Elias "Stack" Moore, the secondary antagonist of the 2025 period action horror film Sinners, is a complex figure shaped by war, crime, and supernatural transformation. A World War I veteran, bootlegger, mob enforcer, and twin brother to Elijah "Smoke" Moore, Stack and his brother transformed their lives by purchasing an abandoned sawmill and establishing it as a juke joint for the local Black community. However, Stack’s fate took a dark turn when he was bitten and turned into a vampire by his girlfriend, Mary, ultimately joining Remmick’s band of vampires.
Biography[]
Stack and his older twin Smoke endured an abusive childhood at the hands of their father, with Stack bearing the brunt of the violence. Their ordeal ended when Smoke killed their father. They were subsequently adopted by a mixed-race woman, whose daughter Mary became Stack’s close friend and later romantic partner.
The brothers enlisted in World War I and, after returning home, found work in Chicago under Al Capone's Italian mafia during Prohibition. As enforcers and bootleggers, they committed various crimes including robbery, hits, and the killing of rival gangsters.
Eventually, after accumulating enough wealth, the brothers returned to their Mississippi hometown, where they bought an abandoned sawmill from a racist owner named Hogwood. They turned it into a juke joint, the Smokestack, hiring talents like their cousin Sammie (a musician), Delta Slim (a drunk pianist), Pearline (a singer), Cornbread (a field worker-turned-bouncer), and The Chows (a Chinese couple who served as bartenders and suppliers). Although Hogwood agreed not to interfere, Stack and Smoke restricted white patrons from entering, fearing future conflict.
On opening night, Sammie unknowingly awakened ancestral spirits through his music. Mary attended the event—much to Stack’s frustration. Meanwhile, outside, Remmick and the vampire-turned Klansmen Bert and Joan attempted to gain entry by pretending to be wealthy patrons but were denied due to being white.
Mary encountered Remmick outside, where he exploited her grief over her mother's death to manipulate her. As she returned to the club, he bit her, turning her into a vampire. Unaware of the change, Stack was seduced by Mary and taken to the storage shack, where she bit him during an intimate moment. Smoke discovered them mid-act, tried to kill Mary, but failed. Mary fled, and Stack was locked inside the shack by the terrified clubgoers.
Stack's transformation ensued. He begged his brother to let him out as the vampire threat spread. Cornbread, now a vampire, arrived and attacked a guest, signaling the beginning of the assault. Remmick, Mary, Joan, Bert, Bo, and Stack approached the club, trying to convince the others to submit and join their ranks. When Remmick threatened Grace Chow's daughter, she lashed out, inciting a violent attack on the club.
Stack battled his brother, attempting to bite him, but Smoke overpowered him. Rather than kill Stack, Smoke spared his life in exchange for a promise to leave Sammie human. As dawn approached, Remmick and his vampires perished in the sunlight, but Stack and Mary survived.
Epilogue[]
By 1992, decades later, Sammie had become a successful musician. After a performance at his bar, he was visited by Stack and Mary. Stack explained his survival and his pledge to Smoke. They offered to turn Sammie into a vampire, but he refused. As they prepared to leave, Sammie reflected on that fateful night—despite its horrors, it was the best day of his life. Stack agreed, saying it was the last day he saw his brother, felt the sun, and experienced true freedom. He and Mary then departed into the night
Personality[]
While Stack shares physical similarities with his twin Smoke, his personality diverged significantly prior to his vampiric transformation. More personable and charming than the pragmatic and calculating Smoke, Stack often socialized with their cousin Sammie, demonstrating warmth and humor. Though he participated in their shared criminal enterprises, Stack was not shown committing acts of violence—unlike Smoke—though this could be due to the story’s narrative focus.
Stack’s charm, however, masked a more manipulative nature. He lied to protect others, such as when he abandoned Mary without explanation to keep her safe, and he deceived Sammie about the origin of his father's guitar. He also demonstrated his ability to sway others to his cause—bribing Delta Slim with alcohol and manipulating Cornbread with persuasion to join their club.
After being bitten by Mary, Stack joined Remmick’s vampire hivemind. Although his core personality remained, his darker tendencies—violence and moral flexibility—intensified. Under Remmick's influence, Stack became a recruiter, attempting to manipulate Smoke and Sammie into joining the cult. He even fought his brother in pursuit of this goal. Despite this, remnants of his humanity endured. Stack expressed sorrow when Smoke chose to kill his estranged wife Annie rather than let her turn, and he promised not to harm Sammie. Years later, when reunited with Sammie, Stack implied regret over his condition, noting that the day of the massacre was the last time he ever felt truly free.