The following contains spoilers for Sinners, now playing in theatersThanks to its rich lore and carefully planted setups, Sinners subtly hints that there may be far more vampires in America than initially revealed. While many of Sinner‘s main characters die in the final act, Ryan Coogler’s film opens the door to a much larger, untold history that stretches back to the 1200s and extends well beyond the credits. Reviews for Sinners have shown no shortage of praise for its тιԍнт writing, with Coogler condensing an extensive tale with ancient origins into a coherent, soulful, and beautifully crafted two-hour film that never feels rushed.

The first half of Sinners lays an emotional groundwork for each of the characters, quickly but deeply exploring their backstories and motivations. This makes the eventual bloodbath hit harder, as by the ending of Sinners it appears that nearly everyone celebrating at the juke joint has been turned into a vampire. Between the bar battle and the arrival of the sunrise, many unᴅᴇᴀᴅ are killed, though there’s still the possibility that some vampires survived. Even the director has hinted at this, noting that the movie gives the sense that a “whole world is gonna happen after.” (via GamesRadar+)

Mary & Stack Are The Only Vampires Confirmed To Be Alive After Sinners

The Couple Is Saved By The Love Of Their Loved Ones

While Cornbread and Bo are killed in the confrontation triggered by Grace and led by Smoke, Pearline and Delta Slim are implied to have burned at sunrise — joining the list of character deaths in Sinners that saved Sammie. Notably, when Preacher Boy fights against Remmick in the river, the remaining unᴅᴇᴀᴅ gather to watch, since there’s no one left to fight. As Smoke helps drive a guitar through Remmick’s heart, the shock stuns the vampires long enough that they fail to escape the rising sun, and they’re reduced to ash.

While Smoke and Sammie appear to be the sole survivors of the battle against the supernatural, a post-credits scene in Sinners confirms that Mary and Stack escaped. Notably, earlier in the film, Hailee Steinfeld’s character is seen fleeing the chaos after Smoke kills Annie — truly affected to see her family member gone forever. Additionally, in 1992, Stack reunites with Sammie and reveals that Smoke spared his life during their fight, under the condition that he never harm their cousin. The vampire couple must have reunited sometime after that night and have remained together for decades.

Sinners’ Vague Remmick Backstory Indicates There Are More Vampires Out There

Sinners’ Vampire Lore Suggests Mary & Stack Must Have Turned Plenty More People

As Coogler and Michael B. Jordan have discussed Sinners‘ prequel and sequel chances, it’s clear the story lends itself to more installments — especially given the number of vampires Remmick must have converted in his centuries-long unlife, ᴀssuming they haven’t been killed. Notably, Jack O’Connell’s comments on Remmick’s extensive backstory confirm there are approximately 600 years the film doesn’t touch on, including his time in Ireland during colonization, his migration to America, where he encountered new forms of racial hostility, fights with Native Americans, and possibly other attempts at targeting musicians before Sammie.

Beyond the possibility of running into vampires that Remmick turned in America, Mary and Stack have almost certainly created new ones in the six decades they’ve been unᴅᴇᴀᴅ. According to Sinners‘ vampire lore, anyone bitten and fed on becomes a vampire themselves, making it unlikely that the couple hasn’t transformed others, especially since they seem to be longing for family. This suggests there are likely many vampires still living in secret across the country. That idea deepens Sinners‘ metaphor of vampires as colonizers: as long as they exist, souls remain trapped, and the cycle of violence and possession continues.

Source: GamesRadar+, Rotten Tomatoes