Sinners

There are legends of people...

born with the gift of making music so true...

it can pierce the veil between life and death.

Conjuring spirits from the past and the future.

In ancient Ireland, they were called Filí.

In Choctaw land, they call them firekeepers.

And in West Africa...

they're called griots.

This gift can bring healing to their communities...

but it also attracts evil.

- Sammie! - Ruthie.

No, no.

Come on, son.

It's okay.

- Sammie! - My son has felt

the call of sin.

But the good Lord calls upon us

to be fishers of men who sin...

and show them the way.

I want you to swear to me,

and before this congregation...

to leave those sinnin' ways where they lie.

I want you to promise, right now.

Drop the guitar, Samuel.

In the name of God.

Let it go, Samuel.

Put it down.

You strummin' that guitar tonight?

Good mornin', Miss Beatrice.

You gonna tell me where you playin'

or am I gonna have to hear it through the grapevine?

You have a good one, Beatrice.

I'll see you at service tomorrow morning.

I guess the grapevine it is.

Mornin', Ma.

Mornin', baby.

Don't put that on your body, Samuel.

Come on, Ma. Soap is soap.

It'll dry ya out.

I'll put this on while it's still wet.

Boy, you ain't got the sense

God gave a goose.

Go on. Get.

Hey, Mama said get up.

Morning, Sammie.

Don't wanna wake.

You Hogwood?

You boys twins?

Nah, we cousins.

Well.

Here she is.

He moved a ton of timber a month back in his heyday.

- Workers lived upstairs. -

Say, what are you fellas

planning on doing with the place?

Y'all washed these floors?

Yeah.

What was on 'em?

I thought y'all was dead set on buying the place.

More time I spend with y'all,

the less sure I am you boys are serious about it.

Ain't no "boys" here.

Just grown men.

With grown-men money.

And grown-men bullets.

I didn't mean nothin' by it.

Just the way we talk down here.

We'll take it.

The mill, the equipment,

and the land that it's standing on.

Well, damn.

Now, understand, it's the last dime

you ever gonna see from us.

And if we see you,

or any one of your Klan buddies

cross our property line,

we gonna kill 'em right where they stand.

Shit.

Klan don't exist no more.

Mornin', Pop.

You're up awful early, son.

Like you say...

"Jump on the work,

don't let the work jump on you."

That's right.

Finished my quota for the day.

Yeah. I brought it in here.

I want you to help me give my sermon tomorrow.

First Corinthians, 10:13.

Read.

"No temptation...

has overtaken you,

except what is common to mankind.

God is faithful.

He will not let you be tempted

beyond what you can bear.

But when you're tempted...

he will also provide a way out

so that you can endure it."

Now, Pop, if you don't mind, I'm gon' be late.

Late for what, boy?

Where you gotta be that's more important

than being in the House of God?

I been workin' all week, Pop.

Wanna be free of all this for a day.

To play music?

For drunkards?

Philanderers, who shirk their responsibilities

to their families

so they can sweat all over each other?

I'll be back in time for service in the morning.

Son?

You keep dancing with the Devil...

one day, he's gonna follow you home.

Hey, lil' cousin, come on out.

Got two dollars out here waitin' on a dime.

Samuel!

Aw, don't you worry now, Uncle Jed.

We gon' get him back to you in one piece.

Well, how you be?

Your daddy doin' right by you?

Say, he not putting his hands on you, is he?

Nah, man. Nothin' too much.

What about the little ones?

Only when they deserve it.

Well, Ma usually hands out the whoopin's.

Good. Well, Uncle Jed always been good.

Yeah.

So, tell me about Chicago.

I heard they ain't got Jim Crow up there.

Black man can go where he wants.

Listen, boy, you can't be believin' everything

that you hear.

Town'll fill your head up with this make-believe,

but me and your cousin,

we gon' give it to you straight.

Chicago ain't shit

but Mississippi with tall buildings

instead of plantations.

And that's why we came back home.

Figured we might as well deal with the devil we know.

Don't move.

How 'bout you leave that truck to us?

Shit. Cracker showin' up late

already got us behind schedule.

I'm thinkin' we just set up tonight.

Open up next weekend.

Nah, fuck that. It's gotta be tonight.

Grand opening, start this shit with a bang.

Or we start with a misfire.

Look at that sky.

That's a mighty fine day to be free, ain't it?

Our own juke joint.

For us, and by us.

Just like we always wanted.

Only chance we got if we split up.

Well, who gon' watch the truck

while I'm in there talking to the Chows?

Nigga, just let 'em see it's you.

We've been gone a long time, Stack.

Seven years ain't long enough to forget about us.

All right.

Watch this fool. Make sure he don't get in no trouble.

You big enough to take me now, huh?

I'll do what I can.

Nah, you'll do what you told.

You keep your eyes open for anybody staring too long.

This nigga don't know how to watch his own back.

- I love you. - I love you, too.

- Be careful. - I will.

You with me.

Hey, little girl.

Come here.

Where you from?

Shelby.

You heard of the Smokestack Twins?

Of course.

Good. I'm Smoke.

No, no, no, now. You're not in no trouble.