‘Sing Sing’ Review – The Power Of Theater Brings Hope To Even The Bleakest Of Circumstances

The creative arts are beautiful because they allow individuals to express themselves and escape the mental, sometimes literal, prisons of their everyday lives. In the Colman Domingo-led prison drama Sing Sing, a group of prisoners find solace in developing their acting abilities and the frequent theater performances they put on for their fellow inmates.

Domingo stars as Divine G, a wise and talented prisoner who has spent years immersed in the Rehabilitation Through The Arts (RTA) program offered by the maximum-security prison where he is housed. Along with his friend, Mike Mike (Sean San Jose), he is constantly planning the next production and scouting new talent to join the trope. When the group of performers decides to stage an original production, a time-travel genre mash-up titled Breakin’ The Mummy’s Code, the duo recruits the abrasive but gifted Divine Eye (Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin) to star in the new production. An unlikely friendship forms between the two over the course of the production, as they both help each other realize that hope, and friendship, can be found in the most unlikely of places.

To simply describe Sing Sing as a good film, even a great film, doesn’t begin to do it justice. The film is a tour de force about the power of the arts and the transformation artistic expression brings. It also centers redemption, the power of hope, and the complex feelings those who have been incarcerated feel about stepping back into civilian life. Domingo’s portrayal of the wise and gifted Divine G is both thoughtful and respectful, seeing as he’s playing a real-life person. Divine G is imperfect like the rest of us, and vulnerable to bouts of jealousy that he must ultimately put aside for the good of the many.

The film pulls a deft, but clever, bait and switch by showing Divine G and Divine Eye initially clash. There is a subtly, but present, tension bubbling just beneath the surface that viewers will be waiting to see explode to the surface in a dramatic, possibly violent, way. However, the movie cleverly subverts this by showing the duo develop mutual respect and admiration for each other. Divine G instructs Divine Eye on how to improve his skills as an actor, and Divine Eye reminds his new friend to never lose hope.

Other actors like Paul Raci as RTA acting coach, Brent Buell, and Sean San Jose as Mike Mike bring a great deal of talent, seriousness, and depth to their roles as well.

The film’s greatest victory is its inclusion of many current and former inmates and members of the RTA program. Watching the RTA alum hold their own against the likes of Domingo is nothing short of astounding, and they each bring a tremendous amount of vulnerability and heart to their roles. Maclin’s portrayal of a fictionalized version of himself is powerful but also showcases his genuine acting talents. Other RTA alums include Sean “Dino Johnson, Patrick “Preme” Griffin, and David “Dap” Giraudy. Again, all of them are extremely talented and do an excellent job showcasing what the RTA program is all about and the real talent the program has produced.

Sing Sing is an emotionally charged, profoundly moving film about the transformational powers of theater, hope, and the unlikely friendships that push us to reach our fullest potential.

Sing Sing was screened at the 2024 Dallas International Film Festival. It will be released in select theaters on July 12, 2024, courtesy of A24 before expanding nationwide on August 2nd.