Sinners director Ryan Coogler has filled in the gaps on what went down between Smoke and Stack before they left for Chicago

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Sinners director Ryan Coogler has filled in the gaps on what went down between Smoke and Stack before they left for Chicago News By Megan Garside published 29 January 2026

Ryan Coogler has shed some light on Smoke and Stack's backstory

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Director Ryan Coogler has finally shed some light on what happened to Michael B. Jordan's enigmatic twins Smoke and Stack before the events of Sinners.

At the start of 2025 vampire movie Sinners, we meet twins Elijah and Elias Moore, better known as Smoke and Stack, who return to their hometown in Mississippi looking to start over after making it big in Chicago. However, though we can read between the lines, they never really address why they dipped out in the first place.

"They killed their father, hid out at Mary’s mom’s place, then went to New York and joined the military. Went to fight in France, and they went back home for a little bit. Mary was older, so that was when Stack and Mary happened," said Coogler in an interview with Proximity Media.

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We already knew that Smoke and Stack had lived with the mother of Hailee Steinfeld's character, Mary, which is why she was so upset that they didn't attend her funeral. However, due to Mary only being a child when they lived there, we were unsure exactly when the romantic connection had started. As for why Smoke's love interest, Annie, was never too keen on his brother, Coogler has answers for that, too.

Coogler explains that after their return to town, the brothers went their separate ways. "It was like a 3-year run where the twins had basically broke up; Smoke and Annie got their house and Stack and Mary went to Little Rock," added Coogler. "When they lost their daughter was when things got rocky, they both basically left their partners and went to Chicago."

The movie picks up with the duo returning to town with the money they stole in Chicago, which they use to start a juke joint. However, the party is soon crashed by a gang of vampires, and well, we all know how that one ends.

Michael B. Jordan blew fans away with his performance as dual brothers, so much so that he has been nominated for both the Oscar and the BAFTA for Best Actor in a Leading Role. In fact, Sinners has already made Oscar history, receiving 16 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.

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Megan GarsideSocial Links NavigationJunior Social Media Editor, GamesRadar+

I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.

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