Smoke not being able to roll his own cigarettes is a detail that’s easy to miss in Sinners, but it reveals a lot about his character. On the surface, Sinners is a film about a group of people fighting vampires. However, it is actually a much deeper movie that deals with themes such as race, oppression, community, and family. This shouldn’t be surprising, as Sinners is directed by Ryan Coogler, who has helmed some of the most critically acclaimed blockbusters of the last decade, such as Creed and Black Panther.

Reviews for Sinners have been exceptional, with Screen Rant’s Mae Abdulbaki giving it a score of 9 out of 10. In addition to being one of the best films of Coogler’s career, Sinners is also one of the best movies that Michael B. Jordan has ever starred in. In the horror film, Jordan plays twin brothers nicknamed Smoke and Stack. From the very beginning of the film, it is clear that Smoke and Stack do everything together. However, they are split up by the end of Sinners, which makes it even more tragic that Smoke can’t roll his own cigarettes.

Stack Always Rolled Smoke’s Cigarettes

Smoke Needed Stack By His Side In Sinners

Early into Sinners, it is established that Smoke and Stack returned home to their small town in Mississippi after spending years working for both the Italian and Irish mobs in Chicago. Not much is revealed about their time in Chicago, but it is clear that they stole from both the Italians and the Irish. However, neither Smoke nor Stack are worried about being caught, and are both eager to start a new life for themselves in Mississippi, which is why they purchase an old sawmill at the beginning of the movie.

While the brothers are waiting outside the sawmill, Smoke asks Stack for a cigarette. Stack proceeds to roll a cigarette for Smoke, then hands it to him. Some may argue that this scene is unnecessary, but it actually reveals a lot about both Smoke and Stack. The way this scene is staged, with Smoke and Stack barely looking at each other, it is clear that the latter often does this for his brother. Later that night, Smoke asks his brother for a cigarette once again, which confirms that he can’t roll them himself.

Unfortunately, the brothers are split up about halfway through the movie after Stack is bitten by Mary and turns into a vampire. During the climax of Sinners, Smoke and his younger cousin, Sammie, manage to survive until dawn and burn Remmick and the other vampires. However, Smoke cannot kill his brother, and allows him to escape. After their night of terror, Smoke sends Sammie away and stays behind to deal with the members of the Ku Klux Klan, who were planning to kill him and his brother. While waiting for them, Smoke tries to roll his own cigarette, but can’t.

Sinners’ Ending Suggests Smoke Not Rolling His Cigarettes Is Due To PTSD

Smoke Fought In The First World War

Once Sammie leaves and Smoke is left alone at the sawmill, he is seen uncontrollably shaking as he processes the events of the night. Before the members of the KKK arrive, Smoke sits down and tries to roll his own cigarette to calm his nerves, but can’t do so without Stack. This small details makes Stack being turned into a vampire even more of a tragedy, as Smoke is not complete without his brother by his side.

Obviously, Smoke is shaking at the end of the movie because of the trauma he just experienced, but it is also hinted that he suffers from PTSD throughout the film. While he is great at shooting a gun, Smoke’s hands shake a lot throughout the movie, which is a result of the PTSD he is experiencing from fighting in World War I. Not much is revealed about Smoke’s time fighting in the war, but this small detail is another reason why Sinners is one of the most well-written films of the year so far.