"Sinners": A Character Analysis (Part 1)

Hello hello and welcome to the first official post in MONTHS. Again, thank you so much everyone for your patience. I hope that your days are well and if you happen to be celebrating July 4th, be safe and have fun. I am celebrating July 4th by watching Sinners and eating Sushi.

Speaking of which, Happy Sinners-Is-Now-Streaming-On-HBO-MAX day!

In my last post, I mentioned that whoever could guess what this week's post would be about, they would get a shoutout.

Big shoutout to KingDarius4Lyfe for immediately guessing which film I would be posting about for this week's post. Take a moment to go follow him on Twitch. He plays a variety of games, but can often be seen playing some horror games with his community.

I’ve been talking nonstop about how much I loved Sinners. I got to see the film in Germany during my last week there and I quickly realized that I would have rather saw it in English. Watching films and TV Shows and even reading stories in German was a fun experience for me while I studied there (and is fun to do even while I’m here back in the States), but Sinners is the type of movie that needs to be seen in English. Nothing gets better than hearing the authentic accents of each of the characters, while also being able to understand the context of every single word spoken or sung. The historical references were also a little harder for me to pick up while watching in a foreign language. Because it was dubbed over for the German version, the voices felt off when characters sang, and their southern accents were easily wiped away to make room for the voice actors who were dubbing over the movie in German. It was amazing to be able to watch in English and not feel this disjointed transition from each character talking, to hearing them sing. Me and my study abroad friend didn’t even realize that Remmick was Irish until he started singing “Rocky Road To Dublin” when we saw it in Germany.

One thing that I loved about this film is that it is much more than a horror movie. The things that take place are definitely horror enough as it is, but the struggles of living as a black man, woman, or child were copious. The loom of the KKK was always around the corner. Always having to keep your head on a swivel was enough to make anyone cautious of allowing white people into their newly established place of business. There were too many factors that could go into a devastating end for those who were seen as "less than".

From here on out, there will be spoilers. If you haven’t had a moment to check out this masterpiece of a film, take the time to. At the time of this post’s release, Sinners is available on HBO. Maybe watch it a few times before coming back to this post. I’m a strong believer in the fact that this film requires at least three watch throughs in order to pick up on most things like the themes, the imagery, and the metaphors that help to describe the history that oppressed people had to endure. In this analysis, I will be breaking down the characters and their importance to key themes in the film’s story. I’ll also include a little bit of historical context that pertains to specific elements and to each character of the film.

Again, I highly recommend watching the film a few times before continuing with this read. For those who are ready to read on, let’s get started…

**NOTE: There will be a specific focus on Sammy and his relationships with the characters that I think represent the seven sins.**

I would first like to introduce Sammy. Miles Caton portrays this character in his breakout role and does a damn good job, both with his ability to make music and his incredible acting.. Sammy is the son of a preacher (nicknamed Preacher Boy). He works alongside his mother, and helps his father with sermons when asked. In his free time, he enjoys making blues music, to which his father disapproves. Sammy’s character is innocent and quite naive to the world around him. When he looks for his guitar after completing his work for the day, he finds it missing and goes to confront his father. The guitar was found in the church where his father asks him to help with Sunday service the next day. Sammy agrees to read from the bible, proving that he’s memorized the lines and grabs his guitar. Instead of heeding his father’s warning; "If you keep dancing with the devil, one day he's gonna follow you home.", he opts to follow his dream of playing his music in front of a crowd. The line makes me think of Annie’s opening scene and Slim’s monologue later on in the film; Music calls out to the ancestors and transcends space and time to reach future generations. It is magic “piercing the veil between life and death” and the viewer eventually sees how Sammy has this power when he sings. The scene representing this is when there are different generations across time playing music in the juke joint, combining blues music with differing types of music across time and races, showcasing the fact that it can bring people of all types together. “It can bring healing to its communities, but it also attracts evil.” So not only did we as a viewer get foreshadowing before the film starts, but Sammie receives a second warning about his music when Slim speaks. But instead of heeding these warnings, he continues to navigate through the day (and night) with a sense of naivety. After his father’s warning, Sammy drives off with his older cousins Elijah (Smoke) and Elias (Stack). Throughout the course of the film, Sammy is influenced by multiple people throughout the film that bring him farther and farther from Christianity:

Wraith - The KKK

Greed - Smoke (Elijah)

Sloth - Stack (Elias)

Gluttony - Delta Slim

Lust - Pearline

Envy - Remmick

Pride - Grace

Sammie and the Wraith

The viewer never actually sees Sammy interact with the KKK, but this film takes place in Mississippi in 1932. During this time in US history, due to the Jim Crow law, segregation was legal and while slaves were allowed to be free, there were those who believed that segregation allowed for white people to stay elevated in society. Restaurants, hospitals, schools, public transportation, and even public water fountains were not created equal for everyone. People of color were still seen as less than and were handed the bare minimum when it came to their education, their health, and even the places they were "allowed" to eat. With this context, the viewer can assume that Sammy has had the experience of the average black person for this time.

