“Sing Sing” Review

The Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison walls house something far more than a longing for freedom. It’d be so easy for a movie centering around this prison’s Rehabilitation Through the Arts program to store through with quiet melodrama. But director Greg Kwedar manages to tap into something far grander with a focus on introspection. This is not just a film about prisoners reforming but about what makes men tick and connect.

The star of the Arts program is Divine G (Colman Domingo), a man who is cultured enough not only to know class plays but also to write some of his own. For an upcoming production, he decides to flex his casting muscles by trying to draw the inmate Divine Eye into the program. Although not as trained or enthused about acting as the rest of the group, how could Divine G resist an inmate who took an interest in King Lear? Divine Eye has problems with performance and behavior, but he can improve with some help from the earnest and firm Brent Buell, masterfully played by Paul Raci. Brent goes the extra mile to coach these prisoners into actors and compose a play that can accommodate all their wild ideas.

Divine G is a fascinating character he starts with wisdom and has his hope dwindle. There’s apprehension when the group encourages him to write the play and bitterness when Divine Eye gets a leading role for the play’s Hamlet character. G’s appeal doesn’t go well and a suicide in his block makes him grow with more despair. All the allure of the theater begins to crumble, to the point where Divine G’s anger explodes in a rant of understandable despair. Of course, it’s ultimately the act of embracing the play that pulls him back from the brink. If it could work for someone as troublesome as Divine Eye, it can do the same for Divine G.

What I loved so much about the film is how it embraces the importance of men getting in touch with each other at their lowest. The many rehearsal sessions involve more than settling on a script or nailing the lines just right. It’s about being comfortable enough to feel as though you can be more than a prisoner. Brent gets the guys into the right mindset by speaking to them as something more than a therapist or coach. He wants these men to reach deep inside and not be afraid to expose their inner feelings in a way that makes them feel comfortable. They can’t start cavorting as cowboys and gladiators if they can’t reconcile with their dreams and desires. Not only is a connection made, but a freedom unleashed, tapping into the greater potential beyond what society has deemed as incarcerated.

The authentic nature extends beyond the real-world connections to the program. Several supporting characters in the played by real-life prisoners with names like Dap, Preme, JJ, and Dino. Most of them get a moment to shine as they appear in front of the camera for their initial auditions. They’ve been granted the ultimate spotlight in this film, playing the roles they know best like no other actor could. The ownership they get to take with this story can’t be overstated. They not only give this film a high level of realism, but a greater importance for making this essential program so key to reforming men into more than just functioning members of society. There’s a comfort that comes with staging this play that feel incredibly inviting without a hint of intimidation or melodrama to simplify its existence.

Sing Sing is one of the best prison films and films about men in general. There’s a heart to this film that is so unbelievably grounded that it hits hard when tragedy strikes in all its forms. More importantly, this is one of the most earnest portrayals of male friendships I’ve seen that doesn’t fall under the familiar platitudes of the comical or homophobic. I read a study of a Gen-Z sample of viewers in which over 50% stated they’d like to see more platonic relationships in movies. If that’s the case, Sing Sing fulfills that desire by treating comradery with men as something more binding than business or sexual partners. The epilogue reveals actual footage from Sing Sing productions. If this program can be real, why not a stronger bond between men? This film offers up a hopeful reality where that connection is not only possible but ideal enough to embrace.