SING SING (2023)
Directed by Greg Kwedar
clarence-maclin, colman-domingo, divine-eye, Drama, greg-kwedar, johnny-simmons, paul-raci
Sing Sing isn't flashy — it earns your attention with real stories and quiet tension. It requires careful watching. Based on the actual Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison, the film follows a group of incarcerated men putting on a play, but it’s less about the production and more about the healing that happens between scenes.
Their director, Brent (Paul Raci), is technically in charge, but it's clear Divine G (Colman Domingo) is the leader of the group. He takes an angry and wary new participant, Divine Eye (Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin), under his wing. They butt heads. They talk a lot. They welcome one another into the fold.
There are a lot of slow zooms in and out, extreme close-ups that attempt to get to the depth of the characters, showing emotions on their faces. Many of the cast members aren't classically trained actors — they're real alumni of the program. You can feel it.
THE PLOT
This isn’t a movie with big dramatic twists — it’s a slow story about what these men carry, what they choose to reveal, and how they connect with one another inside the walls.
The subtle conflict between Divine G and Divine Eye that underlines the plot is structured like a classic mentor-mentee arc, but sprinkled with the jealousies and humanisms of imperfect men. G doesn’t save Eye. Eye doesn’t magically change overnight. Like everything in this world, it's a slow, steady shift.
There is no major plot movement for long stretches. Sing Sing is slice-of-life storytelling at its purest, with many emotionally precise moments and a cadence so slow we have to believe it's meant to represent the pace of life for those waiting out sentences at Sing Sing. And that pace means, when something big does happen, we feel it deeply. Divine G’s parole denial is devastating. Mike Mike's (Sean San José) passing is crushing.
And G's eventual release from Sing Sing — a silent walk down the road outside the prison — is one of the most powerful scenes of the year thanks to the emotional weight we accumulate throughout the movie.
FLASH FACTS
You likely noticed the closing scenes of the film feature real-life recordings of an RTA program performance at Sing Sing. The footage shows many of the film's actors on stage while they were incarcerated.
Sing Sing was the first film to be simultaneously released both in theaters and in over 1,100 correctional facilities across the United States. Many of the film's actors have hosted Q&A sessions with inmates since the movie's release.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If I had to offer one critique, it would be that there are a lot of moments in which you can feel Domingo really **acting** — the film can come across as theatrical rather than documentarian. But considering it's based on a theatre program, I can't fault them too much for that tone.
There are a lot of gritty prison dramas out there. This isn’t one of them. Sing Sing is a slow, cautious story of bonding in friendship, personal growth, regret, and second chances through art. It's a story that sticks with you long after the final scene fades out.
this movie is good.
My rating: 4/5