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Sinners

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Caution: This review divulges significant SPOILERS for the movie “Sinners” by Ryan Coogler. The highly acclaimed vampire film “Sinners” is a gory spectacle that may make it challenging to follow who meets their end. Known for its adherence to traditional vampire folklore, the overwhelmingly positive reception of “Sinners” has largely been self-explanatory. From the acting to the movie’s soundtrack, each element contributes to a seamless viewing experience. However, the journey can feel unsettling at times.

Many scenes in the film are troubling, particularly the conclusion of Sinners, which could be hard for some viewers to accept. Furthermore, the transformation of vampires in Sinners is so extreme that it’s almost as if the original personality has perished completely. Although they may retain a few memories and traits, they are fundamentally different individuals. Regrettably, this realization significantly increases the film’s death toll.

13. Bert & Joan

Remmick’s Very First Victims

In the supernatural series “Sinners”, the primary vampire character, Remmick (played by Jack O’Connell), enters the abode of Bert (Peter Dreimanis) and Joan (Lola Kirke) after escaping Choctaw hunters. Initially skeptical and always armed, the couple eventually extend an unwitting invitation to Remmick inside their home. Despite warnings from the pursuers about the stranger they’ve harbored, Joan fails to heed them in time.

In this narrative, Remmick causes a chain reaction where Bert transforms into Joan. This significant event shapes the story, as both characters undergo extreme personality changes, suggesting that becoming a vampire is essentially a fate akin to death. It’s also revealed that in the world of Sinners, vampires share memories and emotions with one another, explaining these dramatic alterations. Tragically, there’s no way for them to be reversed, resulting in Bert and Joan meeting their final demise in the climactic battle at the end of the film.

12. Mary

Stack’s Feisty Ex-Girlfriend

The characters Smoke (Michael B. Jordan) and Stack were raised by Mary’s mother during their childhood. Later on, Stack and Mary started dating, but due to Mary being perceived as white despite being mixed race, Stack felt their relationship would be considered inappropriate. He abandoned her when he and Smoke began working for Capone, leaving her bitter. Despite this, she continued to patronize the twins’ juke joint. Unfortunately, this loyalty proved detrimental to her in the end.

Following the twins dismissing Remmick and his group, Mary steps outside to converse with them. The team appears cordial, playing an enchanting version of “Wild Mountain Thyme” upon her arrival. However, as she departs, Remmick jumps up behind her just before the scene ends. Upon her return, she has already undergone a transformation. Although Mary manages to evade the climactic battle and survives until the film’s conclusion, the individual she once was no longer exists, having been replaced by a vampire forevermore.

11. Stack

Smoke’s Reckless Brother

Among the twins, it’s clear that Stack is the more impulsive one. Therefore, when his former girlfriend, now a vampire, returns to the bar and makes advances towards him, it’s no surprise that he succumbs to her charms and has an intimate encounter with her in a secluded area. Smoke unexpectedly witnesses their tryst, but by the time Smoke arrives on the scene, Mary has already drained Stack of his blood. In response, Smoke attempts to kill Mary in retribution, but she manages to slip away while Stack is confined to the room.

Despite Smoke’s final confrontation with Stack, it was Stack’s twin who emerged unscathed from the battle. Though he never completely recovered, he came closer to normalcy than any other vampire did, hinting at his former self when he tenderly recalled their last encounter. This implies that there might be a chance for vampires to reclaim their human identities, but for now, it seems that the original Stack is largely gone and forgotten.

10. Cornbread

He Had One Job

At the opening of their place, the twins engage Cornbread (Omar Miller) as a security guard. However, his subsequent inability to secure the entrance suggests that the antagonists might be vampires. Initially, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), Smoke’s former partner, thinks Remmick and others are ghosts, but Cornbread gets hurt outside and requires permission to re-enter. This is unusual because a door guard shouldn’t need approval to enter, which instantly arouses suspicion. Cornbread sustains injuries at Smoke’s hands shortly after transforming and doesn’t make it through the night.

9. Countless Blues Bar Patrons

A Handful Of Vampires Do A Lot Of Damage

Although Remmick’s team initially was not large, they accomplished a great deal in a short period of time. Many of the juke joint’s attendees, along with townsfolk who weren’t even at the party, eventually turned into vampires by the end. Although we don’t see most of Remmick’s new followers being transformed, the sudden appearance of a large number of vampires significantly increases the tension in the movie as it nears its conclusion.

Consequently, the prolonged brawl keeps them so engrossed that numerous individuals are caught outside when dawn breaks, giving the impression that a significant portion of the Mississippi Delta’s residents perish in a fire. It’s reasonable to infer that those who aren’t depicted as surviving or evading being staked are probably among the burning victims.

