[intriguing music playing]
[match striking]
[flame whooshes]
[Annie] 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.
[male Irish singer] ♪ The Lord above ♪
[Annie] 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.
[music fades]
[engine stops]
[children singing] ♪ This little light of mine ♪
♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪
♪ This little light of mine ♪
♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪
♪ This little light of mine ♪
♪ I'm gonna let it shine Let it shine ♪
- [Ruthie] Sammie! - Ruthie.
No, no.
Come on, son.
It's okay.
- Sammie! - My son has felt
the call of sin.
[uneasy music playing]
But the good Lord calls upon us
to be fishers of men who sin...
and show them the way.
[stifled sobbing]
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.
[music intensifies]
[ominous beat throbbing]
In the name of God.
Let it go, Samuel.
[breathes deeply]
Put it down.
[music fades]
[humming]
[singing softly] ♪ Somebody ♪
♪ In your arms tonight ♪
♪ Somebody take me ♪
[Beatrice] You strummin' that guitar tonight?
[Sammie] Good mornin', Miss Beatrice.
[Beatrice] You gonna tell me where you playin'
or am I gonna have to hear it through the grapevine?
[Sammie] You have a good one, Beatrice.
I'll see you at service tomorrow morning.
[Beatrice] I guess the grapevine it is.
[mellow guitar music playing]
Mornin', Ma.
Mornin', baby.
Don't put that on your body, Samuel.
Come on, Ma. Soap is soap.
It'll dry ya out. [chuckles]
I'll put this on while it's still wet.
Boy, you ain't got the sense
God gave a goose. [gasps]
[laughs] Go on. Get.
[Sammie knocking] Hey, Mama said get up.
[sister 1] Morning, Sammie.
[kid sighs]
Don't wanna wake.
[kids chattering]
You Hogwood?
You boys twins?
[sarcastically] Nah, we cousins.
Well.
Here she is.
He moved a ton of timber a month back in his heyday.
- Workers lived upstairs. - [music fades]
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.
[mellow guitar music playing]
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.
[exclaims, chuckles] 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.
[chuckles]
Shit.
Klan don't exist no more.
Mornin', Pop.
You're up awful early, son.
[Sammie] Like you say...
"Jump on the work,
don't let the work jump on you."
That's right.
Finished my quota for the day.
[intriguing note plays]
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.
[vehicle approaching]
[horn honks]
[Stack] 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.
[Smoke] 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.
[Stack] And that's why we came back home.
Figured we might as well deal with the devil we know.
[hissing]
Don't move.
[hisses]
[hisses weakly]
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?
[Sammie] 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.
[groovy music playing]
[engine starts]
[indistinct chatter]
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.
See, I'm trying to put some money in your pocket.
See, I'mma need you to come sit in this truck right here.
And if somebody come and look a little too long...
I want you to lean on this horn, all right?
Can you do that for me?
Can you tell time?
I'mma pay you ten cents
for every minute that I'm gone.
- Will that work for you? - Yes, sir.
No, ma'am.
See, we talkin' numbers now.
And numbers always gotta be in conversation with each other.
You understand?
You gotta negotiate.
Now, ten cents just won't work for you.
Talk another number back to me.
Fitty cent.
Twenty cents. Best I can do.
We got a deal?
Good. Jump in.
Remember, lean on that horn.
You not little Lisa, is you?
Guilty as charged.
- [woman] Mornin', Sarah. - [Sarah] Mornin'!
- Your daddy here? - Daddy!
What?
Bo Chow.
Look what the damn cat dragged in.
What can I do for you?
We throwin' a big event tonight.
- [Bo] What do you need? - [Smoke] I need catfish
for a hundred people.
[Bo] Y'all do good up in Chicago?
I heard about some of them
casinos up there. Y'all hit it big?
We hit. Just not the way you thinking.
What kind of way?
[horn honking]
[Smoke] Shit.
[honking continues]
[indistinct chatter]
- [girl] They stealin'! - [Smoke] Mm-hm.
[Terry] Watch my fingers, fool.
[thief] I'm trying to make sure they ain't watchin' that shit.
[Terry] Man, just get your own damn thing, bro.
- [thief] I'm trying to help you. - [Terry] Watch it, man.
[people screaming]
[Smoke] Fuck you going, nigger?
Bet this bullet'll beat you there.
[Terry groaning]
You shot me. Mother...
[whimpers]
Smoke.
Terry? Boy, how you been?
I was doin' better 'fore you shot me in the ass.
Why in the hell you trying to boost from my truck?
This your truck?
I didn't know it was your truck.
- I swear, Smoke. - Bullshit.
I told you it was his.
Wait, wait, Smoke. I thought, I thought she was lyin'.
Y'all was supposed to be in Chicago workin' for Capone.
Yeah, we back now.
Goddamn! What you do that for?
Can't have some nigga talkin' about
how he almost robbed the Twins.
Not without a limp to show for it.
- Well, who gon' patch me up? - [thief] Shit!
I ain't got no money.
What if I get sepsis or some shit in the ass?
Y'all scoot on out the street. Put some pressure on it.
- [Terry] Get up, boy. - [thief] Nigga, I need help!
[Terry] Get up, fool. Get out the street.
Doc Teddy still live 'round here?
Yeah.
I just shot a couple niggas outside.
If they gon' live, they gon' need some patching up.
[Bo] Yeah, we can take care of that.
Anything else?
Yeah, we gon' need a sign too.
You think Grace'd be up to making us one?
When would you need it done?
Tonight.
Lisa. Go get your mama.
[mellow guitar music playing]
[Bo] Y'all gon' have food, drink, music.
Is y'all gon' be playing?
[Smoke] You say. Cards, dice, even got a roulette.
[indistinct chatter]
[man 1] Do nothing but shoot each other up.
[man 2] Glory be,
I have no animosity towards colored folk, but if they...
Mama, Daddy wants you.
- Thank you. - [customer] Thank you.
[man 1] Used to be that they had their side of town
and we had ours.
[Terry] I can't feel my leg,
I'm gonna have to hop all around town!
[Bo] Oh, yeah.
We definitely oughta try bring him.
You know, there's two men out there.
Look like they been shot.
That'll be my doin'.
I done already gave Bo the money
to get 'em patched up.
Why you gotta come here bringin' trouble?
[Bo] Trouble ain't all he bringing.
Jesus.
How you payin' for this?
And he wants you to make a sign for him.
Rush job. Gon' cost ya.
I'm listenin'.
Twenty.
Fifteen for the front door sign and five for the menu.
Ten. Seven for the front door sign,
three for the menu.
- Sixteen. - Fifteen.
Done.
Oh. We only got one color, by the way.
What color you got?
Red.
- Thirteen. - 14.50.
Fourteen. Throw in these flowers right here...
and we got a deal.
Done.
Where's Stack?
[Stack] All right, listen.
Every cooze got a button on it,
towards the top.
If you wanna keep a woman, you find it...
Lick that.
Not too hard. Not too soft, either.
You ever had a scoop of that ice cream from downtown?
[Sammie] Uh-huh.
'Bout the same pressure you put on that.
Like it taste good,
but you don't want it gone too quickly, you understand?
Hey, how fast this thing drive?
Too damn fast.
Why? You wanna drive?
Come on, you know I wanna drive.
Later. On the way back.
- On the way back. - All right, all right.
You always said you would tell me
what happened to your daddy when I got older.
Well, I guess I'm older.
Y'all really kill him?
Nah, we ain't kill him.
Smoke did.
Our daddy knocked me unconscious.
By the time I came to,
Smoke was halfway done buryin' him.
He used to beat y'all?
Me, mostly.
But he ain't mean it.
See you been takin' good care of that thing.
Hey, I can't thank y'all enough for this.
Plays so right.
Where'd I get this from anyway?
Yeah, that's, uh, Charley Patton's guitar.
Me and my brother won it off him in a card game.
Hold on, Stack.
You mean to tell me
I had Charley Patton's guitar this whole time?
Swear 'fore God,
- in your hands. - Nah.
Now let's see if you can play like him.
- Right here? - Yeah, right now. Come on.
All right. Come on. Watch this.
[Stack laughing]
[strumming pensive tune]
[singing] ♪ Traveling ♪
♪ I don't know where in the world I'm goin' ♪
♪ Traveling ♪
♪ I don't know where in the world I'm goin' ♪
Hoo hoo, boy!
♪ 'Cause the woman that I'm lovin' ♪
♪ She sure don't feel like that ♪
We gon' make some money. We gon' make some money.
[indistinct chatter]
[groovy guitar music playing]
Let's go. Take hold.
- Thanks, Twin. - Yep.
[harmonica playing]
Oh. Is that Delta Slim?
Delta Slim.
Yeah, I thank you for your generosity.
