When I walked out of the theater after watching Sing Sing, I knew I had just witnessed the best film of 2024. All but guaranteed to be an early Oscar contender, Sing Sing is a quiet powerhouse of a film that rings loud with authenticity and heart. Based on a true story of incarcerated inmates who find purpose through a prison theater program, director Greg Kwedar crafts an incredibly absorbing and beautiful portrait that will leave you smiling through tears, much like the symbolic tragedy and comedy masks the theatre is represented by.

Dealing with Trauma Through Performing Arts

Sing Sing tells a powerful story of brotherhood set within the titular Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison in New York. Based on the real-life program Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) and the people who experienced it firsthand, most of Sing Sing‘s cast includes formerly incarcerated actors and alumni of the program. Colman Domingo gives a rousing performance as “Divine G”, a former ballet dancer serving a sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. Despite his wrongful conviction, Divine G stands tall as a man of grace and goodwill. His inspirational outlook benefits the other men within the program, who learn to process their trauma through performances on stage.

Watch the Sing Sing trailer here.

The group dynamic shifts when a newcomer to the program joins the troupe. Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin (played by the real Clarence Maclin) is skeptical about the program’s decision to perform dramatic material consistently. Life in prison is dramatic enough, he eloquently and brutally states. Despite Divine G’s initial hesitation to change course, the program’s director Brent Buell (Paul Raci) agrees that maybe a little comedy would be good for the soul. The group works together to create an original production called “Breakin’ The Mummy’s Code” which ends up being a mash-up of comedy, Shakespeare, historical drama, and Freddy Krueger. The rest of the film follows the men’s lead-up to their opening night performance, including emotional highs and lows, and an unexpected tragedy.

A Stunning Ensemble Cast of (Mostly) Formerly Incarcerated Actors

There are many moments throughout Sing Sing that deserve a standing ovation. It took everything in me not to start clapping in the theater. The definition of a true ensemble cast, every single person who graces the screen gives a phenomenal performance. Colman Domingo’s ability to suck the air out of the room with his monologue delivery leaves the audience utterly gobsmacked. His rendition of Hamlet’s famous “To Be or Not To Be” sent chills through my whole body. Equally as stunning is Clarence Maclin, who uses his background as a formerly incarcerated person to bring real-life experience to the part.

Complimenting the onscreen performances is the angelic score by composer Bryce Dessner (The National) and the London Contemporary Orchestra. The music weaves in and out of scenes so beautifully and without forcing an emotional reaction. Captured by cinematographer Pat Scola (Pig, A Quiet Place: Day 1) in stunning detail, the world of Sing Sing explodes from the screen into our hearts. Its impact resonates long after the credits stop rolling.

Takeaway

More than just a movie, Sing Sing is a testament to the transformative power of art and humanity. The message conveyed here is a universal one: healing through art isn’t just possible but essential. The proof is obvious, just look at the cast of the film (85% of whom were formerly incarcerated at Sing Sing). “This wasn’t just a philosophical choice,” says director Greg Kwedar, “it was a recognition of the immense talent and pathos of the alumni from RTA.” Unforgettable in a myriad of ways, Sing Sing is an achingly beautiful portrait of rehabilitation.