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Sinners · written by Ryan Coogler · 2025
Scene 95 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.
Annie names the weapons and the rule of freeing a vampire's spirit, giving the survivors a plan to fight for one another.
The remaining survivors test themselves with garlic, discover the blood is wine, and realize the threat is closer than expected.
Gambler Two returns to the front door and begs Smoke to let him inside.
Gambler 2 being tackled to the ground by Cornbread, who bites down on his neck.
ANNIE
Close the door!
GRACE
Wait!
Grace runs to the door and we see what she sees, Bo Chow approaching.
BO CHOW
Hey baby. I got the car started.
Come on outside lets go.
Grace looks at Bo, who is a few feet from man being devoured by another man, as it were a perfectly normal occurrence.
BO CHOW (CONT’D)
What is it, Grace?
GRACE
He’s killing him.
Bo turns to Cornbread, still drinking from Gambler 2’s neck, Gambler 2 still clinging to life.
BO CHOW
Oh you talking bout that? Oh don’t
worry bout Cornbread. He just a
lil hungry, that’s all...
(beat)
Come on, come on and go, I got the
car all warmed up.
Bo’s smile materializes.
BO CHOW (CONT’D)
Or you can let me come in there.
I’ll come in there and we c an grab
our things and head home.
Grace looks at Bo Chow with terror.
ANNIE
Don’t listen to him.
SMOKE
Grace we gon find a way out of
here.
Suddenly Remmick appears.
REMMICK
I am your way out. This world has
already left you for dead. Won’t
let you build. Won’t let you
fellowship. We will do just that,
together, forever.
BO CHOW
It’s better this way, baby. Go’on
ahead and invite us in.
Grace covers he r ears.
REMMICK
Smoke opens the door as Annie, Grace, Slim, and Pearline gather behind him.
This scene
You should listen to him. Or
listen to me Grace. Cause I know
everything he knows now. And I
want you to let us in there.
(MORE)(MORE)
REMMICK (CONT’D)REMMICK (CONT’D)
Or we gon' go to the grocery store
and pay little Lisa a visit.
Grace is horrified as Stack and Mary appear from the shadows.
REMMICK (CONT’D)
Oh yes Grace. I know everything
now.
He smiles.
REMMICK (SUBTITLE) (CONT’D)
Even how you like to be licked. I
can promise I won’t bite too hard.
Grace is mortified. Remmick turns his attention to Sammie.
PEARLINE
This can’t be real...
SAMMIE
You the Devil ain’t you?
Remmick smi les and stares at Sammie.
REMMICK
Ya’ll give him to me. Just give me
little Sammie, and we’ll let you
all live.
DELTA SLIM
Haven’t you taken enough tonight?
You took them all from us. You
can’t have him too.
SMOKE
I ain’t gon let it happen.
Smoke steps in front of Sammie, blocking him from Remmick’s gaze. Pearline holds Sammie’s hand.
REMMICK
You can’t save him. No more than
you could save yo brothe r. He
ain’t safe here. No matter how
many guns or how much money. They
gone take it from you when they
want. You built something here
tonight. And it’s beautiful. But
it was built on a lie. Hogwood,
that’s his uncle.
Remmick points to Bert. Who nods.
REMMICK (CONT’D)
He only sold it to you cause we
promised to rob and kill you all
tonight.
BERT
And do it all over again.
STACK
He right Smoke. I see his
memories. This wasn’t no Juke
Joint, wasn’t no Club. It was a
slaughterhouse.
BERT
Goddamn killing floor.
JOAN
But he don’t know we building’ us
a new clan. Based on love.
REMMICK
That’s right. Now that we got the
numbers, we gon show that racist
piece of shit the light too.
This settles on Smoke. Stack notices.
ANNIE
Why can’t ya’ll just go?
MARY
Cause we not leaving without
ya’ll. We family. It sound crazy
but after we kill ya’ll, we gon
have heaven right here on earth.
STACK
We been running everywhere looking
for freedom. You know you’ll never
find it. Not in Mississippi, New
York. Not in France or Chicago.
REMMICK
Not in the arms of that witch
there.
Smoke takes aim at Remmick. Stack steps in front of him. Smoke puts the gun down.
SLIM
Stack this ain’t you man.
STACK
We wasn’t never gon be free. Until
this. This is the way. I can see
it, Smoke. This the only way we
live our dream out... together
forever. I’m not doing this
without you.
Stack steps forward to his brother.
STACK (CONT’D)
What’s it gon' be Smoke?
ANNIE
Sammie, close the door!
Smoke stares at his brother who approaches him smiling.
Sammie closes the door.