Sinners Explained: Deeper Meaning Of The Plot And Ending

Sinners is much more than a horror vampire movie directed by Ryan Coogler, starring Michael B. Jordan and a fantastic cast. While on the surface, it looks like a gore fest, there are many layers to this film and some questionable writing, too. Let’s take a quick dive. Here’s the plot and ending of Sinners explained; spoilers ahead.

Sinners: Plot Explained

The film starts with twins Smoke and Stack, who return from a life of crime after making away with a ton of money to their hometown in Mississippi in the year 1932. The time and place are important because it was when Black folks were free on paper but were still being hunted down by the remains of the Ku Klux Klan.

They buy an old sawmill from a white dude who’s secretly part of the Klan and plans to gun down everyone at the party place Smoke and Stack are creating.

Who is Mary? What’s the deal with her?

Mary appears to be the only white person in this community of black people. The reason is that one of her grandparents was black, and more importantly, she grew up with the black community and associates more with them. In real life, actress Hailee Steinfeld’s grandfather was black. This makes for great confusion in the midst of the evening party. So now we know why only one white woman has an invite.

A vampire named Remmick shows up at the house of two of the Klan members and bites and converts them. From their memories, he gains knowledge of their plan to gun down black folks at a musical joint.

Sammie is Smoke and Stack’s cousin. He’s a preacher’s son who’s a gifted blues musician. His father disapproves of blues because the form of music was considered seductive and hence the devil’s music. Moreover, Sammie was going to perform for a group of people indulging in booze and pleasure.

The vampires are beings that share a single consciousness, and in this movie, there is a strong emphasis on their cravings for art. Hence, they are enamoured by Sammie’s music and come for him. As one can expect, the night turns bloody, with everyone at the party being turned into a vampire one by one.

The remaining humans defend themselves with garlic water and wooden stakes until only Smoke and Sammie are left unturned. Smoke spares vampire Stack with the promise that he will not come for Sammie. Stack and his lover Mary elope, away from the fight.

Smoke stabs and kills Remmick at dawn, and the rest of them burn up in the sun and die. Earlier in the night, Smoke learns from Remmick that his white seller plans to kill everyone at the Juke Joint. So he goes John Wick on them and guns them all down. Unfortunately, he gets shot, too, and sees a vision of his dead wife and child as he dies. Sammie goes back to his father, who asks him to abandon the Blues, but it’s Sammie’s identity now, and he leaves to become a successful musician.

Sinners: Mid Credit Scene

Sixty years pass, and close to his death, Sammie is visited by the vampires Smoke and Mary. They offer him immortality, which he refuses, saying he’s seen enough life. They settle for some Blues played by Sammie and agree that the night at the Juke Joint was the day they felt most free.

Sinners: Post Credit Scene

The post-credit scene shows a young Sammie playing the song “The Little Light Of Mine,” and he sees someone right after, which they might draw on if the sequel is greenlit.

Who are the Sinners in the movie?

A Sinner is someone who does something outside the norms of a society, which usually stems from religious beliefs. Smoke and Stack have returned with blood money and are clearly contenders for the title. The party people associating themselves with that wealth, Blues, which was considered a seductive music form, engaging in booze and pleasure are the other obvious choices for the Sinners. And hence, the devil comes for them, which Sammie calls out.

But then, the Vampires are not the devil. They are cursed beings, too, and can’t ever enjoy the sun’s warmth and rely on converting humans to imbibe culture and art. The question of who the sinners are is left unanswered to let the audience think about what a sin really is, as it is a human construct. A sin for one community is not for another.

Sinners Explained: The Musical Artform And Individuality

What’s also interesting is that the Vampires in the film propose equality and true brotherhood, unlike the divided way humans live. Remmick brings up the Klan and how Vampires don’t hunt one another. They don’t see differences in cast, colour or race. However, they insist on a singular consciousness and shared memory.

No individuality brings peace and harmony, but it leaves no room for creativity, which is why they crave other people’s culture, heritage, and art.

This brings us to music, which is the film’s central theme. That one scene that brings together music from multiple genres, time periods, and dance forms is the highlight of this film. Through music, the vampires can absorb history and culture, something they are devoid of because their shared consciousness lacks individuality. This is why they come for this group, specifically Sammie.

Sinners: Ending Explained

The ending of Sinners shows us that Sammie, too, has the choice to conform to the norms of his society and lose his individuality, but he chooses to let go of everything to embrace his identity and talent. The mid-credits reveal that Stack and Mary have also somehow retained a bit of their individuality and weren’t entirely consumed by the shared consciousness of the Vampire mind. While not explained how, it’s likely because Stack was always the person who craved autonomy and found hacks to get ahead. His connection with Smoke kept a part of his mind alive; Mary’s love for Stack probably kept hers alive. Honestly, while it made for a good ending, it was weak writing and contradicted everything the film showed us about vampires.

Let me know if you have more thoughts on the plot and ending of Sinners; comment below.