I guess that Chicago wind
blew your Black asses back down here, huh?
[chuckling]
Who the boy?
This my little cousin. Preacherboy Sammie.
Happens to be the finest blues player in all the Delta.
I got socks older than this here boy.
[laughs]
What the hell he know about the blues?
[laughing]
I can show you better than I can tell you.
[Delta Slim] Hold up, now. Put that motherfucker...
Put that away.
[Delta Slim] Get, get.
Now, this here my patch right here.
Now, you wasn't his cousin and a young pup to boot,
I'd cut your ass too thin to fry.
And you threaten him again...
I'mma make your drunk ass swallow that harmonica.
[mumbling]
You still nice with them keys?
Depend on who you ask.
I'll give you $20 to come play at our juke tonight.
Yeah, I wish I could.
I'mma be at Messenger's tonight,
same as I am every Saturday night.
What they pay you?
For a gangster,
you sure ask a lot of questions.
They ain't paying you $20 a night, I know that.
You ain't paying no $20 a night.
You payin' $20, maybe, tonight.
I ain't never heard of your juke.
Maybe it's here tonight, is it here tomorrow night?
The week after that? Nah.
I been at Messenger's every Saturday night
for the last ten years.
Messenger's gon' be there
another ten years after that, at least.
Shit.
That's probably more time than I got
left on this earth, Stack.
I play, and I get as much corn liquor as I can drink.
A sinner like me,
I can't ask for more than that.
Know what, Slim? I'll drink to that.
Ooh.
What you got there, boy?
Oh, this? It's a Irish beer.
Straight from the north side of Chicago.
[Delta Slim exclaims]
You sayin' that's beer?
Wind didn't bring us down here empty-handed.
[chuckles] Give me that.
My goodness.
I got 500 more bottles just like that.
Ice cold.
Say we pay you $40 a night.
And all the beer that you can drink.
After that, no strings.
You act now,
I'll even let you finish that bottle in your hand.
- [harmonica, guitar playing] - Ha!
Ha!
These two gon' be playin' down at the old sawmill.
It's the grand openin' of our new joint.
Club Juke.
We gon' have us a battle of the blues.
It's gon' be a real ring-a-ding-ding.
Just for us.
[crowd cheering]
- Y'all ready to eat? - [crowd] Yeah!
- Y'all ready to drank? - [crowd] Yeah!
[Stack] Y'all ready to sweat till y'all stank?
[crowd] Yeah.
[laughing] All right.
We gon' get funky like a Mississippi donkey, y'all.
[Delta Slim laughing]
Get a drink on the Twins when you get there.
[Delta Slim] I like it. Where you get that one from?
[Stack] What I'm sayin', now.
Gotta do what you gotta do.
[Delta Slim] You gotta.
I've seen you somewhere before.
- [mellow music playing] - Maybe.
You sing, don't you?
[chuckles]
- Time to time. - [Sammie] Mm-hmm.
I'm Preacherboy.
Pearline.
Pearline. Mm.
I'm married, by the way.
Happily?
Careful, boy.
You gon' bite off more than you can chew.
[Sammie] Maybe I'll see you tonight.
[Stack] Then we'll take it from there.
[Delta Slim] I'mma hold you to that, now.
[Stack] It's gonna be a night you never forget.
[Delta Slim] Hey, let me go see about my money.
Hey, go on and get your money.
Hey, hey, hey. There's a white woman staring at you.
[Stack] Shit.
Uh, you sure she white?
She walkin' over here right now.
All right, now here's what we're gonna do...
Excuse me, boy. Is this here Smoke?
Or is this Stack?
Don't, don't look at her.
Just go over there and keep playing.
Yeah, it's okay.
- You know I waited for you. - Yeah, well,
I don't know why in the hell you'd go and do that.
Because you told me you loved me.
Yeah, well, I told you to stay the fuck away from me, too,
but I guess you didn't hear that part.
I heard you.
I heard you loud and clear,
but then you stuck your tongue in my cooze
and fucked me so hard,
I figured you changed your mind.
Keep your voice down, now.
It's not exactly how I remember it.
Oh, it ain't? Remember falling asleep
with your head on my chest?
Leaving in the middle of the night
without a fucking word?
The hell are you doing back here, Mary?
I buried my mama yesterday, Stack.
Figured I might see you and Smoke there,
as much as she looked after you both.
But I guess y'all love lasted
as long as y'all could get something out of her.
You right. That's all she was.
Food, a warm bed.
Rot in hell, Stack.
Shit, I will.
You know, and save your triflin' ass a room.
Shit, right next to me. Shit.
[Sammie] Hey, Stack.
[Stack] Hm?
Maybe she ain't white.
Boy, let's get to gettin'.
Come on, Slim.
Still got one more stop to make.
[men singing] ♪ Raise 'em up together ♪
♪ Oh, my Lord ♪
Hold up.
Slow down, Stack. Slow down.
♪ Rally can't hold me ♪
Y'all hold your heads now, you hear me?
- Hold your heads! - [singing] ♪ Oh, my Lord ♪
- Slim! - [gunshot]
[gunshot echoes]
Hey, you knew some of them?
All of 'em.
What happened?
Me and my buddy Rice...
we was hustlin' back and forth up the Delta.
We get busted for vagrancy.
Them white sheriffs take us down to the jailhouse
and it's empty.
Thought for sure they gon' kill us that night.
They give us our instruments back,
they tell us to play.
Stack, we played,
Preacherboy, we played, you hear me?
Music was comin' out the windows.
Peoples on the street were stoppin' to come on in.
[Delta Slim laughs]
Next day, one of them sheriffs,
they get the bright idea
they gonna take us on the road now.
They cover us, throw us in the paddy wagon.
They took us to this big house.
I mean, it's full of white folks.
Pass around their hat and have us to play.
See, these white folks we were playing for,
they had real money.
Had y'all playing them old ragtime songs?
I sure was.
We play a fair amount of blues, too.
See, white folks, they like the blues just fine.
They just don't like the people who make it.
Them peckerwoods was noddin' their heads,
stompin' their feet.
Some of 'em was almost on the rhythm, Stack.
[both laugh]
And then Rice and me, we changed it up, confuse 'em.
What did y'all do with the money?
I drank it.
Rice said he was gonna take that money...
go on out to Little Rock, start him a little church.
Did he?
The damn fool.
He took out all his money to pay
for the $2 train ticket.
Train conductor saw him...
[man 1] That Black sumbitch right there.
- ...Klan got ahold to him. - [man 2] Pull him over here!
Searched his pockets, found all that money.
Made up a story about him...
killin' some white man for it
and rapin' that white man's wife.
[man 3] That boy's a murderer.
And they lynched him
right there in the railroad station.
[Rice] No!
[Rice groans]
And you know, they cut off his manhood.
[Delta Slim humming]
[continues humming and tapping rhythmically]
Got that guitar in your hand, don't you, boy?
Hey. Yeah, come on now.
Hey!
[Delta Slim exclaims]
[vehicle approaching]
Hey, Cornbread!
Ooh.
Stack? Boy, long time no see.
This here my wife, Therise.
Nice to meet you, Therise.
Likewise.
Need you to give us a moment. Men got business to discuss.
No, uh-uh. I ain't got time for your schemin', Stack.
Behind on my quota.
Man, fuck your quota.
This my wife right here, now.
I'mma need you to show some respect.
Yeah, well, fuck your wife, too.
What's that?
I said she really gonna let you fuck her
when she find out how much money
you about to get from this job I'm offering.
And none of that nice-and-slow shit
she probably giving you now.
Shit, she might even let you put your pecker in her mouth.
[Delta Slim chuckles]
Boy, you shoulda stayed gone,
'cause I'm about to beat the black off of you.
- [Therise] Come on now! - I don't want no trouble! Hey!
Well, how much money you talkin' about payin' him?
Oh, that's a good woman.
Come on.
We be back.
[pensive music playing]
[engine stops]
[Smoke] Papa's here.
Yeah. Papa's here.
How you be?
No miseries worth complaining about.
You come alone?
Yeah. Stack on the other side of town.
What you come back for?
We bought that old saw mill.
Yeah, we gon' patch it up, make it into a juke joint.
A juke joint.
This one of Stack's ideas?
Yeah, he figure tonight gonna be a grand opening.
I thought y'all was done with the Delta.
Last I heard, y'all were northern men.
Nah, we through with Chicago.
Chicago through with y'all?
What you asking?
Who you and Stack robbed
to get enough money for them crackers
to sell you a whole mill?
[sucks teeth]
Just this, Miss Annie.
And a pinch of High John.
All right.
Now, don't sell none of this on the way home.
I don't want your mama comin' at me crazy later.
[girl] Yes, ma'am.
[Annie] Thank you.
I can't believe you taking this make-believe shit.
