When she’s not singing or writing songs, Sinners Hailee Steinfeld has proven her aptitude for cinema. The actress got her start very early, being one of the youngest in Oscar history to get a nomination at the age of 14. Steinfeld starred in the 2011 film. Real couragewith Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges. An adaptation of the 1968 novel, the film showed that Steinfeld was already a powerhouse.

Since then, she has appeared in live-action and animated scenes, gaining popularity for her roles in Into the Spider-Verse And Esoteric. Steinfeld increased his footprint in pop culture by starring alongside Michael B. Jordan in Ryan Coogler’s first original film. Perfect for spooky season, its horror movie Sinners blew away audiences, even when it premiered in April. Steinfeld’s performance still resonates with viewers who continue to shout his iconic lines at the performer. Even though no one called to talk about their performance at SinnersTHE Edge of seventeen The actor’s performance made many people do a double-take during the emotional film.

Sinners is more than just a vampire movie

Image via Warner Bros.

When Ryan Coogler finally produced his own original project outside of the previously established characters, he didn’t pass up the opportunity. By reuniting with his frequent collaborator, Michael B. Jordan, the two men have woven a story worthy of artists. Jordan did not play the role of just one character in the film, but two impressive characters, which was a big appeal for the film.

THE Creed The actor played Smoke and Stack, twins in the Prohibition-era Mississippi Delta. Inspired by Al Capone’s insight, the brothers returned to Mississippi from Chicago to start their own business. Enlisting the help of friends and relatives to help them set up their new juke joint, the brothers began to think that the hard times were finally over.

It turned out that wasn’t the case when night fell and residents of their community were faced with a terrifying reality. A group of strangers knocked on their door during the festivities and quickly revealed themselves to be vampires. Attracted by the music, leader Remmick sought to assimilate the twins and their friends into his vampire cult in order to make contact with his ancestors, long lost to him.

This plot represented a division between Sinners and all other mainstream vampire films. Although it shares some similarities with the vampire classic From dusk to dawn, Sinners took the horror of the genre and transformed it into a fascinating tale full of lore and spirituality. The central thesis of the film depended on the importance of music, represented by the twins’ cousin, Sammie.

Son of a pastor, Sammie always wanted to be a musician, even if his father despised the profession. Still, Sammie clung to his guitar, bringing music so meaningful that it reached back to the ancestors and passed down to future generations in a fascinating sequence. This was exactly what had attracted Remmick in the first place, wanting that power to see his own people.

The film’s story also revolved around Smoke’s wife Annie, who was familiar with Hoodoo, which was authentic to the area. Sinners was a vampire film like no other, told from the point of view of characters rarely featured in vampire films. The film was a celebration of music as much as it was a horror film about intruders trying to break into a community in which they are not welcome. This theme wouldn’t have landed as well without Hailee Steinfeld’s Mary, who became the heart of the film.

Hailee Steinfeld stole the show as Mary

Image via Warner Bros. Discovery

Michael B. Jordan has been a calling card for Ryan Coogler’s films and for good reason. Jordan has received critical acclaim in films such as Fruitvale Station And Creed before putting himself in the shoes of the Smokestack twins. The actor transitioned seamlessly between the two characters, but the story would have been nothing without the impulsive and stubborn Mary.

Hailee Steinfeld brought the character to life, a woman who didn’t fit in anywhere. Raised in Jim Crow America, Mary had to be careful because of her lineage. Although she was accepted into society as a white woman, her grandfather was half-black, which put her on shaky ground. Due to the “drop in the bucket” law, any proof of her black ancestry would subject her to the racism of the time.

This fact became even more complex when she fell in love with Stack, a black man who had a close relationship with the criminal element. Mary had been raised between two worlds and had access to both due to her position. Her mother had been loved in the community, which extended to Mary herself.

Despite this, she was fired, even though it was an act of love. Although Stack loved Mary as much as she loved him, he encouraged her to marry a white man so she could have a better life. This was not planned for Mary, who only had eyes for Stack and had made her intentions clear. In the 1930s, any stubborn woman faced reproach, and even her unstable position in society never gave her pause.

Mary always knew what she wanted, and she made it clear when she returned to town following her mother’s funeral. She sought out Stack, regardless of her reservations, even going so far as to attend the juke joint on the night that changed everyone’s lives. Mary stood out in the club as the only white person in the crowd, but she was fully accepted by the community. This allowed her to say what she wanted when she wanted, including making it clear that her sexual relationship with Stack had been important.

Steinfeld’s role in the film became notable not only because of the racist comments, but also a never-before-seen performance from the actor. In one of her first scenes, she makes her intentions clear to Stack, even though he tried to make her understand that he wanted her to leave. His dialogue was a shocking way of introducing the character and stood out to viewers. Steinfeld admitted Variety that many fans would quote his line, making the interactions a little more than uncomfortable. From her point of view, it was the last thing on her mind when she was filming Sinners.

“I certainly didn’t expect that line — or any of the lines that people were really running with from Mary — to kind of blow up the way they did,” Steinfeld said on the Awards Circuit podcast. “You never expect these things to explode…and it’s always really interesting to see what people take with them and what they run with.”

Mary stole the show with these scenes, which made it even more heartbreaking when she reached her ultimate fate. Throughout the night at the juke joint, she endeared herself to Stack, who eventually admitted that he loved her, which is why he pushed her away. Mary, in turn, told him she only wanted him, which allowed them to come to an understanding before disaster struck.

Sinners has always been a love story

Image via Warner Bros.

Sinners fired on all cylinders from the making of the film, the development of the characters and the story until the very end. Few people survived the events of the film, but that made the story all the more meaningful. This powerful story centered around the onslaught of a vampire epidemic, but it was fueled by love. Romantic love was important to Sinnersas well as the love between two brothers.

Although many die in the film, small victories are revealed during the final credits. The trouble began with the arrival of Remmick, who seemed determined to turn the entire juke joint into vampires. It unfortunately started with Mary, who bravely went out to face the demons. She was the first to be transformed into one of them, and she immediately spread the poison on the person she loved the most: Stack.

At first, it certainly seemed like the Mary Stack had known was gone forever, but there was still a core of her left. She loved Stack so much that she chose him to be the first to turn so they could be together forever. This dream could have come to a quick end at the hands of Smoke, who promised to kill the demonic scourge.

When he reached his brother, he tried to kill him, but it was impossible. Instead, he trapped Mary and Stack in the joint when he and Sammie killed Remmick. They were spared from the sun, allowing them to live their immortal lives. Although Smoke, Annie, and Delta Slim died, Mary and Stack finally got the chance they never had.

The world they lived in never allowed them to be together, but immortality gave them a chance to escape Jim Crow society and live in a more enlightened time where they could love each other in public. Sinners ends in the ’90s, and although interracial couples weren’t yet fully accepted, their vampirism allowed them to travel the world without fear. Being a vampire was considered a curse in Sinners, but the only people who get a happy ending are Mary and Stack.

Thanks to Steinfeld and Michael B. Jordan’s chemistry and performances, Mary and Stack’s story was a light at the end of the tunnel. They may have subjected themselves to being bloodthirsty monsters, but it allowed them to get the ending they deserved. Mary was essentially a modern woman living in bad times, but she was able to let time catch up with her, allowing her to find happiness. Steinfeld was very successful in his time, but his commitment to the role of Mary do Sinners stand out.

Release date

April 18, 2025

Runtime

138 minutes

Director

Ryan Coogler

Writers

Ryan Coogler

Producers

Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler

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  Michael B.Jordan

  Smoke / Battery

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