SING SING

In a summer filled with tornadoes, apes and car chases, Sing Sing is an unusual summer release that is perfect counter programming to all the big budget blockbusters we've been bombarded with. A poignant and engrossing study of finding humanity in the most unlikely of places that is sure to be a crowd pleaser thanks to its big heart.

Anchored by a career best performance from Colman Domingo, the film centers around John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield - a man sentenced to life in prison for a crime he did not commit. Visibly grizzled by his time in Sing Sing Maximum Security Penitentiary, he makes the best of his time incarcerated by spending time with his friends in his theatre group, which is run by theatre director Brent Buell - played impeccably by recent Oscar Nominee Paul Raci. The two have an obviously great friendship that has flourished over many years of productions and a common love of the arts and theatre, something of which Divine G has become the leading man for. And it's within those auditorium walls and in the pages of William Shakespeare and Arthur Miller that Divine G is able to find a sense of solace. Growing up as a theatre kid, I really connected with this facet of the story, so right from the get-go, I was hooked on Sing Sing and Colman’s outstanding performance.

Perhaps because of my own cynicism, my conjecture was this would be more of a 'prison drama', probably in part to so many seasons of television's Prison Break and my infinite rewatches of The Shawshank Redemption. Instead what we get with Sing Sing is the exact opposite - no violence, no stabbings, subverting expectations in all the right ways. And it felt fantastic because it allowed us to get to know our core group of individuals and hopeful actors in Divine G, MikeMike and Clarence without the expectations of the hardships of the maximum security prison.

At times heartbreaking, while at times nerve-wracking, Writer/Director Greg Kwedar and his co-writer Clint Bentley are able to create a wonderful balance in its storytelling, celebrating the human spirit and the arts but every once in a while reminding us the viewer of the environment and the circumstances these gentlemen find themselves within. Like I said, it’s not in the form of gratuitous gang prison violence, but instead in subtle sublime moments like Divine G’s parole hearing or a prison yard alarm sounding. The indulgence of the arts provides escapism from their reality.

Divine G, the troupe's guiding spirit, exudes a subtle air of superiority as he warmly welcomes new prisoners joining their latest production—a comedic mashup involving an Egyptian prince ("searching for his 'Mummy'"), Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.

Initially relishing a victorious moment from A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the film's outset, Whitfield anticipates delivering Hamlet’s famous "to be or not to be" soliloquy. Instead, he finds himself cast as a gladiator while the coveted role of Hamlet goes to newcomer Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, who shares both the name and the talent with his character.

Within Sing Sing's cast of formerly incarcerated men,Maclin crafts a remarkably fresh interpretation of the soliloquy, contributing to one of the most exceptional ensemble performances of the year, alongside other ex-inmates, notably the standout performance by Sean “Dino” Johnson.

It is my hope that at year's end, Maclin’s performance - along with Colman’s - do not go unnoticed because they both pack power, depth and heart that are real stand outs so far for 2024. It’s so early in the film year, and there is a lot to still be released, but if A24 and Elevation do this campaign right, we can hear both of these men have their name called out on Oscar night as nominees.

Sing Sing is a revelation of a film and dare I say it, a potential crown jewel in A24’s already wonderful filmography. There is so much to love in this and so much to discuss so please go out and watch Sing Sing on the big screen and give this film the attention it deserves.