Smoke, give me my money 'fore I cut your Black ass.
You can put that blade up, woman.
- I'll trade ya. - I don't want your money.
- Don't be stupid, now. - I ain't stupid.
Your money come with blood.
All money come with blood, baby.
Not like yours.
This shit won't even spend nowhere else.
- Look at it. - I ain't goin' nowhere else.
I don't need that cursed money you got.
You know, woman, I been all over this world.
In cars. Ships. Trains.
I seen men die ways I didn't even know was possible.
I ain't never saw no roots, no demons...
no ghosts, no magic.
Just power.
And only money can get you that.
You fool.
All that war.
Or whatever the hell else you been doin' in Chicago.
And you back here in front of me.
Two arms, two legs, two eyes, and a brain that work.
- [ominous throbbing] - How you know I ain't pray...
and work every root my grandmama taught me
to keep you and that crazy brother of yours safe
every day since you been gone?
[ominous throbbing subsides]
So why those roots ain't work on our baby, then?
I don't know.
But they work for you.
You still got that mojo bag.
[pensive music playing]
[Annie] Soil of my soil...
bone of my bone, blood of my blood.
I bless you.
Ashe.
Why you here, Smoke?
What you want with me?
We was hopin' to serve food at the juke tonight.
We want you to cook for us.
Elijah.
You gonna make me say it?
It still hurts coming back here.
But I love ya.
And I miss ya.
[music turns soulful]
[in Yoruba]
[singer vocalizing]
[imperceptible]
[bird cawing]
- [grunts] - [music stops abruptly]
[panting]
Help!
Back up.
[hoarsely] Y'all gotta help.
I thought I could trust them, but they tried to kill me.
- Slow down. - Who's tryin' to kill you?
Choctaw.
Sure it wasn't just some fair-skinned niggers?
Ain't no Injuns around here for miles.
[intriguing music playing]
Oh, God.
They took my wife. Oh, God.
I'm a coward, ain't I?
I got gold.
Them dirty Injuns meant to rob me.
They ain't get all of it. Y'all can have it.
Just don't let 'em hurt me no more.
- [men hollering] - [horses neighing]
Evening, ma'am.
We're in pursuit of someone very dangerous.
He might've come onto your property.
Have you seen anyone recently?
No.
Bert!
Is he in there with you, ma'am?
He's not what he seems.
God forbid you let him into your home.
And if so, we need to act now.
[man in Choctaw]
[men hollering]
Bert.
Injuns came and went.
Bert?
[intense note plays]
Oh, he's just resting.
[ominous music playing]
[breathes deeply]
He's all better now.
Hey, baby.
[screaming]
[shushing]
Don't cry.
[Stack] Don't fall now.
To the right.
A little more.
- [loud crackle] - Oh, shit.
[piano music playing]
Right this way. Ladies.
[Stack] Come on in! Welcome to Club Juke.
We about to get it poppin' like fish grease, boy.
We got whiskey, Irish beer, Italian wine.
Y'all some classy niggas, ain't you?
Too fancy for me.
Ma'am, I don't need no ice or nothin'.
Corn liquor'll do.
That'll be 50 cent.
God damn, I just got 30.
But these is good down at the Maybell general store.
- You like that cold, right? - [man] I certainly do.
[Stack] Comin' right up.
I thank you kindly.
Let me holla at y'all right quick.
- [Cornbread] Good evenin'. - Evenin'.
[Cornbread] You look mighty nice.
[Pearline] Thank you.
You made it.
This ain't no house party.
And it damn sure ain't no charity.
We takin' cash, U.S. motherfuckin' dollars.
This ain't Chicago, Smoke.
The fuck that mean?
That old nigga worked his ass off
for them wooden nickels.
See, these niggas been workin' in the field all day.
When they show up here, let them enjoy themselves.
[Annie] They gotta feel wanted if you want this here to work.
[Stack] This place supposed to feel like it's for them.
Right this way.
Uh-huh.
Uh...
Excuse me, ma'am.
You sure you at the right place?
That's a damn good question, Cornbread.
Little Mary?
Not so little no more, huh?
- Little Mary. Aw. - [Mary chuckles]
[Pearline] When they turn this place into a juke?
[Sammie] We did it today. My cousins own it.
You know the Twins.
Heard of 'em, of course.
They your cousins?
Y'all must be play cousins.
Their daddy was my daddy big brother.
So y'all cousins through blood?
But you seem like such a nice young man.
I ain't always nice.
Ain't that young, either.
My condolences about your mother.
We'd have made the repast...
but me and Therise had to work.
It's all right.
Now let me get on in here and get a drink
before I start tearing up.
[Cornbread] Go on. Enjoy yourself.
- You got my $2? - [man] Huh?
[man grunts]
When you was sellin' ass out in Little Rock...
you ever let a john pay with a goddamn promissory note?
Hell no.
But, see, I wasn't sellin' ass in the Delta.
You gon' play?
You gon' sing?
We'll see where the night takes us.
Your husband coming?
Shit.
Hold on.
Excuse me, ma'am.
I don't think you should be here.
You see, I'm with the Twins...
With the Twins?
Boy, if you don't get the fuck out my face...
[Sammie] I am with them, ma'am.
We met earlier at the train station.
I'm their lil' cousin.
Little cousin?
I think you should leave before they see you.
Wait, you not little Sammie?
The guitar.
You old enough to drink now?
Come on, let me buy you a drink.
- Hey, Mary. - Grace.
Good to see ya.
- Two whiskeys, please. - Sure.
I don't know hoodoo,
and I can't talk slick, but I know business.
And this is bad for business.
It's opening night.
Besides, only be a few of 'em like this.
[muffled clapping and cheering]
[sighs] I need a goddamn cigarette.
Comin' right up.
So you play that guitar they left you?
- Yeah. - That's good.
You makin' any money with that thing?
Not really. Not yet, at least.
I'd tell ya it didn't matter as long as you love it,
but that'd be horseshit advice.
Hey, what are you?
What am I?
I'm a human being.
Oh. That ain't what I meant. I meant, more like...
I know what you meant.
My mama's daddy was half Black.
He raised her to keep the Klan from killing her.
You know my mama delivered the Twins?
[Sammie] Really?
[Mary] She saved Stack life
after he got stuck in their mama.
And after she died,
my mama nursed them like they was her own.
And they had enough money to buy this whole mill...
and they ain't even send flowers to her funeral.
We sent your mama flowers. Plenty of 'em.
All while she still alive to smell 'em.
- Smoke. - [Smoke] Mary.
Why don't you go check in on Slim?
See if he'll need backup.
[indistinct chatter]
[patrons cheering]
Take care of her or I will.
No, no, I'mma handle it. I got it.
- All right, go on. - I'm goin'.
Come on. Let's go.
- I'm not here for you. - Then why you here, then?
I come to hear the blues.
Oh, no, they play the blues just fine in Arkansas.
Come on.
Cornbread, let's get her a car.
Get your hands off me.
What's it gon' take?
Hm? How much to get you to get the fuck on?
You can't pay me off.
Fine. I'll pay one of these field bitches in here...
to drag your ass out, then.
Shit. You taught me how to fight.
I'll beat up every bitch in here and you know it.
I taught you how to walk away when the money is up, too.
Got you a rich white husband.
Got you a farm. Now go home to it.
I ain't ask for none of that.
All that shit was your idea. I didn't want no white man.
I didn't wanna be white. I wanted to be with you.
All it'd take is the wrong person in here to see you...
word get back to them crackers and they gon' try to kill you.
Would it matter to you?
[sentimental music playing]
'Cause if somebody out there put their hands on you...
if they hurt you...
me and my brother gon' come kill 'em all.
So you'll kill for me.
That's right.
But you still won't tell me the truth.
I was young enough to believe you were comin' back.
I waited. I waited a long time.
But I'm grown now, Stack.
And I know you never planned to stay.
Why can't you just say that?
Say what?
Hm?
That I love you?
That I think about you every day?
I just wanted to keep you someplace safe.
And that was never gon' be here.
And that was never gon' be with me.
Never.
All right.
[piano music playing]
[patrons cheering and clapping]
[Delta Slim laughing]
[whoops]
[Delta Slim] Yeah.
Hey...
I been hearin' about this one particular young man all day.
He 'posed to be a bad blues man.
[patrons murmuring]
Preacherboy, where you at?
Come on here, now.
[patrons clapping]
That's my little cousin, y'all. Watch this.
[strumming guitar]
[Delta Slim sputters] Hold up, hold up.
Tell 'em who you are, where you from.
I'm Sammie Moore.
- [patron 1] All right. - [patron 2] Come on, now.
I'm a sharecropper from Sunflower plantation.
[patrons cheering]
They call me Preacherboy
account of my daddy being a pastor.
- [patron 3] All right, now. - [patron 4] Amen.
