In Ryan Coogler’s 2025 horror movie, Sinners, twins Smoke and Stack are steeped in 1920s American history, and because of that, the movie references a few real historical figures among the film’s bloody vampires. Released on April 18, 2025, Sinners follows Smoke and Stack, twins who return to Mississippi after eight years in Chicago with the intention of opening up their own juke joint. Yet, their opening night is ruined when a bloodthirsty vampire arrives intent on creating his own vicious cult of demons. Sinners has quickly become a hit, earning a 98% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sinners is no doubt a horror movie, but it isn’t just the vampires that create tension. Part of Smoke and Stack’s troubles is the systemic racism that is not only plaguing their small town in Mississippi, but is raging throughout the entire country. Stack feels that he cannot be with Mary because she is white. The juke joint has to have a guard at the door to prevent people with nefarious intents from entering. Ultimately, Sinners’ historical context is integral to the plot, and as a result, there are a few references that help make the movie’s world more thorough.
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Al Capone
Iconic Chicago Gangster
One of the earliest references to real-life historical figures in Sinners is a mention of Al Capone. At the start of the film, Smoke and Stack split up to make arrangements for the opening night of their juke joint. One man recognizes Smoke and asks why he isn’t in Chicago working for Capone. Notably, Capone was a mob boss who reigned over Chicago for seven years during the 1920s. Known as Scarface, Capone had dealings in bootlegging, drugs, prosтιтution, gambling. He ran the Chicago Outfit until he was arrested at age 33.
Sinners’ mention of Capone adds a lot to Smoke and Stack’s story, though it is brief and easy to miss. Smoke and Stack’s return from Chicago is a big deal, because it seems as though the two were doing well there and were perhaps able to escape some of the more intense racism of the South. However, there is also an implication that Smoke and Stack’s success came from being a part of gangs. It is never revealed whether the twins actually worked with Capone, but either way, this mention hints at the criminality of Smoke and Stack’s past.
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Charlie Patton
The Father Of Delta Blues
A historical figure who gets much more of a spotlight throughout Sinners is Charlie Patton. Smoke and Stack enlist the help of their young cousin Sammie in setting up their juke joint. Sammie’s main role is playing guitar for the clientele. Near the start of the film, Stack tells Sammie that the guitar, which the twins gave to him, used to be owned by Patton. Later, Smoke explains that it was actually their father’s. Either way, the guitar ends up being what saves Sammie from vampires, and it also connects him to figures of the past and future.
Patton was a Black musician who was active from 1916 until 1934. He is often recognized as the “Father of Delta Blues,” which is a subgenre of blues music that originated in the Mississippi delta. Patton helped originate the genre and inspired other artists who came after him. Patton’s music would have been vital to men like the twins or Sammie, because it would have spoken to their own experiences. Thus, Sammie’s guitar having belonged to Patton would have made it particularly special. This Patton reference adds to the importance of music, which is inherent in Sinners.
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Jim Crow
A Symbol Of Racism
Finally, a name that plays an important role in Sinners, though he isn’t a real person, is Jim Crow. After the Civil War, enslaved people were free from labor, but during the Reconstruction Period, many Southern states pᴀssed laws that continued to infringe on the rights of Black Americans. These laws were known as Jim Crow laws, with Jim Crow being a fictional persona used to crudely stereotype Black people. Jim Crow laws prevented Black Americans from voting, owning land, or inhabiting the same spaces as white people.
In this way, Jim Crow represents the systemic struggles the twins faced, which prevented them from being able to live fully free or comfortable lives.
Sinners is firmly set in the Jim Crow South, and the time period is important. Smoke and Stack are not just targeted by vampires, but by the racists of the day. The movie reveals that the twins were only able to buy the saw mill because the local KKK intended to attack it. In this way, Jim Crow represents the systemic struggles the twins faced, which prevented them from being able to live fully free or comfortable lives. In this way, Jim Crow is vital to Sinners.
