Sing Sing (2023): review

Sing Sing is Greg Kwedar's moving drama about hope, change and the possibilities of art. Inspired by real experiences, it follows a man imprisoned at Sing Sing who finds a different way of understanding himself through theatre.

Colman Domingo plays Divine G, a wrongly convicted man involved in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts theatre programme. Among the other participants is Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, played by Maclin himself. Creating a play together offers more than relief from prison life: it creates a space to confront their pasts and imagine a future.

Domingo's performance is impressive. He makes the movement between resignation and hope intensely felt, particularly in his exchanges with Maclin. The chemistry between the actors gives the film its life and credibility.

Kwedar's approach emphasizes realism in both direction and casting. The participation of people with direct experience of the programme strengthens that quality. Pat Scola's 16 mm photography creates an almost documentary intimacy, capturing confinement and hardship without excluding warmth. There are moments of humanity that prevent the prison setting from defining every aspect of the characters.

Bryce Dessner's music carefully supports their emotional journey. Like a Bird, by Adrian Quesada and Abraham Alexander, is especially memorable, connecting to the film's concerns with freedom, hope and expression.

This is not a conventional prison drama built around violence or escape. Its interest lies in the internal freedom that creativity may open up. Theatre becomes a place where people can reflect, change and relate to each other differently.

Sing Sing stays with you because it asks substantial questions about rehabilitation and the possibility of growth under terrible circumstances. It is moving, inspiring and thoughtful, without needing to abandon the people at its centre for a general argument.