I wrote this song for him.
[patron 5] All right, then.
[singing] ♪ Somethin' I've been wanting to tell ya ♪
♪ For a long time ♪
♪ It might hurt you Hope you don't lose your mind ♪
♪ Well, I was just a boy About eight years old ♪
[feet tapping]
♪ Threw me a Bible On that Mississippi road ♪
♪ See, I love you Papa You did all you could do ♪
♪ They say the truth hurts So I lied to you ♪
♪ Yes, I lied to you I love the blues ♪
[Sammie humming]
[Delta Slim] Y'all move your feet now.
Come on, now.
[humming]
[Delta Slim] Mm.
[Sammie singing] ♪ Yeah! ♪
♪ Somebody take me ♪
♪ In your arms tonight ♪
♪ Well, all right ♪
♪ Somebody take me ♪
[laughing]
♪ In your arms tonight ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
♪ Somebody take me ♪
♪ In your arms tonight ♪
Blues wasn't forced on us like that religion.
Nah, son, we brought this with us from home.
It's magic, what we do.
It's sacred...
and big.
[humming]
[Annie] 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...
[singing] ♪ Somebody take me ♪
[Annie] ...and the future.
[singing] ♪ In your arms tonight ♪
[electric guitar playing]
♪ We all right ♪
♪ Somebody take me ♪
♪ In your arms tonight ♪
♪ Somebody take me ♪
[disc scratching]
♪ In your arms tonight ♪
[hip-hop beat playing]
[echoing] New shit! Preacherboy!
Sammie Moore!
[speaking Mandinka in echoing voice]
[Sammie singing in English] ♪ I hope you can stand it ♪
♪ Stand it all ♪
♪ What I'm out here doin' ♪
♪ You didn't preach at all ♪
♪ See, I'm full of the blues ♪
♪ Holy water, too ♪
♪ I know the truth hurts ♪
♪ So I lied to you ♪
♪ So preacher ♪
♪ Speak your words ♪
♪ I know the truth hurts ♪
♪ Yes, I lied to you ♪
♪ I love the blues ♪
[beat stops]
[chorus humming]
[drums playing]
[Sammie] ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
♪ I know the truth hurts ♪
♪ Lied to you ♪
♪ Well, somebody take me ♪
[sustains note] ♪ In your arms ♪
[music intensifies]
[music turns into electric guitar note]
[Delta Slim] With this here ritual...
We heal our people...
and we be free. [voice echoes]
[soulful electric guitar continues playing]
[Sammie humming]
[music intensifies]
[music fades]
[piano music playing faintly]
Do this door lock?
Only with a key.
Keep your foot on it, at least.
[chuckles]
Hold on. I wanna try something.
Wait.
Preacherboy...
let me wash up first. I walked here.
You're beautiful.
I just wanna taste you.
[gasps softly]
[exhales]
Shit.
[breathing deeply]
Excuse me. How y'all doin'?
Good? Havin' another drink? All right now.
[Pearline moaning] Shit.
Hey.
[Pearline] Preacherboy.
[chuckles]
Boy found that button, didn't he?
Hey. Smoke wants ya.
Check out my little cousin.
[Pearline moaning]
He call himself, tellin' me about the cotton.
I said, "Shit... that boy don't know nothin'..."
Get the Twins. Go on. Get 'em.
I tallied the till.
And? What's the count?
Now, that top figure, that's plantation money.
That bottom figure, that's real dollars.
So what's the projection?
Two months, and we out of fresh cash.
- Hey there. - [Cornbread] Good evening.
How may I help you folks?
Oh, we heard tell of a party.
Drink, food, blues music and the like.
You did?
We like to drink.
We happen to be musicians, and we walked here.
So, we hungry as dogs.
- Woof woof. - [group chuckles]
You wouldn't mind us comin' in, now, would you?
[Cornbread] I think y'all in the wrong place.
[Joan chuckles] What makes ya say that?
[Remmick] You fellers must be the owners
of this establishment.
That's right. And you are?
Name's Remmick. This here's Joan and Bert.
[Sammie] Hey, Stack, y'all all right?
[Remmick] Oh. And you...
must be that voice I heard from out here.
It was beautiful.
Goddamn beautiful voice.
Even through these walls.
[Remmick] Mm.
Where y'all from?
Just down the road.
And how far is that?
North Carolina.
- Y'all Klan? - Sir...
[sputters] We believe in equality.
And music. We just came here to play.
Spend some money, have a good time.
Here, I'll show you.
[jolly tune playing]
[singing] ♪ I... ♪
[in unison] ♪ Pick poor Robin clean ♪
♪ Pick poor Robin clean ♪
♪ I picked his head I picked his feet ♪
♪ I would've picked his body but he wasn't fit to eat ♪
♪ I pick poor Robin clean Pick poor Robin clean ♪
[Stack chuckles]
♪ And I'll be satisfied having a family ♪
These pecks ain't bad.
♪ Lord, didn't that jaybird laugh ♪
♪ When I picked poor Robin clean ♪
♪ Poor Robin clean I picked poor Robin clean ♪
♪ Lord, didn't that jaybird laugh ♪
All right, all right, hold on,
- hold on. Just a minute. - ♪ When I picked poor Robin... ♪
It's just about to get good.
Nah, I believe ya, but this here a juke joint.
Blues music.
But we got money,
and we ready to spend it with y'all.
Sounding damn near perfect
and you're saying we ain't welcome?
No, I'm saying you get down that road
and get back into town.
Plenty of white barrelhouses down there.
[scoffs]
This 'cause we're...
All right.
How'd she get in?
- Now, that is none of... - She here 'cause she family.
Family.
Can't we just, for one night...
just all be family?
You don't need to do that, sir.
We'll be on our way.
But we're gonna walk real slow.
Just in case y'all change your mind.
Y'all have a nice night.
[Bert and Joan scatting]
[Annie] They gave me the willies.
[Stack] Yeah, well, crackers at nighttime
- will do that to you. - [Annie] Wasn't just that.
You think they brought company?
I doubt it.
But we got enough pepper on us if they did.
Shit, we forgot the trunk.
Man, why ain't you remind me?
Fool, I told you to remind me.
Y'all don't need the trunk. There was just three of 'em.
Now listen to me,
what if they just came to sing?
And what if somebody spill somethin' on 'em?
Step on their shoe?
Look at their woman a bit too long?
We gon' have a bigger problem than just a fight.
[Cornbread] Sure do.
Don't let them in.
[woman singing faintly]
[Stack sighs]
- [guitar music playing] - [man singing indistinctly]
They said you wanna talk.
[Smoke] Yeah.
Seen your performance down there.
Pretty damn good.
Can't thank you enough for this.
I mean, y'all the ones who put that guitar in my hand.
Now this.
Well, you got the talent. That's for certain.
But all this ain't no life for nobody.
I know plenty musicians. I ain't never met a happy one.
Yeah, it's cute now.
But it get old. That ramblin'.
I mean, being with y'all today...
[pensive music playing]
Smoke, I feel like I'm flying.
Well, today settled it.
I'm headin' off on my own.
Where you goin'?
I don't know.
- Maybe Chicago. - Hm.
[Mary] What's wrong, Stack?
We underwater.
How?
All the plantations down there payin' with credits.
What about them crackers?
What about 'em?
I can go feel 'em out before they're too far gone.
I could feel 'em out myself.
They'll tell me more than they'll tell you.
And I can find out what they really have.
And what happens if they're from Little Rock?
They ain't.
One day our daddy beat Stack real bad.
So we get in our minds that we need to run away.
See, me, I wanna go to the next plantation over.
But Stack, he figure we get to Mound Bayou.
Small town. Right here in Mississippi.
Founded by free slaves.
And everything is Black-owned.
That sound like a crock.
Yeah, well, I seen it.
Why y'all ain't stay?
That mayor knew who our daddy was.
Knew he was a evil man.
Figured it was no way
that he ain't passed that evil down to us.
[Mary] Let me go get this money for us.
I know y'all need it.
And what's that supposed to mean?
See, your daddy a preacher.
You can go and do that.
You like makin' music? Make church music.
You wan' leave...
go on down Mound Bayou.
Live with the proper Black folks.
Leave all this here improper shit to us.
Irish beer? Italian wine?
You rob both sides.
Let 'em blame each other
while you and Smoke come down here
and set up shop.
You gon' need every dime you can get
when they put two and two together.
But they won't.
They might.
Well, I ain't goin' to Mound Bayou.
My daddy a reverend, but I'm y'all cousin, too.
And a lot more people know the Smokestack Twins
than they know my daddy.
Yeah?
Well, you better enjoy the rest of the night,
'cause this your last juke.
You ain't in no position
to tell me how to live my life.
[Mary] Let me go talk to them...
and see about puttin' something real on the till.
