The following contains spoilers for Sinners, now playing in theaters
Sinners has two post-credits scenes, and one of them lays the groundwork for some pretty exciting sequel ideas. Ryan Coogler’s film with Warner Bros. is a terrific showcase for the writer/director, alongside a remarkable cast. Set in Mississippi in 1932, Sinners focuses on the citizens of a local town, all converging on a newly opened juke joint. Michael B. Jordan’s twin brothers Smoke and Stack, along with everyone in their orbit, soon find themselves facing off with an uninvited guest who proves to be a monstrous figure.
By the end of the film, almost all of Sinner‘s characters are ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. However, the most deceptively important character in the film is the apparent lone survivor, going on to lead an ideal life that fits the themes of his arc. Both post-credits scenes illustrate why his arc is the most important in the film, but one of them also reveals that two of the film’s vampire characters actually survived the events of Sinner‘s ending — and quietly set up some pretty cool sequels.
Sinners’ Two Post-Credits Scenes Explained
Sinners Has An Epilogue And One Last Song After The Credits
There are two post-credits scenes in Sinners, both of which illuminate more about the fallout of the film’s ending and set up a sequel. Both post-credits scenes are focused largely on Sammie, the only true survivor of the film. While the first post-credits scene confirms that Stack and Mary weren’t killed alongside the rest of the vampires, their unᴅᴇᴀᴅ status separates them from Sammie. After spending his life becoming a famous blues musician, Sammie is confronted by the pair at a bar in Chicago.
After a short conversation with Stack, Sammie genuinely shoots down Stack’s offer to turn him into a vampire. Instead, Sammie plays him a song, and they part on amicable terms. The second post-credits scene further illustrates Sammie’s role as the true protagonist of Sinners, cutting back to the young man shortly before the events of the film. In this scene, Sammie plays “This Little Light Of Mine.” It’s an interesting counterpoint to the first scene of the film, which saw a wounded Sammie arrive at church to find a children’s choir singing the same song.
How Sinners’ Epilogue Credits Scene Sets Up A ’90s Sequel
A Spin-Off About Stack And Mary Would Be Fantastic
The first post-credits scene in Sinners feels like an epilogue to the film’s central plot. It confirms that Sammie went on to have a successful and happy life, ensuring that the sacrifices of Smoke, Pearline, and Delta Slim to buy him time to escape weren’t in vain. However, it also confirms the fates of Mary and Stack, two of the most important characters whose final fates were left somewhat ambiguous in the ending. Their presence in 1992 Chicago and their timely fashion sense suggest they’ve adjusted to new periods.
The idea of watching these two make their way through 20th-century America is an exciting one, which could easily justify multiple sequels. The pair don’t end the film running off, which could set up potential stories where they are looking for one another or discover each other’s survival. Part of the tension of their dynamic is rooted in how Stack pushed her into a marriage with an unseen wealthy white man. A story delving into his connection to them, as well as his reaction to Mary’s transformation and her clear love for Stack, could drive a plot.
The most exciting aspect of a potential Sinners sequel is seeing Michael B. Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld fully embrace the full villainous potential of the characters. Stack and Mary were already two of the film’s most compelling and entertaining characters, with his boistrous ego and her blunt confidence giving their performances a lot of personal charm. These aspects were only amplified by their transformations into vampires. An entire film focused on their journey from that destroyed dance floor to Chicago would present plenty of opportunities and challenges for them to encounter.
Sinners Post-Credits Proves The Film’s True Protagonist
Sinners’ Post-Credits Scenes Cement Sammie As The Film’s True Main Character
One of the best aspects of Sinners is the amount of depth the film affords the entire supporting cast. The first half of the film is largely rooted in world-building and character beats, showcasing everyone’s relationships and fully establishing them through interactions. Everyone feels fleshed out, even if they don’t all necessarily get a full arc of the same magnitude. However, the film remains firmly rooted on two characters and their respective arcs — Sammie and Smoke. While Stack is just as important to the plot, he’s largely portrayed as a charming foil to both men.
Smoke and Sammie are challenged on their firm beliefs, each choosing a different path. Sammie refuses to give up love for the guitar, which goes back to his most innocent days. The post-credits scene of Sinners shows him singing a song, unburdened by the weight of the horrors he’s about to witness. That love for music is challenged by his father, by Smoke, even by his own fears when he discovers it was his musical talent that attracted Remmick to them in the first place. However, he holds on to the instrument that literally saved his life against the vampire.
It’s [Sammie’s] love for music that set the entire film truly into motion and serves as one final song from the real main character of the movie, giving Sinners a true bookend finale.
By contrast, Smoke’s convictions on gaining power and controlling it are challenged by his love for Annie. He gives up his agency to an extent around her, agreeing to her arguments and later ending her life before she can turn into a vampire. The film ends with Smoke putting down his cigarette as he seemingly dies, symbolically getting rid of the persona that’s long defined him as he’s reunited with his family in the afterlife. He gives up the thing that defined him in a way that Sammie doesn’t, both men finding themselves at peace in the process.
While Smoke’s arc is strong, it’s also in service to Sammie. His frustration with Sammie’s musical ambitions creates tension between them, in stark contrast to the enthusiastic support Sammie got from Stack. This is why it makes sense to end the post-credits scene on Sammie playing his guitar. It’s his love for music that set the entire film truly into motion and serves as one final song from the real main character of the movie, giving Sinners a true bookend finale.
