Sing Sing ★★★★★

Release: 30th August 2024

Director: Greg Kwedar

Starring: Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Sean San José, Paul Raci, David Giraudy, Patrick Griffin, Mosi Eagle, James Williams & Sean Dino Johnson

It should come as no surprise when I say Colman Domingo is currently living his best life. With impeccable fashion taste (as demonstrated with his outfits during awards season), and his roles in Euphoria, Rustin, The Color Purple, Zola and Candyman, he’s a star shining brighter than ever. There’s a warm gravitas behind his voice that always commands attention. That natural magnetism and smoothness in his on-screen presence always allows him to find the truth behind his character. And no matter the role, whether it is playing an inspirational Civil Rights leader, a youth mentor, or portraying the wickedness of Mister, he makes everything seem effortless.

You feel that essence coming together from the opening scene in Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing. He plays John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield, an inmate falsely imprisoned in New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility for a crime he didn’t commit. Through the prison’s acting programme Rehabilitating Through the Arts (aka RTA), he finds purpose as educator and leader as they prepare for the troupe’s latest theatre production. Yet, here in this opening moment, Divine is allowed to escape from the prison walls, allowing for his troubles to disappear. He stands alone, centre of stage fearlessly delivering a monologue from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Whilst in character, Divine owns that stage. In reality, Domingo’s depth and passion shine through.

In truth, Sing Sing is beautiful, sincere and heartfelt, a story laced with hope, courage and vulnerability that speaks proudly on the transformative power of the arts. In a year where we’ve seen budgets slashed, cinema closures, community programmes under threat, Kwedar’s film is a comforting and much-needed balm for the soul.

With Hollywood fully leaning into the all-too familiar bubbles of nostalgia and fan servicing, Kwedar’s film relies on the effectiveness of simple storytelling – a true story that trusts its audience with the cinematic experience without the need for callbacks and franchise reassurance. Clint Bentley and Kwedar’s deft approach with the script tackles mass incarceration in a new light. Like a spiritual successor to The Shawshank Redemption, it possesses the same level of camaraderie and brotherhood without diluting the harsh realities found in prison. For every joyful moment, the audience is not far away from the claustrophobic cells that trap inmates like caged birds, the daily regiment of obedience and control, and the constant threat of violence and trauma. Yet, however lightly it endeavours those talking points, what makes Sing Sing unique in its own right is how it challenges stereotypes with mental wellness at its forefront. The inmates are seen as human, paving the way for healing, reconciliation and second chances.

The fact that most of the actors on screen are played by former inmates adds that layer of authenticity for the film. The therapeutic scenes led by The Sound of Metal’s Paul Raci see the inmates placed out of their comfort zones, reciting with closed eyes and focussed breathing on memories from a happy moment in their lives. Their auditions – filled with slow dolly shots and close ups, thanks to Pat Scola’s beautiful cinematography, create space and breathing room to tap into their newly-shed vulnerabilities. Bryce Dessner’s intimate score adds the necessary warmth for the cast. As for the play itself – a time-travelling mishmash featuring cowboys, Ancient Egypt, Hamlet and Freddy Krueger provides a fun, counter-culture narrative to dark, traumatic narratives audiences are frequently used to. By using art as a form of reform, this is where Domingo shines best, playing a dual role between talent nurturer and hope giver that deconstructs stigmas attributed to men – even when it is at his own emotional expense of being locked up for so long. 

Some of the film’s best scenes involve the relationships it invests time in. Divine and Mike Mike (Sean San Jose) share a moment on how peer pressure and lack of acceptance can force an individual to give up the art discipline they love. Alongside Domingo, Clarence Maclin’s Divine Eye is a natural scene-stealer, portraying a highly charged ‘gangster’ stereotype who gradually unravels his thespian softer side. Kwedar’s clever direction plays into the notion of not judging a book by its cover, knowing there is always more to the story than what the criminal justice system likes to unfairly tell. For Domingo and Maclin, it forms the basis of a powerful on-screen dynamic and friendship, constantly challenging and answering the question of how do you keep hope alive when the system pushes you towards a breaking point. Kwedar and Bentley’s script doesn’t provide easy answers, not when it delves into Eye’s source of his anger or Divine’s gaslighting clemency hearing to prove his innocence. But these psychological swings it takes are incredibly moving, earnestly crafted and designed to pull on the heartstrings even when its third act tends to rush towards its ending.

Yet, if Sing Sing and Colman Domingo are not part of the award season conversation, then a cinema crime has truly been committed. There’s a life-affirming resonance that speaks volumes on the arts’ cultural importance. They are our source of comfort in times of need, help us confront our personal struggles, allow us to find command ground or for instilling a consciousness when we’re simply not equipped to articulate our mood. For the way it celebrates community, this is a compelling reminder of human endeavour and its relentlessness to pursue something greater. For that reason alone, Sing Sing takes on a double meaning: to soar above adversity. That’s what makes it special and without a shadow of a doubt, this is one of the best films of the year.