Come on.
Come tomorrow,
I find out about you playin' in one of these...
boy, I'll kill you myself.
Look, I'm leaving that plantation
just like y'all did.
And if that's a problem for you...
kill me now.
[Smoke] What's the matter?
I'm a soldier, boy.
And you just gave me a command.
[Remmick singing] ♪ Will you go, lassie, go? ♪
[Remmick, Joan and Bert] ♪ And we'll all go together ♪
♪ To pull wild mountain thyme ♪
♪ All around the bloomin' heather ♪
♪ Will you go, lassie, go? ♪
♪ Oh, the summertime is come ♪
♪ And the trees are sweetly bloomin' ♪
♪ The wild mountain thyme ♪
♪ Grows around the bloomin' heather ♪
♪ Will you go, lassie, go? ♪
♪ And we'll all go together ♪
♪ To pull wild mountain thyme ♪
♪ All around the bloomin' heather ♪
♪ Will you go, lassie, go? ♪
[Bert singing] ♪ I will build my love a bower ♪
♪ By yon cool and crystal fountain ♪
♪ On it I will pile ♪
♪ All the flowers of the mountain ♪
♪ Will you go, lassie, go? ♪
[song ends]
Are you lookin' for some fresh air? Or...
I just come to see if y'all was good people.
[Joan chuckles]
Aw, darlin', that's so sweet of you.
- So sweet. - We most surely are.
And y'all got money to spend?
Oh, yeah. Plenty money. You wanna see?
Yeah, I wanna see.
What type of money is this?
The solid gold kind, darlin'.
Yeah.
Where's this from?
It's from a different place and a different time.
But it spends just the same.
You can have it.
But it's no good to you.
- It's no good to her. - [Remmick] Mm-mm.
Well, what makes you say that?
'Cause you in some deep, deep pain
that money can't fix.
Am I right?
You came over here for fellowship and love.
Fellowship and love.
My mother...
she just passed.
Oh, that's awful.
- Oh. - Just awful.
[Joan] Just awful.
Losing a mother's a hurtin' feeling.
[Remmick] Mm-hm.
And I wish in my heart that we'd have met sooner.
I would've liked to have saved your mother from her fate.
I can still save you from yours.
No, you must have me confused.
I'm sad is all, but I don't need no savin'.
Yes. Yes, you do.
[ominous music playing]
You all do.
- [Bert chuckles] - [Remmick] Ooh.
[Mary] I'm gonna head back now.
And I think y'all should, too.
Back to wherever y'all came from.
[vocalizing]
- [Pearline humming] - [feet tapping]
[singing] ♪ Pale moon a-risin' ♪
♪ Over the pines come ♪
♪ Lord, I'll wait until the sun does rise ♪
♪ Leave the day by the By the door ♪
♪ I don't care ye sun don't shine once more ♪
♪ That's what I say ♪
[music continuing]
[Pearline vocalizing]
Cornbread.
Mary, what you doin' out here?
You gonna let me in?
Or just sit there blockin' the door?
No. Come on. Go on in.
[Pearline singing] ♪ I'm gonna spend my money ♪
♪ On somethin' sweet and strong ♪
♪ Gonna move my body through the whole night long ♪
- ♪ I'm gonna... ♪ - [laughs] Whoo!
Man, it's hot in there, boy.
Hey, watch the door for me. I got to piss.
Hold up, hold up. Why you can't piss right here?
- Boy, you ain't shit. - [laughs]
You old fool. Watch the door.
Shit.
Elias.
[Stack] 'Scuse me.
Hey, hey. So what happened?
- Hell yeah. - Mm.
What, they wanna drink for this or somethin'?
You sure?
Okay. Well, then, shit.
Wanna go out there and tell 'em to do a song?
[laughing]
- [Mary moans] - [Stack grunts]
Are you scared?
You're scared.
Nah. Just that you somebody else's.
[Mary] Hm.
So you rob trains and banks...
but you can't steal this pussy for a night?
[whistles]
[groans loudly]
[Remmick whispers] Hey, hey, hey.
Is that Cornbread?
Hey.
Fellowship and love. Fellowship and love.
Hey, Cornbread.
[shuffling nearby]
Peekaboo.
The hell goin' on?
This son o' bitch had loaded dice!
Been wearin' us out!
Best you put that blade down.
Can't do that, Twin.
Told him not to put his hands on me.
So you gonna cut me, too?
If I have to.
I just wanna be allowed to leave.
[music continuing]
[chorus singing] ♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
[Pearline humming]
[chorus singing] ♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
[grunting]
[Pearline] ♪ Pale pale moon a-risin' ♪
- Come check his pockets. - ♪ Over the pines come ♪
[Pearline] ♪ Lord, I'll wait until the sun does rise ♪
♪ Leave the day by the by the door ♪
[gambler] Get your dirty-ass hands outta my pocket!
[Smoke] Hey! Easy, boy.
[singing] ♪ Care ye sun don't shine once more ♪
♪ That's what I said ♪
- ♪ Don't let it shine ♪ - ♪ Don't let it shine ♪
♪ Don't let it shine, shine shine no more ♪
Take care of this fool.
[chorus singing] ♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
[feet stomping]
[men grunting]
[chorus singing] ♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
[Pearline] ♪ I wanna... ♪
♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
♪ I wanna howl ♪
Baby...
You droolin'.
You want some?
[chorus singing] ♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
[laughing]
♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
♪ Ain't no love in the heat of the sun ♪
♪ Keep on working till the dollar won ♪
Yeah, you gonna need some stitches.
Go and get my brother.
[chorus singing] ♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
♪ Ain't no love in the heat of the sun ♪
♪ Sing my song until the day is done ♪
- Hey, Slim. You seen Stack? - ♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
Oh, yeah, he in the back. In the back there.
Go 'head, you can go. Go 'head.
Hey, Stack. Smoke lookin' for you.
- ♪ Pale, pale moon ♪ - [Mary moaning]
- Shit. - ♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
Oh, he busy, huh?
[Delta Slim laughing]
[chorus singing] ♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
♪ Pale, pale moon ♪
You go get him?
Nah.
And why the hell not?
He was gettin' some nookie.
I don't give a fuck what he doin'.
I told you to go get him, didn't I?
Ain't doin' that by myself.
Shit.
[chorus singing] Pale, pale moon
Pale, pale moon
Hey, where the hell's Cornbread?
Probably buildin' you a new outhouse.
Nigga left to take a piss two damn days ago.
And he left you to watch the door?
[Delta Slim] You think I can't handle it?
[Smoke] Shit. Y'all get decent. I'm comin' in.
Y'all in here playin' around so...
- [Mary grunting] - [Smoke groaning]
The fuck?
Smoke.
It's not what it looks like.
[exhales]
[Stack] Smoke!
[patrons gasping]
[shells clatter]
[Mary laughing]
[ominous music playing]
We gon' kill every last one of ya.
- [Smoke grunts] - [gun clicks]
[Delta Slim] Oh, God!
[Mary] I'll be back soon, Slim!
Gonna have some real fun tonight!
[Smoke] Hold on, Stack. Hold on.
No, no, no. Hold on, hold on, Stack.
What happened?
[Smoke] No, keep them eyes open.
She, she... She bit me.
[shuddering]
[weakly] I'm so scared. Smoke...
[softly] Let it go. It's, it's okay.
- I'm with you. - [Stack groaning]
I'm with you.
[Stack] Love you.
[ominous music continues]
[Annie softly] I'm sorry.
[Smoke sobbing]
I'm so sorry.
Slim, keep everybody out.
[Bo] Hey, Slim, who the fuck is shootin', man?
[woman] Is y'all gon' bring the music back?
The hell with the music. Slim, is Sammie in there?
Yeah, yeah, Sam be out directly.
Party's over, y'all.
No.
- Yeah, y'all got to go. - Bullshit.
All right, all right, you heard the man.
- You have to go. - Go on. Go on.
Thank you for comin'. We really appreciate y'all.
Go on. Oh, I need that.
[man] Damn! It was gettin' good, too.
[Bo] All right. Thank you.
See you soon.
We got us a problem, y'all.
[Sammie voice breaking] I could have stopped it.
[Annie] Don't do that.
[Sammie] I thought they was makin' love.
I thought...
[Annie] Sammie, this is not your fault.
Is Stack really dead?
[sighs]
Did she say anything?
She said, "We gonna kill all of you."
"We"?
She said "we"?
Smoke...
We gotta move his body.
Outside. Just for now...
Don't... touch him.
Nobody move him.
You shot her.
And she kept runnin' like nothin' happened.
This a haint we're dealin' with, Smoke. Or worse.
We gotta keep everybody inside and the dead body out.
This ain't no dead body.
It's Stack.
He's stayin' in here with me.
