Warning: massive spoilers for Sinners are in play!
Writer/director Ryan Coogler really went for the jugular with his latest film, Sinners, as the 2025 movie schedule debut was so much more than just “a vampire movie.” Perhaps the greatest surprise the man had up his sleeve is the fact that his well received reunion with Michael B. Jordan actually leaves some room to return to this world in the future.
With a mixture of excitement and apprehension, I feel the need to talk these feelings out with you all. So, if you haven’t partaken in the beauty that is Sinners, consider this your final warning. From this point forward, we’re about to get into the gory details, and why this is such a surprising turn.
Sinners’ Epilogue Left A Surprising Twist For Potential Sequels
Hailee Steinfeld) and Stack (Michael B. Jordan).
As it turns out, they survived the events of 1932, as Smoke (also Jordan) couldn’t kill his twin brother. However, Sinners’ vampire twin was spared for a cost, as he was sworn to never attack Sammie. One final offer of eternal life from the pair, decked out in ‘90s street wear reminiscent of the early rap scene, closes the books, and sees all parties parting once more.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; but in all fairness, that film was dealt a tragic hand through the passing of Chadwick Boseman.
Outside of Black Panther 2’s complicated development, the audience and critical response to Wakanda Forever wasn’t as universally warm as the reception the original received in 2018. I truly feel that watching Sinners for the first time is like seeing Jurassic Park, or even Boseman’s MCU debut, on opening weekend; and chasing that feeling with another entry is certainly daunting.
Jamie Foxx won him over after being cast in Ray.
The overall message of Sinners ties deeply into the message of musicians with a gift that, as Wunmi Moskau’s Annie puts it, “can pierce the veil” of time and space. Turning back to my example of a Sinners 2 where Jimi Hendrix comes into play, his mythos in the halls of rock and roll absolutely qualify as that sort of figure.
Unfortunately, since that guitar legend left this mortal coil in 1970, it opens up a new potential for an awkward follow up. Thematically, that idea could still work; but spiritually, it would feel weird to either see an actor play the role of Mr. Hendrix, or to re-write history and show him dying after a brush with vampires.
Although the metaphor of vampirism as the appropriation and corruption of the culture in play does make that potentially tragic ending to a hypothetical Sinners sequel a little more workable. As always, it would need to be handled with respect; as one can’t just graft a supernatural explanation onto a real-life tragedy – despite what X-Men: Days of Future Past’s JFK assassination story may suggest.
I cannot recommend checking out this horror dramedy highly enough, as the journey from those first reports about “Ryan Coogler’s mystery project” to the reality we’ve seen on screen has been very sweet. Not every movie nabs notices like Sinners’ critical reactions, so claiming that the Fruitvale Station helmer has his finger on the pulse doesn’t sound so out there. If you’re even mildly curious about what’s at stake, and you’ve somehow read this entire rundown before seeing it for yourself, you should head out to the movies at your earliest convenience.