Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Sinners.
Sinnersstar Wunmi Mosaku dives into the actions of Michael B. Jordan’s Smoke during the movie’s climax, explaining why one vampire was spared a bloody end in the fiery juke joint showdown. Ryan Coogler’s 2025 period vampire horror saw two twins return from their criminal lives in Prohibition-era Chicago to their home on the Mississippi Delta to create their dream business, only to attract the attention of a sinister creature of the night.TheSinnerscastfeatures Jordan portraying Smoke and Stack, twin brothers who return home after surviving war and the Chicago crime scene, only to face undead nightmares.
As Mosaku opened up toThe Hollywood Reporter, theSinnersstar addressed why she feels Smoke chose to spare Stack after he was turned instead of putting him out of his misery, as he had with Annie (Mosaku) when she was bitten. She stated that she felt Smoke’s willingness to lay Annie to rest was to do justice to everything she stood for in life, while he wasconfident that Stack’s new existence wouldn’t compromise on how he wished to live. Check out Mosaku’s full explanation below:
Annie asked, and Annie shared with the group that this [vampiric] fate is wicked. They never see the sun or feel the warmth of a sunrise, and they’re never able to rejoin their ancestors, which, in Annie’s mind, is part of the right and righteous cycle. And then, to forever live on earth, in a place with conflict and pain and sorrow, that’s not her goal.
So Smoke kills her because the fate of Annie as a vampire is absolutely against everything she believes in and everything she wants. Stack has already turned, but he’s still Stack. He’s still his brother; he’s just in a different form. And I believe that he didn’t kill Stack, because he trusted Stack to keep his promise [regarding Sammie]. Stack now gets to live his life with the love of his life [Mary] in perpetuity, and Smoke understands that too. He’s answering Annie and Stack’s prayers and wants in each moment.
What This Means For Sinners
Annie Becoming A Vampire Would Have Prevented Her From Finding Her True Desires
Mosaku’s answer perfectly aligns withone ofSinners' key themes, asfreedom becomes a major element connecting each character. For example, Smoke and Stack hope to create a safe haven for the Black community free of the bigotry that dominates their lives, while Sammie (Miles Caton) hopes to shape his own life through his music. Remmick, despite having lost his freedom in life, represents a theft of freedom, as his idea of an equal community through vampirism is twisted and self-serving, appropriating others' lives for his own gain as they become his thralls.
As such, while Annie’s fate is tragic, it is arguably the better fate when compared to what she could have become. Not only would her existence under Remmick see her become an afront to all she believed in, but it could have prevented her from everreuniting with her and Smoke’s long-lost childif the leading vampire had succeeded. As such, it is clear that despite both decisions being heartbreaking for Smoke,he acted to give his loved ones the things they desired the most.
Our Take On Annie’s Fate In Sinners
Annie and Smoke’s Endings Are Cathartic For Their Journeys
With Stack’s fate being hidden untilSinners' mid-credits scene, audiences are initially led to believe Smoke had been forced to take the lives of those he held dearest, making his and Mary’s (Hailee Steinfeld) present-day reappearance a pleasant surprise after Remmick’s horde seemingly burned with him. While the movies' vampire lore raised the possibility that any vampire could escape their maker’s influence, Mosaku’s response conveys just why Annie turning would do her character a disservice. Furthermore, while both Annie and Smoke meet their ends,Sinnersshows that their journeys had delivered them to a moment they had both longed for.