You got any magic to bring my brother back?
Got a mojo bag for him?
- I can't. - Please.
I can't. I'm sorry.
Damn.
He gone.
[softly] He gone.
Best thing about me was him.
- We gotta go. - What?
We gotta get out of here.
Man just lost his brother.
Look, we came here to help them with the party, not this.
We gotta go home, okay?
- Okay. - Lisa's waitin'.
Yeah.
- Okay? Let's go home. - Yeah. Yeah.
- Go get the car. - All right, I'll get the car.
- Okay. Okay. - I'll get the car. Yeah.
Watch over him.
What happened?
I'm here.
[Cornbread] Slim! Smoke!
Where the hell you been at, man?
Huh?
To go see a man about a dog, like I told ya, you old drunk.
Turns out I need to take a shit, too.
God dog! What happened to you, Smoke?
Stack dead.
Nigga, what the fuck happened to you?
I'm sorry.
All right, well, let me in, so I can help.
Hold on.
[Cornbread] What y'all doin'?
Just step aside and let me on in, now.
Why you need him to do that?
You big and strong enough to push past us.
Well, that wouldn't be too polite,
now, would it, Miss Annie?
[sighs]
I don't know why I'm talking to you anyway.
Probably your fish sandwich
messed up my guts in the first place.
Usin' old, stale grease.
I ain't never used stale grease, and you know it.
- Shut up, Annie. Smoke... - Don't talk to him.
You talkin' to me right now.
Why you can't just walk your big ass
up in here without an invite, huh?
Go 'head. Admit to it.
Admit to what?
That you dead.
That one of them white folks out there kill you,
and you a haint now.
[laughs]
Smoke, you listenin' to this?
Woman, this man showed me kindness.
Employed me. Grabbed me out the field.
Now, he say his brother been killed.
The man needs comfort,
not you fillin' up his mind
with that old Lousiana bayou bullshit you on.
Now, we out here playing games,
telling ghost stories
in place of doin' what we ought to do.
And what is it we s'pose to be doin'?
Bein' kind to one another!
And bein' polite. Now, we is one peoples.
And we shouldn't go in,
bargin' into other folks' places uninvited.
So...
You been in and outta here all day.
Ain't never need an invite then.
Yeah, somethin' ain't addin' up.
Shit, Stack was my ride up here.
I 'posed to walk back?
That ain't my problem.
[scoffs]
Well, it be, your own peoples.
And I thought you was better than this,
but you just like the white man.
Can I at least get my money?
You did such a bang-up job...
now you wanna get paid for what you ain't did?
Ain't nobody talkin' to you, you old drunk.
- Shut your mouth. - No, you shut the fuck up.
Don't give him shit, Smoke. Don't give him nothin'.
Careful.
- [intense music playing] - Smoke! Smoke!
- Oh, no! - [Sammie] Smoke!
[Cornbread growls]
[Smoke] Close it! Close the door!
Close the door! What the fuck? What the fuck?
He got you? Did he get you?
[Smoke] I'm all right, I'm all right, I'm all right.
- What the hell was that? - [Annie] I don't know.
Hey. Hey.
[all panting]
Y'all smell anything?
No.
I think I shat myself.
- How the hell he get up, huh? - [knocking on door]
[Annie] I don't know. I don't know.
[Smoke] I shot the nigga in his head.
Cornbread pulled me out the goddamn door.
Is someone in there?
[sputters] Smoke.
Smoke!
[Stack] Smoke?
Go on ahead.
Open up this door, let me on out of here.
Stack...
Nigga, that's you?
Nah, fool, it's Jim Crow.
Nigga, of course it's me. Open the door.
Stack...
[sputters] How you feelin'?
Boy, you lost a lot of blood.
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
It was scary, and I'm doing much better now.
I swear. On Mama grave.
[Grace] I thought you said he was dead.
He was. I checked his pulse.
Then what the fuck is he doin' talkin' to us?
But this is good, right? Means he's okay.
Smoke...
that ain't your brother.
Smoke, what that witch out there talkin' 'bout?
You gonna let her get in between us again?
What we been through...
German trenches, nigga.
Chicago gangways.
Oh, all right.
Y'all niggas gonna pay for this shit.
Lockin' this pimp in the closet, huh?
Huh? Open the door, Smoke!
Let me the fuck out or I swear before God,
I'm layin' all you sons of bitches down.
One by one! [grunting]
[mumbling]
Smoke. Come on, man. Open the door, it's me.
You know I don't like this shit, man.
Please, Smoke, let me out of this room.
Smoke, please.
Annie, give me the key.
[Sammie] Stack?
- [Sammie grunts] - [all gasping]
- [sizzling] - [grunts]
[Smoke] Stop!
[Delta Slim] Hey!
Sammie!
Come on, get up.
[groaning]
What was in the jar?
Pickled garlic.
These ain't haints.
They're vampires.
[Grace] Bo's out there. We gotta go get him.
I'm the one who sent him out there.
- Can't let you do that. - He needs my help.
Bo know how to handle himself.
Probably got in that car and got someplace safe.
Y'all ain't gonna keep me from my husband.
Grace, we tryin' to keep you alive right now.
We just gotta hole up till sunrise.
Okay?
Now, we need...
garlic...
- wood... - [clattering]
...silver, and holy water.
Shit might not kill 'em, but it'll slow 'em down.
How could it move and sound like Stack...
if it ain't Stack?
I only ever heard stories.
I ain't never come across them myself.
[Pearline] What stories you heard?
How haints work. They switch places with the soul of a man.
But vampires is different.
[blows air]
Maybe the worst kind.
The soul gets stuck in the body.
Can't rejoin the ancestors.
Cursed to live here with all this hate.
Can't even feel the warmth of a sunrise.
Okay then. Can we bring him back?
If I killed the ones that made him this way...
- Smoke... - [blows air]
They have a connection, but they live on...
even if the one that made them is killed.
The best thing we can do for him
is free his spirit from this curse.
They gotta be killed, one by one.
And how the hell do we do that?
[Annie] Sunlight.
A wooden stake to the heart.
The hell, Annie?
I kept that boy safe all these years.
All over this world.
Why tonight?
It's 'cause of me.
My daddy told me.
He said the Devil was comin' on account of my music.
I had a gal once, vampire.
She was light skinneded, too.
That gal bit me everywhere but my neck.
[Delta Slim chuckles]
Sammie...
you don't worry about a thing, hear?
Devil done came for me plenty of times.
If he come knockin' tonight...
he gonna have to go through his old friend Delta Slim
before he get to you.
That go for everybody in here.
If I get bit by one of them...
promise me, right now...
that you'll free me 'fore I turn.
What you mean, "free you"?
I got somebody on the other side
waitin' for me.
They waitin' on you, too.
[melancholic music playing]
You understand?
- Hey, come on, look at me. - [breath trembles]
I don't care about what that shit say.
I'm gonna make sure you get home safe.
[Pearline screaming] Sammie! Smoke!
Well, who did this? Was it Stack or Mary?
Nah. They ran straight out. You saw them.
Well, who bit him, then?
We gotta get him out before he wakes up.
[both grunting]
[Remmick singing indistinctly in distance]
Come on.
You don't hear that?
[Remmick singing] ♪ Leave where I was born ♪
They playin' music.
[Remmick singing] ♪ I cut a stout blackthorn ♪
[thunder rumbling]
♪ For to banish ghosts and goblins ♪
♪ A brand-new pair of brogues ♪
♪ To rattle over the bogs ♪
- ♪ And frighten all the dogs ♪ - Hey, hey.
Let's get back inside.
- ♪ On the rocky road to Dublin ♪ - Come on.
♪ One, two, three, four, five ♪
♪ Well, in the merry month of May ♪
♪ From me home I started ♪
♪ Left the girls of Tuam nearly brokenhearted ♪
♪ Saluted Father dear Kissed me darling mother ♪
♪ Drank a pint of beer My grief and tears to smother ♪
♪ Then off to reap the corn Leave where I was born ♪
♪ Cut a stout blackthorn to banish ghosts and goblins ♪
♪ Brand-new pair of brogues Rattlin' over the bogs ♪
♪ Frightened all the dogs On the rocky road to Dublin ♪
♪ One, two, three, four, five ♪
[all singing] ♪ Hunt the Hare and turn her down ♪
♪ The rocky road ♪
♪ And all the way to Dublin Whack fol lol le rah! ♪
♪ The boys of Liverpool When we safely landed ♪
♪ Called meself a fool I could no longer stand it ♪
♪ Me blood began to boil Temper I was losing ♪
♪ Poor old Erin's Isle they began abusing ♪
♪ "Hurrah me soul!" says I Shillelagh I let fly ♪
♪ Some Galway boys were nigh And saw I was a-hobblin' ♪
♪ With a loud "Hurray!" joined in the array ♪
♪ We quickly cleared the way ♪
♪ On the rocky road to Dublin One, two, three, four, five ♪
♪ Hunt the Hare and turn her down ♪
♪ The rocky road ♪
♪ And all the way to Dublin Whack fol lol le rah! ♪
♪ Hunt the Hare and turn her down ♪
♪ The rocky road ♪
♪ And all the way to Dublin Whack fol lol le rah! ♪
♪ Hunt the Hare and turn her down ♪
♪ The rocky road ♪
♪ And all the way to Dublin Whack fol lol le rah! ♪
[singer vocalizing]
[music stops abruptly]
We all gon' eat this clove of garlic.