8. Bo

Grace’s Grocer Husband

In the movie, Li Jun Li’s character, Grace, and Yao’s character, Bo, make an early appearance and play significant roles during the opening of the juke joint. As the story progresses, it is revealed that Bo becomes one of several characters turned into vampires, serving as a crucial plot point for the third act. When the vampires threaten to turn Grace’s daughter Lisa (Helena Hu), Grace bravely challenges the vampires to enter the bar and engage in a fight. Unfortunately, several other characters who could have survived until sunrise were killed off during this confrontation. This dramatic event was precisely what Remmick needed to trigger a deadly massacre.

7. Annie

Smoke’s Ex & Savior

Despite leaving Annie behind when he and Stack departed for Chicago, Smoke continues to harbor deep affection for Annie. Their relationship deteriorated significantly following the death of their daughter, yet Annie remains concerned about Smoke’s wellbeing. In the end, it is Annie who plays a crucial role in helping Smoke survive his showdown with Stack, providing him with a talisman that protects him from being bitten. Regrettably, she seemed to forget to secure something similar for her own protection.

Annie informs Smoke that she doesn’t wish to transform into a vampire, and he vows to end her life if it comes to pass. Regrettably, this is the sort of dialogue that often sets up Chekhov’s gun in a horror film. In the climactic fight, Annie gets bitten, and true to his word, Smoke ends her existence by driving a stake through her heart. However, at the movie’s conclusion, she seems content in the afterlife and is seen with their daughter once more.

6. Pearline

One Of The Juke Joint’s Performers

Throughout much of the movie, Pearline (Jayme Lawson) doesn’t play a major role in shaping the storyline. She has a budding romance with Sammie (Miles Caton), and they contribute to the film’s impressive musical scenes, but she isn’t the emotional backbone of the narrative. Unfortunately, Pearline meets a tragic end, being killed by vampires during the climactic battle in the bar. However, this event serves as a catalyst for Sammie, propelling him into action, and he becomes instrumental in Smoke’s confrontation with Remmick.

5. Grace

Bartender & Sign Maker

On the opening night, the twins must shell out extra cash for Grace to craft signs, yet she assumes a crucial part by doubling as their bartender. When an impromptu invitation is extended to the vampires for the decisive battle, Grace concocts a Molotov cocktail to bolster her defense against the throng. However, during the assault led by Bo and the group, Grace tragically gives up her life amidst the flames as well.

4. Delta Slim

The Alcoholic Pianist

Despite Sammie being the film’s main musician and Pearline serving as his primary love interest, Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) stands out as one of the most intriguing and dynamic characters in the narrative. Moreover, it’s due to Slim’s selfless actions that Sammie is still alive today. Specifically, Slim intentionally lures the vampires into attacking him, giving Sammie a chance to flee, a crucial event that ultimately allows Sammie to confront Remmick in the climactic battle.

3. Remmick

The Head Vampire

In a twist of events, Remmick, who perishes so swiftly under the sun’s rays following his demise, might not have survived the climactic battle regardless, but his departure carries a note of triumph. Contrary to expectations, Sammie declines to part with his music when asked, instead choosing an unconventional method of self-preservation: he strikes Remmick over the head with his guitar and inserts silver into his skull, thereby defeating him. Regrettably, even though Smoke and Sammie triumph, Remmick had earlier forewarned them that he would not be the last danger they’d face.

2. Hogwood & The Klan

The Man Dealing With The Twins Always Planned To Kill Them

In the story Sinners, it may appear that the primary danger stems from the vampires. However, this is not the case as neither they are the initial nor the final threat presented. The twins acquire a barrelhouse, previously owned by Hogwood (David Maldonado). Unbeknownst to them, Hogwood and his Ku Klux Klan allies have devised a plan to assault the bar following sunrise. When this happens, Smoke is left alone to fend for himself against them. He manages to overpower each of them, but sustains a gunshot wound in his abdomen during the fight. Fortunately, a vision of Annie and their child at the end indicates that he has found eternal peace.

1. Smoke

Smoke Gets A Peaceful Ending With Family

In essence, the demise of Smoke serves to emphasize a central idea running throughout the movie. Coogler crafted this film not merely as a horror story, but as something that transcends genres. Apart from music, one dominant theme in the movie is liberty. While it’s suggested that Remmick grants freedom to those he transforms, Smoke ultimately chooses a more authentic form of freedom over vampirism. Even if he doesn’t live through this choice, it brings him back together with his lost loved ones.

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2025-04-19 19:52

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