"Sinners" Is a Modern-Day Retelling of How the Ibeji Twins Beat the Devil

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful.
He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,
He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."
— 1 Corinthians 10:13

This was the scripture that Sammie was left with before he rode off into town with his cousins Smoke and Stack.

Now before we get into the movie, let's get into the famous Pataki of how the Ibeji Twins defeated the Devil.

In Yoruba tradition, the Ibeji are sacred twins symbolizing balance, joy, and protection. In a well-known pataki (sacred story), the Ibeji confront a malevolent spirit named Abita "the Devil" , who had been causing harm by setting traps along roads to ensnare and kill travelers.​

To stop Abita's destruction, the Ibeji devised a plan. They challenged Abita to a dance contest, wagering that they could outdance him. Abita, confident in his abilities, accepted the challenge.​

During the contest, one twin began playing a magical drum, producing an irresistible rhythm that compelled Abita to dance. As the dance continued, the twins took turns playing the drum, ensuring the music never ceased. Abita, unaware of the switch, danced continuously until he collapsed from exhaustion.​

Upon his defeat, the Ibeji demanded that Abita remove all the traps he had set and cease his harmful actions. Abita agreed, restoring safety to the roads.​

Are you starting to understand how Sinners depicted this with Smoke, Stack & Sammie yet?

Smoke and Stack played by Michael B. Jordan are the representation of the Ibeji Twins. Smoke represents Taiwo & Stack represents Kehinde. Sammie represents the percussion instrument used to lure in Abita (the devil). Now let's get into the official breakdown.

Smoke and Stack decide to open up a juke joint in the Prohibition Era of the 1930's with the intentions of creating an environment where black people could come together to "sweat all over each other", drink and have a good time after a long day of field work. Sammie their cousin who had the talent of bringing down the ancestors of the past, present and future would be the entertainment. Sammie was the vessel that the Ibeji's used to lure the devil in only in this story, no one knew who or how close the devil was until it was too late.

Remmick was a disguise for Abita. Remmick went around town biting anyone who gave him an invitation. He wasn’t biting everyone for a taste of blood, he was looking to build a community. He was lonely. Soulless. A vampire looking to create a community because he couldn’t connect to his own. When you become a vampire, you lose something bigger than the warmth of the sun, you lose your spiritual connection to your ancestors. You can’t feel them and you can’t call them. And Remmick had been wandering without that connection for so long, it made him desperate. Until he heard Sammie. His desperation would lead to his death. But this isn't the end we still have a bit more to cover.

Remmick didn't get an invitation initially. Mary was hoping to use her white privilege to help bring in additional money after realizing most of the people in the juke joint had "woody nickels" (money that can only be used on the plantation). She did this by going outside to try to assess whether or not Remmick and his two friends were good people. But instead she was given the bite of immortality and unknowingly Cornbread invited her back in where she would seduce Stack into a back room and give him the bite.

This is a twist on the original story, because now Stack was a vampire and Smoke was a human. Stack would eventually try to give his brother "vision" once Grace extended the invitation to Remmick and his community when she realizes her daughter's life was in jeopardy. However, because of the mojo bag he had around his neck it would stop Stack from giving him the bite. Stack made an off screen pact with Smoke to let Sammie live and him and Mary would disappear before the showdown of Remmick's fate escaping the daylight.

Remmick would eventually get Sammie to himself and during this moment of baptism and prayers, just when you think Remmick has won, Sammie stabs him in the heart with the arm of his guitar. And beats the devil.

Sammie would be the last man "alive" from the juke joint once Smoke accepts his fate after killing all the members of the Clan that set him up. Smoke would join Annie and his newborn in the ancestral realm. Stack would be bound to earth through his immortality. But Remmick would no longer exist.

And that is how Smoke (Taiwo) and Stack (Kehinde) beat Remmick (The Devil).