I don't much like the taste of it.
Ain't no one saying you gotta like it.
We just gotta figure out
if any of us left is one of them.
You don't got none of the pickled ones?
[thunder rumbling]
[clicks tongue] This is ridiculous.
- Smoke, put the gun down. - Shut up.
Eat, or I'll shoot.
Put the gun down, Smoke. She ain't no damn vampire.
[Smoke] How the hell you know that?
Just eat the damn garlic, girl.
- [gun clicks] - Smoke! [grunts]
I'm trying to keep you alive, boy.
You ain't to question me.
You a evil man.
No wonder the Devil come for us.
[Sammie groaning]
[Pearline breathes heavily]
[grunts]
- [Grace] Mm-mm. - Hey, Slim.
What's goin' on, man?
[Delta Slim grunts, stomps foot]
- [Pearline] Mm-mm. Mm-mm. - [Delta Slim grunts]
- Slim? - [groans]
[grunting, stomping feet]
What's goin' on, Slim?
[grunting]
I drank too much.
[hoarsely] That goddamn beer from Chicago.
My nerves all fucked up, Smoke.
[exhales deeply]
[grunts]
I'm fine.
[sighing]
See?
You sure that was blood?
[sniffing]
[vampires cheering in distance]
[door rattles]
Hey. Hey, Smoke, let me in, man.
Huh. Lookit here.
Smoke, Smoke, let me in!
Smoke, I swear I paid my tab, man.
That's what this about?
Smoke! Hey, Smoke!
- Whatever you need, man! - [feet thudding]
Smoke! Some weird shit going on out here, Smoke!
I know you hear me, Smoke!
Smoke, let me in! Smoke, let me in!
[screaming]
Whoa, what the... Oh, shit.
[screaming] Get off me!
- Close the door. Come on. - Wait!
- [man] Get off of me! - Bo.
- Get your ass off of me! - Hey, baby.
Come on outside, I got the car started.
Let's go.
[grunting]
What is it, Grace?
[voice breaking] He's killing him.
Oh, you talking about that?
Oh, don't worry about Cornbread.
He's just a little hungry, that's all. Let's go.
- [gasps] - Come on.
[snarls]
Come on and go. I got the car all warmed up.
[sighs]
Or...
You let me back in there.
And I'll come in, and we can grab our things...
and head home?
Don't listen to him.
Grace, we're gonna find a way out of this, I promise.
[Remmick] I am your way out.
This world already left you for dead.
Won't let you build. Won't let you fellowship.
We will do just that. Together.
Forever.
It's better this way, baby.
So why don't you go ahead, invite us in.
[Remmick] You should listen to him, Grace.
Or listen to me.
'Cause I know everything he knows now.
And I want you to let us in there.
Or we gon' go to the grocery store.
We gon' pay little Lisa a visit.
No, no,
- don't you fucking dare! - No, no, no.
- [Grace] No! - Oh, yeah, Grace.
- I know everything now. - [Grace sobbing]
[in Taishanese]
[in English] This can't be real.
You the Devil. Ain't you?
Sammie!
You the one I came for.
I sensed you.
I wanna see my people again. I'm trapped here.
But your gifts can bring 'em to me.
Y'all give him to me now. Just give me little Sammie...
we'll let y'all live.
Whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey, easy. Easy.
I'm gon' tell you somethin', you goddamn peckerwood.
You can't have him.
He belongs to us. He belongs with us.
And I ain't gonna let that happen.
You can't save him, Smoke,
no more than you could save your brother.
[laughter nearby]
You ain't safe here.
No matter how many guns, or how much money...
They gon' take it from you when they want.
You built somethin' here tonight,
and it was beautiful.
But it was built on a lie.
Hogwood, well, he's the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan.
That's his motherfuckin' nephew.
And they was always gon' kill you.
I just happened to show up at the right place
at the right time.
He tellin' the truth, Smoke.
[sighs] I can see his memories.
Smoke, that ain't your brother.
This wasn't no juke joint. No club.
This here's a slaughterhouse.
It's a goddamn killing floor.
[Joan] But what Uncle Hogwood don't know
is we're gonna start ourselves a new clan,
based on love.
[laughing]
Now that we got numbers,
we'll probably go to that old bigot
and rectify him, too.
Why can't y'all just go?
'Cause we're not leavin' without y'all.
We're family. Ain't that right?
I know it sound crazy, but after we kill y'all...
we gon' have heaven right here on Earth.
- [Joan] Mm. - [Mary chuckles]
[groaning]
Oh.
Hey there.
[groans]
[vampires chuckling]
- Come on. - Welcome.
Hey, hey, hey. Look at me.
Hey, let me tell you somethin'.
Let me tell you goddamn somethin', nigga.
The Stack I know
ain't fellowshipping with no goddamn devil.
Fuck you, nigger. It is me.
Elias Moore.
And I'm talkin' to my big brother right now, Slim...
so I'mma kindly ask you to shut the fuck up.
We was never gonna be free.
We've been running around everywhere
looking for freedom.
You know damn well you was never gonna find it.
Until this.
[laughing] This is the way.
Together.
Forever.
And I ain't doing this shit without ya.
There is no me without you.
What's it gon' be?
- [Sammie] No. No, no, no. - [Pearline] Hey.
We're closin' the door.
- [Sammie] No. No. - [Delta Slim] No, man.
- [door shuts] - [grunts]
No vision.
[Smoke shudders]
[Grace] He said he was gonna take our daughter.
[Annie] You can't believe him.
He was just trying to get you to let him in.
He ain't threatened your children!
We just gotta stay through the night.
And what? Let him kill my family?
Kill the whole town?
Turn everybody to monsters?
That white devil spoke Chinese.
He got in Bo's mind.
[breathing heavily]
We gotta stop 'em, Smoke.
We gotta get 'em before they get away.
Grace, just slow down. Give me a second to think.
What? Ain't you a soldier?
Yeah?
Didn't you just shoot two men for touching your truck?
They killed your brother.
Made Stack one of 'em.
And my Bo.
Said they was gon' kill Lisa.
If now ain't go time, then I don't know what is.
We supposed to wait the night
while they take more of our loved ones?
Make 'em demons?
They don't look like they leavin', Grace.
Oh, shut your drunk ass up, Slim!
I ain't drunk right now.
You need to watch your mouth, woman.
What you doin'?
- Stop that. Come on. - No!
- Y'all hear that? - [muffled singing]
[vampires] ♪ I picked his head I picked his feet ♪
♪ I would've picked his body ♪
[Sammie] It's the song they were singin'.
[vampires] ♪ But he wasn't fit to eat ♪
♪ Oh, I picked poor Robin clean ♪
♪ I picked poor Robin clean ♪
♪ And I'll be satisfied havin' a family ♪
♪ Well, didn't that jaybird laugh ♪
[voices echoing] ♪ When I picked poor Robin clean ♪
♪ Poor Robin clean ♪
♪ I picked poor Robin clean ♪
♪ Oh, didn't that jaybird laugh ♪
♪ When I picked poor Robin clean ♪
[Smoke] Hey. No, don't, don't, no, hey...
- [Annie] Grace, don't... - Leave this with me.
- Don't... Grace... Calm down! - Let go. Let go of me!
- Calm down! We gotta think! - God damn it!
- Let go! Let go! - We'll kill all of them!
Let it go, let it go. Calm down.
We just gotta think, Grace, we gotta think.
We gotta think, gotta stay here.
- Grace, calm down. - We gotta think.
- Okay? - [intense music playing]
- We gotta... We good. - Come on...
- [Grace biting] - [Smoke grunts]
Come on in,
- you motherfuckers! - No!
[Delta Slim] What the hell you doin'?
[Smoke] No! God damn it, Grace!
[Pearline] Grace, why would you do that?
[Annie] Are you fucking kidding me?
[overlapping arguments]
[Delta Slim] I told you to keep your goddamn mouth shut!
[vampires singing] ♪ I picked poor Robin clean ♪
[Annie] I think they comin' in, we gotta get ready.
Come on now. Come on now.
[vampires singing] ♪ I picked poor Robin clean ♪
[Delta Slim] Don't panic. Focus, y'all.
