Top 10 Most Shocking Moments in Sinners

#10: Sammie Returns to Church

From its opening scene, Ryan Coogler’s film has us entranced, as if we were caught in a vampire’s gaze. A character who we’ll come to know as Samie pulls up to his father’s church with a broken guitar and his clothing drenched in blood. On Sammie’s face is a look that says, “I just had one hell of a night, emphasis on the hell.” Entering the house of god with service already in progress, Sammie’s tattered attire stands out even more amid a room where almost everyone else is wearing white. As Sammie’s father preaches, we’re given haunting flashes of the evening he just endured. We aren’t sure how Sammie got to this point, but we’re excited and terrified to find out.

#9: Remmick’s Introduction

If you went into “Sinners” knowing nothing, the opening gave you an idea of the movie you’re in store for. Over the next forty minutes, though, we’re lured into a false sense of security as we get to know these charming characters. We’re reminded that this is a horror story as the sun goes down and Remmick arrives at a Klansmen couple’s house. The Irish immigrant claims that an Indigenous group is hunting him. That’s true, although the Choctaw hunters have a good reason for tracking him. Realizing their advantage set with the sun, the hunters take off, leaving Remmick with the couple who foolishly let him inside. In case you didn’t realize it yet, this isn’t just a horror movie. It’s a vampire movie.

#8: Mary Gets Turned

Drawn to the Juke Joint by Sammie’s transcendent music, Remmick and his two new vampire followers are denied entry. Remmick knows that somebody will eventually have to come out. That person is Mary, who, like actress Hailee Steinfeld, is part African-American. You wouldn’t guess that at first glance. As such, Mary finds herself between two worlds. This makes it easier for Remmick to lure her in with soothing folk music. As a drooling Remmick offers to “save” her, Mary pulls a gun and walks away. Little does Mary realize that her fate was sealed from the moment she approached Remmick. We don’t see her become a vampire, but it’s obvious what happens when Remmick skyrockets into the air.

#7: Cornbread Wants In

As the night goes off the rails, our heroes begin to question who they can trust. So, when Cornbread resurfaces, they’re naturally suspicious. Annie, in particular, finds it odd that Cornbread asks them to let him in when there’s seemingly nothing stopping him from walking through. As the conversation goes on, it becomes increasingly apparent to Smoke that something is off about Cornbread. Even so, Cornbread isn’t leaving without his money, which Smoke begins to hand over. The slow tension is suddenly dialed up to eleven as Cornbread grabs Smoke’s arm, ready to sink his teeth in. Cornbread is quick, but Smoke is faster. While he doesn’t get Smoke, Cornbread later tears into a poor soul who got locked out.

#6: Mary Bites Stack

The fact that we don’t see Mary get turned makes it all the more foreboding when she reenters the juke joint, eager to get Stack alone. As the two begin to undress each other, we spot Mary’s bite mark just before she gives Stack one of his own. When Smoke and Sammie walk in, what initially seemed like an intimate moment turns out to be a much bloodier affair. Up until this point, much of the violence in the film has taken place offscreen. Once Mary is caught in the act, though, nothing is left to the imagination. While his brother bleeds out, Smoke guns Mary down. As Mary gets back up with her devilish eyes glowing, it becomes clear the night is just beginning.

#5: Stack Becomes a Vampire

When Stack goes still in a puddle of his own blood, Smoke assumes that his brother is dead. In a way, he is, but the audience senses that Stack’s story isn’t over yet. It still comes as a shock later when a knock is heard at the door, followed by a knife piercing through and nearly nipping Sammie. Stack is back, although he’s not the same. Smoke is put in a heartbreaking position, wanting his brother back, yet knowing deep down what’ll happen if he opens the door. Before Smoke can grab the key, Stack lets himself out. Since he was turned in the joint, this vampire doesn’t need an invitation. Thankfully, Annie has some pickled garlic, confirming what she suspected.

#4: Juke Joint Showdown

Grace already lost her husband to the vampires. She won’t risk them hunting down her daughter, inviting them in. Preparing for a last stand, the joint catches fire as Grace goes out in a blaze of glory, taking Bo with her. While Annie is badass to the end, she’s ultimately bitten. She’d rather die a mortal than walk the earth forever as one of them. Adding to the tragedy, Smoke is the one who must release her from this fate. Despite being part of Remmick’s hive mind, Stack and Mary’s devastated reactions to Annie’s demise suggest their humanity isn’t entirely gone. Equally sad and shocking is Delta Slim’s decision to stay behind, sacrificing himself so the next generation can live to see another sunrise.

#3: Remmick’s Defeat

Remmick catches up to Sammie in what plays like a demonic baptism. Saying his prayers, Sammie seems resigned to his fate until he thinks to fight Remmick with the power of music. And by that, we mean he hits him over the head with his guitar. Ironic, considering that Sammie’s music is what brought Remmick to the joint in the first place. While Sammie goes for the cranium, Smoke sticks a stake through Remmick’s chest. It’s the sun that finishes Remmick off, along with his followers. Remmick’s demise is the most hellish, as he’s engulfed in a tornado of fire. It’s like the underworld is opening its gate, summoning him below. With that, Remmick at last faces the music.

#2: Smoke’s Last Stand

“Sinners” has multiple climaxes, yet doesn’t overstay its welcome. With the sun up, Smoke prepares for another battle. He must fight this one alone, however. Even if Remmick never showed up, Hogwood and his fellow Klansmen were planning on attacking at dawn. It’s Smoke who catches the KKK off guard, emerging as a one-man army. By the end, only Smoke and Hogwood are left, both bleeding out on the ground. Enjoying what he knows will be his last smoke, Smoke sees Annie and their daughter. Seeing what awaits him, Smoke is ready to move on, but not before finishing off Hogwood. Despite his limited time on screen, we may loathe Hogwood even more than Remmick, making his just desserts even sweeter.

#1: Wait, There’s a Mid-Credits Scene?!

Although mid-credits scenes have never been more commonplace, we weren’t expecting one in “Sinners.” Then we realized, “Oh, yeah! We didn’t see Mary burn with the other vampires or Smoke stake Stack!” It’s nonetheless jarring seeing them resurface, wearing the most 1992 clothes imaginable. They haven’t aged a day, but Sammie is an old blues player. We fear that the couple has returned to finish what started sixty years ago. Stack and Mary are no longer tied to Remmick, however. Honoring his promise to Smoke, Stack let Sammie live. Now that his number is almost up, Stack offers him immortality. Sammie chooses a natural end. Before parting, the old friends share a song and memories of what started as the best night of their lives.

Which moment in “Sinners” sticks out the most to you? Let us know in the comments.