Sinners (2025) is a Southern Gothic vampire horror set in 1930s Mississippi, following twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore as they return home from Chicago. Using money tied to dangerous sources, they plan to open a juke joint to serve their Black community during the Jim Crow era. Their vision is one of joy and cultural empowerment, offering music, safety, and identity in a world marked by racism and economic hardship.
The community bands together to build the club—musicians, cooks, neighbors—all contributing to a dream bigger than themselves. At the heart of it is their cousin Sammie, a gifted blues guitarist shunned by his strict preacher father. As Sammie performs, his music seems to touch something deeper, stirring ancestral memory and tapping into a spiritual force that hints at more than just entertainment—it’s a form of survival and resistance.
The story takes a dark turn with the arrival of a mysterious drifter named Remmick, who is revealed to be a vampire fleeing ancient hunters. He and his followers, including Stack, begin infiltrating the town and the club, pretending to seek unity. But their true aim is to feed on the power of the community. As the juke joint opens, it becomes the center of a violent, supernatural showdown between humans and the undead.
Smoke, realizing his brother has joined the vampires, leads a last stand to protect what they’ve built. In a brutal and emotional battle, he defeats Remmick and his brood but is fatally wounded—not by a vampire, but by white supremacists seeking to destroy the rising Black cultural space. His sacrifice ensures Sammie escapes, carrying with him the spirit of the juke joint and the music that kept them alive.
The film ends years later, showing an older Sammie still playing blues, having rejected immortality and instead choosing to live fully and truthfully. Sinners is a powerful blend of horror, history, and music, using vampires not just as monsters, but as metaphors for exploitation and erasure. It tells a haunting, deeply emotional story about art, memory, resistance, and the price of freedom.