This law influenced his twin cousins (Smoke and Stack) to buy an old mill and its surrounding land. They wanted to have a place of their own for the African American community to sing, dance, enjoy music, enjoy food and drinks, and live for a night without having to worry about their oppressors. The twins had gifted Sammy the guitar that sparked his love for blues music, and sparked the disdain that his father had for it. Throughout the course of the film, Sammy’s cousins expose him to everything that his father tried to protect him from and this further influences him to want to stray from the path that would have most kept him safe.

Sammy Meets Greed & Sloth

When he is initially picked up by the twins, Sammy's first concern is about their life in Chicago. He'd heard rumors about the non-existent Jim Crow laws, showcasing his dream to travel from Mississippi and move to a place that seemingly has more freedoms for African Americans. Unfortunately, historically segregation was very real in Chicago much like any other place. Jim Crow was deemed unconstitutional, but it didn’t prevent white Chicagoans from creating spaces that were exclusionary to persons of color, wanting to maintain their idea that everyone else is “less than” or the “other”. Even before the 1930’s, violence was still prevalent against the “other” especially if it would help drive them out. This scene where Sammy inquires about their lives has Smoke immediately tell Sammy not to believe everything he hears and states that “Chicago ain’t sh*t, but Mississippi with tall buildings instead of plantations.” (Personally, I feel that this scene is important especially since it also technically functions as a historical piece.)

This information doesn’t seem to shake Sammy out of the idea that the grass is greener on the other side, and he brings up the notion once again. Not only does he want to do whatever he can to play blues music, but he also wants to escape plantation life. I also believe that he sees how successful his cousins had been in obtaining money, and maybe likes the idea of that as well. It would be a dream to be able to buy your own property living as a non-white person in these times. Sammy’s tunnel vision showcases how young and naive he is to the world and Smoke, the older of the twins, has that sense of responsibility to protect his younger cousin much like he protected his younger brother throughout their lives.

I believe that Stack usually relies on Smoke when it comes to decisions and often does things without fully thinking them through, making him take the position of the Sloth. This requires Smoke to not only watch his own back, but to also make sure that Stack isn’t getting up to things that could get him hurt. Stack may not be a “sloth” in the physical sense, but I think it's more in the mental sense. He jump the gun on things, requiring people to make sure that he’s making the right choices. His reliance on Smoke to ensure their safety, their earnings, and their decision making when it comes to anything that requires “talking business” made me feel like he was just along for the ride if it required financial success. Maybe like his brother, Stack could occupy the Greed position as well.

Sammy meets Gluttony

A little while later, the twins realize that they can’t get their new juke joint set up and ready for it’s opening night. The only way for it to be opened is if they split up to take care of recruiting people for help and spreading the word. The problem is, the twins don’t often split up especially because Smoke is constantly watching out for his brother. He entrusts Sammy to watch Stack’s back and the trio splits up to take care of their assigned tasks. Smoke sets off to find people to help with preparing for the night while Stack and Sammy set off to find entertainment and security for the night.

Stack brings Sammy to meet Slim, another well known musician who is older and resorts to spending his free time drinking his worries away. Sammy’s naivety is showcased more as he attempts to prove his talent for blues, to which Slim threatens him. Stack talks up his little cousin and Slim accepts the idea of playing his harmonica while Sammy sings and plays his guitar. The surrounding crowd enjoys the music and Sammy truly looks happy during this time..

Watching Sammy play music showcases his genuine happiness for his talent and ability to bring people together. He was initially so excited to prove to Slim that he’s the real deal, not taking into account the “rules” of the real world (if Slim’s threats rung true). Slim uses his ability to make enough money to buy more alcohol. He is even convinced into playing at the juke joint when Stack offers up as much fancy alcohol as he wants to play piano for them that night. Talk of money wasn’t enough for him to want to give up his usual Saturday nights at another place that guaranteed his spot and his money to buy more booze. But at the first taste of Stack’s Chicago beer, Slim could've been convinced to do anything.

He is later seen at the Juke joint, always with a bottle by his side (or in his hand), and is even trying to navigate through the initial chaos of the night while drunk.

Sammy meets Lust

Pearline was a character that made me think of Sammy’s upbringing and how close his father is to Christianity. He was raised in a seemingly somewhat strict (ish) household and at some point in the film, Stack talks to Sammy about sex (which, spoiler alert, he takes the advice and has a good time with Pearline). Pearline's character is immediately showcased as one who is captivating, seductive, and someone everyone would want. She holds her head high and confidence is no stranger to her. She embodies the definition of lust, to the point that Sammy is immediately questioning her happiness when she brings up her marriage. The two waste no time in flirting and spend time together at the juke joint with the intention of doing more than simple talking and singing (she’s a singer too). Sammy is eager to make love to her.

