Why do the vampires in Sinners not come inside until invited? Details explored

Sinners is a supernatural horror film directed by Ryan Coogler. The film hit the theatrical screens on April 18, 2025, by Warner Bros. Pictures. Here's the official synopsis:

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

This Michael B. Jordan starrer also features vampires in the 1930s. But an interesting thing about them is that they need to be invited in. So let's have a look at the details of this phenomenon as shown in the film. If you are aware of vampire folklore, you must also know that, according to the lore, they need to be invited in. It's likely that the film follows this pattern for that very reason: to stick to the lore.

Why do the vampires in Sinners need to be invited?

Sinners follows the usual tropes of vampires where they are afraid of sunlight and garlic. There is one more rule that applies to the vampires and that is that they need to be invited in. This rule has its roots in literature and folklore, which features vampires that need to be invited into a house.

This is cemented when Remmick is unknowingly invited by Bert and Joan. But later on, he can't go inside the juke joint, which saves the twins. Later in the film, Annie explains this rule out loud to the group, letting everyone know how they can keep the vampires at bay.

Using the invitation angle in this movie provides an added layer of suspense. For in most horror films, the perpetrators could already be inside without anyone knowing, but here every time, the vampires need to be invited in. It becomes a game of will they or won't they be invited in.

The makers have used this vampire lore to explore different themes in the film, which makes it different from recent vampire flicks that viewers have seen. This additional layer has given a depth to the film. It brings into focus themes like consent and trust within the community.

According to Coogler, the movie is also about family and community and he wanted the vampires to play into that. He states,

“Our vampire had to be in conversation with those themes: the concept of family and community. It wasn’t enough for him to just want to bite someone’s neck.”

Ryan Coogler talks about why Sinners is set in the 1930s

In an interview with Variety, the film's writer-director Ryan Coogler called the story personal. He said:

“This film is very much me. I love anything supernatural. I’m in. I like stories about communities, about neighborhoods, about archetypes. And I love period anything. So, when you layer those things together, that does it for me.”

He also spoke about setting the film in the 1930s during the Jim Crow era.

“When people think about the 1930s Mississippi, the first thing that comes to mind is segregation. Hard times. You don’t think about people dealing with all that actually having a good time, like having a party so good you wish you could go to it. I was like, “Oh yeah, we might have a movie here.’ And not just a movie, but a movie for our time now.”

Sinners is produced by Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, and Sev Ohanian. It follows twin brothers who return to their hometown in the 1930s and discover something sinister. Coogler has once again collaborated with Michael B. Jordan. The latter plays twins, Elijah Moore (Smoke) and Elias Moore (Stack). The two have done films like Fruitvale Station, Creed, and the two Black Panther movies.

Other cast members of Sinners include,

Hailee Steinfeld as Mary
Jack O'Connell as Remmick
Miles Caton as Sammie Moore aka Preacher Boy
Li Jun Li as Grace Chow
Jayme Lawson as Pearline
Omar Benson Miller as Cornbread
Buddy Guy as older Sammie Moore
Wunmi Mosaku as Annie
Delroy Lindo as Delta Slim

Amid the success of Sinners, both Jordan and Coogler were asked about future sequel plans. While the actor is ready, Coogler has stated that he made the film as a full meal. So it's unlikely that they will return for a sequel.