[vampires] ♪ I picked his head I picked his feet ♪
♪ I would've picked his body but he wasn't fit to eat ♪
♪ Oh, I picked poor Robin clean ♪
[door creaking]
[yells]
- [intense music playing] - [all yelling]
[Grace yelling]
- [grunts] - [gun clicks]
[Grace yelling]
- [growling] - [grunting]
[grunting]
[growling]
[screaming]
- [screaming] - [growling]
[growling]
[vampires groaning]
[groans]
[screaming]
- [Pearline yells] - [screaming]
[grunts]
[screams] You mother...
- [vampires screaming] - Smoke!
- They feel his pain. - [Stack grunts]
[Pearline] Annie!
- No! - [Remmick grunts]
[both grunting]
Stack, no! No!
Please. Not you.
- [flesh squelches] - [groaning]
No, oh, no.
- Not you! Not you. - [Smoke] Elias, not Annie!
No! No!
Everything gon' be all right now.
- [grunts] - [groans]
- [both grunting] - [grunts]
- [screams] - [Smoke] No! No! Annie.
No, no, no.
- [grunts] - [gun clicks]
[Smoke] No, no, no! Oh, no.
- Ooh. - [groans]
[weakly] Elijah.
You promised me.
I'll see you soon.
[Annie groaning]
[somber music playing]
I love you.
- Annie! - No!
- [Smoke grunts] - [blood splatters]
- No! No! - No, no, let's go!
[Mary screaming]
[Stack] Let's go, come on.
- [Smoke grunts] - [Stake clatters]
Smoke, we gotta get the boy out the back.
She's not here. Come on.
Smoke, come on, now.
- Shit. I'm out. But, I'm out! - Up the steps. Go there.
- [Sammie] I'm out too! - [Delta Slim] Sammie.
- [Sammie] Let's go, let's go. - [Pearline] Sammie! Come on!
- Now, what I told you? Go. - No, Slim!
- Now, go! - [Pearline] Let's go!
Slim, Slim!
Oh, yeah.
It's still nasty.
[groaning, growls]
Hey. Hey, y'all want some of this?
[vampires growling]
Last call, Delta Slim.
[Sammie] Slim.
[Delta Slim grunting]
[Sammie] Yeah, let's go.
Get outta here. Get outta here!
- [Pearline gasps] - Sammie!
[tense music playing]
[Stack growls]
[screaming]
[Pearline yells]
[Remmick yells]
- [screaming] - [vampires growling]
- [Pearline yelping] - [flesh squelches]
No!
- Go! - Pearline...
- Go! - Pearline!
[Pearline gasping]
Go! Go!
Keep running. Right to the sunrise.
[grunts]
[coughs and groans]
[panting]
[thunderclap]
[Sammie screaming]
[both grunting]
I had it all worked out. Then you go on and kill Annie.
Fuck is wrong with you, man?
I want your stories.
And I want your songs.
And you gon' have mine.
Our Father...
which art in Heaven...
hallowed be thy name...
Thy kingdom come...
thy will be done...
On Earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread...
[vampires] Our daily bread...
and forgive us our trespasses...
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation...
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Long ago...
the men who stole my father's land
forced these words upon us.
I hated those men,
but the words still bring me comfort.
[Sammie grunts]
- [Stack grunting] - [groans]
Hey! Hey. Stay your ass down.
I'm bored of you, man.
Mother... [grunts]
Those men lied to themselves and lied to us.
- [Sammie grunts, coughs] - [water splashing]
They told stories of a God above and a Devil below.
And lies of a dominion of man over beast and Earth.
[both grunting]
[Stack grunts]
Sorry I couldn't keep you safe.
Don't be sorry. You always did.
We are earth and beast and god.
We are woman and man.
We are connected, you and I...
- to everything. - [Sammie grunts]
- [sinister music playing] - [vampires groaning]
[vampires screaming]
Shit!
No.
[straining]
[Sammie yelling]
You will taste the sweet pain of death.
We will make beautiful music together.
[flesh squelches]
- [vampires screaming] - [groaning]
[thunder rumbling]
[dramatic choral music playing]
- He get you? Did he get you? - No!
[sizzling]
I'm here. I'm here.
[wailing]
[vampires sizzling]
- [woman] The sun! - [man] The sun!
[vampires screaming]
[dramatic choral music continues]
[breathing heavily]
[somber music playing]
[groaning]
[dramatic music playing]
[Remmick screaming]
[dramatic music fades]
[solemn music playing]
Want help?
Go home.
And bury that fuckin' guitar.
I can't.
It's Charley Patton's.
What?
Boy, who told you that?
Stack.
Said y'all won it off him.
Lyin' son of a bitch.
That's our daddy guitar.
Hey. Come here.
Be strong, you hear me?
Hear me?
I got some business to handle.
Be strong. You hear?
[engine stops]
[pensive music playing]
[choir singing] ♪ Little light of mine ♪
♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪
♪ This little light of mine ♪
[pensive music continues]
[inaudible]
[music stops]
[amulet clatters]
[sniffles]
[thrilling music playing]
[Smoke] And if we see you...
or any one of your Klan buddies
cross our property line...
we gonna kill 'em right where they stand.
Klan don't exist no more.
[henchman] Little coon huntin' this morning, boys.
[henchman 2] Love skinnin' me a nigger
first thing of the day.
[henchman 3] Gettin' a little too uppity around here.
Time to teach these boys a lesson.
Club Juke, huh?
Grand openin' and grand closin'.
- Let's do it. Open it up. - [henchman 2] Yeah.
[Ruthie] Sammie!
Come, son.
[thrilling music continues]
Door's locked.
Try the front.
Drop the guitar, Samuel.
- This one is, too. - [gunshots]
[henchman 1] Where the hell is it comin' from?
[henchman 2] Niggers is shootin' at us!
[henchmen yelling]
[henchmen groaning]
[Hogwood] Kill his Black ass!
[guns firing]
[all groaning]
[all screaming]
[henchman 3] Drive! Drive, damn it, drive!
[grenade pin clicks]
[henchmen screaming]
[grunts]
[thrilling music fades]
[intriguing music playing]
[grunting]
[Jedidiah] Drop the guitar, Samuel.
Put it down. In the name of God.
You tell them...
"my heart...
my voice...
my soul...
belongeth to the Lord."
You got a cigarette?
You go to hell, nigger.
[gun clicks]
[sniffles]
[breathing heavily]
[baby cooing]
[gentle music playing]
Hmm.
[Annie] Elijah.
You put that cig out, you can hold her.
[blues music playing]
I don't want any of that smoke to get on her.
[Hogwood] Hey. Listen...
I got money. Huh?
[Hogwood screaming]
[blues music continues]
[baby fussing]
Papa's here.
[somber music fades in]
[electric guitar playing]
[electric guitar riff playing]
[music fades]
Hey, boss...
we got two out there.
I told 'em we closed,
but they offered a couple hundred bucks.
- That okay with you? - That don't bother me none.
- [door opens] - [bouncer] Come on in.
[uneasy music playing]
[door creaking]
Vampires is different.
Maybe the worst kind.
- [grunting] - [Annie] But they live on,
even if the one that made them is killed.
They gotta be killed, one by one.
I'll have whatever the old man havin'.
Hm.
How?
I guess I was the one person he just couldn't kill.
He made me promise to stay away from you.
Let you live out your life.
[sniffing]
It won't be long for you, huh?
I could make it so that you could stick around.
Keep tourin'.
Keep livin'.
No pain.
I think I've seen enough of this place.
[Stack] Hm.
You know, we got every single one of your records.
I don't like that electric shit
as much as the real.
Yeah.
I miss the real.
Recordings from back then sound like a pile of dogshit.
How about it, Sammie?
You still got the real in you?
[intriguing music playing]
[strumming mellow tune]
[singing] ♪ Travelin' ♪
♪ I don't know why in the hell I'm out here ♪
♪ Travelin' ♪
♪ I don't know why in the hell I'm here ♪
♪ Because the woman I'm lovin' ♪
♪ You know she really She really don't care ♪
[Stack] No, she don't.
[stops strumming]
Take care, little Sammie.
You know something?
Maybe once a week, I wake up paralyzed...
reliving that night.
But before the sun went down...
I think that was the best day of my life.
Was it like that for you?
No doubt about it.
Last time I seen my brother.
[pensive music playing]
I love you.
Last time I seen the sun.
And just for a few hours...
we was free.
[music continues]
[music ends]
[electric guitar music playing]
[pensive electronic music playing]
[singing] ♪ This little light of mine ♪
♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
♪ This little light of mine ♪
♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪
♪ Let it shine ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ Oh, let it shine ♪
♪ Everywhere I go ♪
♪ Gonna let it shine ♪