Sammy meets Envy

Rem, Rem, Rem (my nickname for him even though it makes me think of Death Note). Remmick gets introduced almost 45 minutes into the film, potentially making the viewer forget about the fact that this film also has some elements that aren’t quite normal in everyday life. Usually the villain of the story is introduced much earlier, but with Remmick’s sudden introductions (I mean that literally), we get a small break away from our main cast. Remmick feels a pull to the juke joint once the party begins and is drawn in by a particular person with a phenomenal voice.

Upon his attempt to enter the juke joint (he needs permission, following the classic vampire rules), he happens to see the person of his interest, Sammy. No matter how much he tries to convince the twins to allow him and his new friends inside, the twins refuse based on their skin color (valid, especially for these times since anything could go wrong). Remmick’s seemingly accepting of this refusal until he sees Mary, to which he asks how she was allowed in. A pause…. And Remmick seemingly accepts the fact that Mary is there, but the viewer can immediately see that he’s hurt. Sammy hardly says anything to Remmick, but they get up close and personal by the end of this film.

Remmick puts everyone through hell while they’re alive, not caring about how hurt anyone becomes. Once turned, he has access to all of their memories, using them against those who have not yet turned and are within the security of the juke joint. Remmick is eventually able to make his way to Sammy and a fight ensues. I find it interesting that Remmick is envious towards not being included when asked to enter into a night of dancing, singing, and celebrating life. Remmick just wants to be a part of something especially after his history (will go through this more in his character analysis). Sammy harbors envy himself and although he isn’t willing to hurt anyone to attain his goal of making it out to Chicago, he gets into a disagreement with Smoke about the idea when he brings it up later. This is after he has a run-in with Remmick. With this symbolism, he has already shown that he has begun to succumb to the devil.

When he and Remmick engage in their fight, Sammy is haunted by the events of the night, looking traumatized by the time he makes it back to his father. He’s unwilling to let go of what’s left of his guitar even though it can only bring nightmares of the night before. He’s still clinging onto hope that he can have a career in music (and he does based on the end-credits). He had physically bought the devil home with him the next day due to his inability to let go of his love for blues and the fact that he now has to carry with him the trauma of what happened. The end-credits show that even in his old age, he is still haunted by the events of that night. He talks to Stack and Mary about how before everything happened, he had had the best time of his life.

Sammy meets Pride

Grace… I really liked Grace and her husband Bo. I didn’t realize this in my initial watch of this film, but they represented (especially Grace) being there for African Americans until things got tough. Grace’s character is also complex in the sense that she and her husband have a daughter, so I can completely understand her need to leave a really bad situation to make it back home to her child. The only thing that I can fault her for is her inability to think logically while Remmick tries to convince her to let him inside the juke joint.

After Stack’s death, she immediately tells Bo that they need to leave, they signed up to help set up the juke joint, but they didn’t sign up for “this”. I took that statement as, they didn’t sign up to further help the twins with whatever was coming their way and they were only there as surface-level friends, to help out with the fun stuff. The two also barely uttered a word to Smoke after the loss of his brother which is a little heartbreaking.

This made me think of the “model minority” and how Asian Americans were treated better than other minorities residing within the United States. There were moments where everyone got along, but there were also moments when Asian Americans weren't often wanting to be seen with African Americans. Grace, for example, has an heir of confidence throughout this film up until they are attacked. When she is finally confronted by Remmick and her now-turned husband, she loses all sense of logic, but is still confident in her ability to take out an entire juke joint of vampires. The others try to keep Grace at bay, but she betrays everyone (including herself) by allowing the vampires to step through the threshold. She ignores the safety of the juke joint and the ignores the fact that other people are relying on its security by putting them in danger. Grace turns on her friends by allowing the enemy in, willing to sacrifice everyone to maybe kill one vampire.

(Side note: Can someone please explain to me why humans assume they can always kill the supernatural? I know Grace is taking the Pride position and she thinks she can do anything, but it always annoyed me when people were sacrificed for no reason in movies because some thought they could battle a non-human.)

Grace only has the opportunity to kill Bo, and doesn’t even try to fight for survival so that her daughter isn’t left alone with no parents. (I do wonder what happened to her after the events of that night). If Grace was able to stay somewhat level-headed, including listening to Annie, she may have had the opportunity to make it through the night and see her daughter again. The remaining characters would have also been able to survive the night. Unfortunately, the vampires might have gone into hiding before sunrise, but seeing as Remmick fought until sunrise, he may have stayed there as he tried to infiltrate the juke joint.

(I will forever be mad at Grace for Annie's death.)

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And that's a wrap on Sammy's character analysis. If you've read this far, thank you so much! It turned out to be a much longer post than I originally thought. Let me know your thoughts below, and I'll see you next time!

And again, have a wonderful and safe night!