Even Though We Knew Hailee Steinfeld Was Playing A Vampire In Sinners, Her Character's Fate Still Took Me By Surprise -

Warning: SPOILERS for 2025’s Sinners.The trailers for Sinners ruined what could have been Hailee Steinfeld’s character’s biggest twist, but the movie still takes her in surprising directions. Sinners’ rave reviews have been more than earned; director Ryan Coogler’s newest movie is incredibly genre-fluid, balancing its horror with extremely touching drama and some rather interesting commentary on its time period. That’s been reflected by Sinners’ box office takings, which may very well continue rising as the movie becomes an increasingly notable topic of household conversation.

Even after a story-packed journey of more than two hours, Sinners’ ending still manages to have a few more surprises. Certain outcomes are somewhat expected from a vampire movie, but Sinners accomplishes a couple of late-game twists by putting new spins on the established rules. This affects some characters more than others, but the implications they have for Hailee Steinfeld’s Mary are particularly intriguing. This is especially true when considering that, after the movie’s trailers, Mary’s biggest plot twist was apparently ruined.

Sinners Spoiled Hailee Steinfeld’s Character Was A Vampire, But That Didn’t Hurt Her Story

There’s So Much More To Her Story Arc Than Her Villain Turn

Peter Dreimanis as Bert, Jack O'Connell as Remmick, Hailee Steinfeld as Mary, and Lola Kirke as Joan in Sinners

It’s debatable how shocking Mary’s vampire transformation would have been had it not been shown in the trailer. Although the scene in which she’s turned begins with Remmick (Jack O’Connell) and his crew performing a rendition of “Wild Mountain Thyme” on strings, the fact that she goes out to meet with three vampires on her own makes it hard to imagine things ending any other way. Once we learn how important Sammie’s (Miles Caton) music in Sinners is to Remmick, even the vampires finishing their beautiful song in front of Mary no longer feels like a non-threatening act.

Sinners’ Vampire Lore & Remmick’s Backstory Explained

Jack O’Connell’s Remmick is the charismatic and traditional vampire who kicks off the devilish chaos in Sinners, and he has a fascinating backstory.

But even if Mary’s transformation might have been predictable without the marketing, she quickly brings other twists to the table. Seeing the differences in her character when she goes from human to bloodsucker helps establish several Sinners’ vampire rules. It’s through Mary that we learn the vampires share memories with one another, and that plays a big role in why Remmick can use Sammie’s music to reap benefits the average mortal might not consciously experience. Even before this reveal, Mary’s story includes twists nobody could have predicted.

Mary’s Relationship To Smoke & Stack Was An Intriguing Aspect Of Sinners

The Three Have A Complicated History Together

Michael B. Jordan plays twins in Sinners, but Smoke and Stack are far from being carbon copies of each other. Despite their differences, however, one thing the two have in common is that Mary’s mother took them in and helped provide for them when they were still young. Stack began dating Mary at some point after that, but eventually abandoned her because he knew society wouldn’t accept a relationship between a Black man and a white woman.

Sinners’ Club Juke One-Shot Is Now My Candidate For The Coolest Movie Scene Of The Year So Far

Music is its own living, breathing character in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, and its on full display in an intoxicating one-shot midway through the movie.

However, while she generally passes as white, Mary is of mixed race. She therefore finds it difficult to accept Stack’s excuses, and she’s held onto that resentment ever since Smoke and Stack left her behind to run with Capone in Chicago. That said, Mary still cares about the twins and wants their juke joint to succeed, which is why she goes out to speak with Remmick in the first place, so that the bar won’t lose sales on opening night. Even then, her complexity doesn’t end there when considering everyone who dies in Sinners, and more specifically who doesn’t.

Mary’s Husband Could Be A Driving Force In A Sinners Sequel

Her Character Changes Yet Again In The Film’s Final Moments

Mary is glaring at someone on the dancefloor in Sinners — Image via Warner Bros.

Stack and Mary are the only vampires confirmed to survive the sunrise at the end of Sinners, but that’s not to say they survive together. They exit the fight at separate points, and it’s only later they seem to reunite and follow Sammie’s career together. Additionally, early in Sinners, Mary is said to be married to a white man, who never appears in the movie. This could lead to a very intriguing Sinners sequel, as Mary and Stack adjust to life as vampires to have the control and elements of their old personalities that they do in the mid-credits scene.

Michael B. Jordan as Smoke looking suspiciously at someone in Sinners

Sinners Prequel & Sequel Chances Addressed By Michael B. Jordan After Record-Setting Rotten Tomatoes Debut

Michael B. Jordan addresses the chances of a Chicago-set Sinners prequel or modern-day sequel happening for the record-setting horror movie.

There is a potential story in Mary and Stack finding each other again and dealing with Mary’s husband if he ever comes looking for her. Considering the history of class and race disparities, he probably didn’t approve of her relationship with the twins, to begin with, and is in for a shock when she and Stack come back as vampires. The fact that even small details like Mary’s ’90s outfit can suggest further storylines is a testament to why Sinners has become seen as one of Michael B. Jordan’s best movies. If they do make a sequel, it’ll be tough living up to this amazing first installment.