Sinners ending explained: What happens in the post-credits scene?

Meanwhile, another aspect of the film which has especially resonated with audiences is the music: it boasts one of the year's standout scores courtesy of Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson while the soundtrack also includes some knockout blues performances from the cast.

But what of the film's plot? You'll probably be aware by now that what starts off as a seemingly realistic drama takes a turn for the supernatural before building to an action-packed final act when vampires descend – while an intriguing mid-credits scene muddies the waters a little further.

If you've seen the film and need some of those final moments unpacked, read on to have the Sinners ending explained – with the warning that there are obviously major spoilers ahead.

Sinners ending explained: What happens to Smoke and Stack?

After the horde of vampires finally gains access to the juke joint, an almighty battle ensures – which sees several of those who had not yet been turned into vampires killed, including Grace (Li Jun Li) Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) and Slim (Delroy Lindo), the latter of whom sacrifices himself.

Annie's death comes after she is bitten, with Smoke (MichaeL B Jordan) killing her out of a promise they had earlier made that neither of them would become vampires. Interestingly, vampire Stack and Mary both appear distraught by this death, and the latter is seen feeling the joint.

At the end, only Smoke, Sammie (Miles Caton) and Pearline (Jayme Lawson) remain. The former fights his brother – with the conclusion of their battle left deliberately unclear – while the other two face lead vampire Remmick (Jack O'Connell), which sees Pearline bitten and Sammie fleeing.

At the end of the battle, now outside the joint, Sammie returns to beat Remmick with his guitar before Smoke finishes the job with a stake – with the remaining members of the horde incinerated by the rising sun.

But while the vampires are done with, there is another greater evil lurking: the Klan members, led by landowner Hogwood, who now arrive on the scene with the plan of wrecking the joint. Smoke takes them on single-handedly, killing them all, but tragically succumbs to a wound he picks up in the process – witnessing a vision of Annie and their late daughter as he dies.

We then circle back to the moments seen at the very start of the film, as the traumatised Sammie returns to his father's church. There, he is advised to renounce "the devil's music" – but he refuses and leaves with his guitar.

What happens in the Sinners post-credits scene?

The post-credits scene picks up 60 years after the events of the main narrative, with legendary Blues guitarist Buddy Guy taking over the role of a much-older Sammie – who it turns out went on to have a hugely successful career in the world of music.

The scene takes place Sammie's own Chicago blues bar, and sees him visited by Stack and Mary – who haven't aged a day since we last saw them (although they are both wearing era-appropriate outfits.)

Stack explains that Smoke had decided against killing him when he had the chance at the juke joint all those decades earlier, but that his freedom came with one condition: that he would let Sammie live in peace.

They also now present Sammie with an offer of immortality, which he refuses, before he plays them a song. At the end of the scene, he reminisces about the night at the juke joint and explains that despite the traumatic events that evening, he still thinks of the day leading up to it as the greatest of his life.

Smoke's response is to agree with him, explaining that not only was it both the last time he saw Smoke and the last time he witnessed the Sun, but also that it was the only time in his life that he had ever truly felt free.

Will there be a Sinners sequel?

Even well ahead of release, there were some rumours that Coogler intended the film to be the first part of a new franchise – and that end-credits scene certainly suggests that there could be more stories to tell in this world if that's a road the writer/director remains interested in pursuing.

But more recently, Coogler has remained relatively coy about the idea of a sequel, telling EBONY: "I never think about that. I’ve been in a space of making franchise films for a bit, so I wanted to get away from that."

And he added that audiences shouldn't necessarily see the credits scene as a tease for a further film.

"I wanted the movie to feel like a full meal: your appetizers, starters, entrees and desserts, I wanted all of it there," he explained. "I wanted it to be a holistic and finished thing. That was how I was asked all about it. That was always my intention.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with GamesRadar+, Michael B Jordan said he'd, "be up for it" when asked about the possibility of a sequel, although he added that Coogler "calls the shots."

So in short, at the moment it seems that there are no plans for a Sinners sequel – but of course that could all change in the future. Watch this space!

Sinners is now showing in UK cinemas.

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