Post-credits scenes have become a staple of modern franchise storytelling, with Pirates of the Caribbean really pioneering the concept and the Marvel Cinematic Universe evolving it into an IP standard. What we sometimes forget is that a post-credits scene can enhance standalone, original films as well, at least when they’re used properly. Ryan Coogler’s new movie, Sinners, is a great example of an original film that utilizes post credits scenes not to set up a future franchise, but to add even more excitement to a great story.
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So to answer your question, yes, Sinners has post-credits scenes. If you’re going to the theater to see it this weekend (which you absolutely should, on the biggest screen possible), you’re going to want to stick around after the movie’s initial ending. There are two scenes to watch, the first of which is essential to the film itself and should not be missed under any circumstances.
The second scene, which comes at the very end of the credits, isn’t nearly as connected and acts as more of a nice sendoff for the audience. Still worth seeing, but not like the mid-credits sequence (which is actually several minutes long).
Below, we’re going to dive into the credits scenes themselves, so there are going to be MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
Sinners Credits Scene Is an Entire Epilogue
Sinners concludes with seemingly just one survivor of the vampire attack on Club Juke — Sammie (Miles Caton). He and his older cousin, Smoke (Michael B. Jordan), kill the vampire horde and see the sun rise. However, Smoke stays back at the club and tells Sammie to go home. Smoke knows that a group of KKK members are coming to the club to attack whoever is there, so he sets a trap to slaughter all of the men who arrive, but he dies in the process of completing his mission.
That leaves Sammie, who opts not to listen to his father and drives away from their church with his broken guitar, following his passion for music. As the credits start to roll, the names cut in and out with footage of a blues club in 1992, where an elderly version of Sammie plays for an energetic crowd. He achieved his dreams and spent his life sharing music with the world.
It seems like Old Sammie’s music is just providing a soundtrack to the credits, when they suddenly stop rolling entirely, and the film cuts to the bar after Sammie has finished playing. He’s told that a young couple has asked to see him and that they’ve offered to pay quite a bit of money to do so. Sammie tells the bouncer to let them in, and it turns out that the couple is none other than Stack (also Michael B. Jordan), Sammie’s other cousin, and Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), Stack’s longtime love.
Stack and Mary haven’t aged a day since that night at Club Juke, whereas Sammie is visibly 60 years older. The two of them were turned to vampires earlier in the movie, and it was assumed that they were killed during the attack. Smoke was shown preparing to drive a stake through his twin-brother-turned-vampire’s chest, making everyone believe Stack was dead. What we find out in the credits scene, however, is that Smoke let Stack go, along with Mary, as long as he swore to never go after Sammie. He wanted Sammie to get the chance to live a full life and leave the events of Club Juke behind him.
That’s what Stack did. He explains to Sammie that he has watched his younger cousin’s career from afar, buying every single one of his records over the years. After talking with Sammie for a few minutes, Stack and Mary leave without any trouble. The scene ends with Sammie cracking a slight smile, actually happy to have seen his cousin again.
This is such a different approach to the idea of a credits scene because it adds to the movie itself. Stack and Mary still being alive doesn’t mean that Ryan Coogler is going to be putting together a Sinners sequel, but it’s nice to explore how the lives of the characters who survived were affected long term.
The second scene, which comes at the end of all the credits, is much shorter and much less important to the story. It simply sees the younger Sammie back in his old church, playing the blues for the audience before they go. There’s not much to it, but it’s a good note to leave on.
Sinners is now playing in theaters everywhere.
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