CORNBREAD
Smoke you hearing this shit? Woman
this man showed me kindness.
Employed me. Says his brother’s
been killed. He need comfort, not
you filling his mind up with that
Louisiana g arbage. We playing
games and telling ghost stories
instead of doing we ought to do.
DELTA SLIM
And whats that?
CORNBREAD
Be kind to one another. Be polite.
And not just go barging into folks
places uninvited.
SMOKE
I don’t believe half the shit that
come out of her mouth. But you
been in and out of here all day.
And all of a sudden you need an
invitation? It don’t add up.
CORNBREAD
So what I’m supposed to do Smoke?
Shit Stack was my ride here. I’m
supposed to walk home?
SMOKE
Ain't my business.
CORNBREAD
Can I at least get my money?
Cornbread holds his hand out, short, like a gator.
DELTA SLIM
Real bang up job you did.
Cornbread cuts a look at Delta Slim.
ANNIE
Careful.
Smoke pulls out a wad of cash and thumbs through it. Pulls a few bills off and reaches the money out to Cornbread who smiles as Smoke reaches.
Just as his hand crosses the threshold of the mill Cornbread snatches it with reptilian reflexes, extending his mouth towards Smoke’s forearm veins.
He tugs Smoke off his feet nearing a bite whe n Smoke draws his pistol and BLAM. Shoots Cornbread right in the FACE.
Annie shrieks.
Smoke drops from Cornbread’s grasp and scuttles back into the mill while Cornbread’s body drops to the dirt.
Annie slams the mill door just as Cornbread rises again. Then inspects Smoke’s arm for a bite.
ANNIE (CONT’D)
We gotta hole up in here till
sunrise.
DELTA SLIM
Ya’ll smell anything?
SMOKE
No.
DELTA SLIM
Good.
(long beat)
Was afraid I just shat myself.