Must-See Movie of the Year “Sing Sing” Hits Theaters This Month

One of the highlights of my SXSW Film Festival experience was the opportunity to not only watch Sing Sing, but to hear from the stars and creators of the film. Those included Emmy-winner (Euphoria) and Tony- (The Scottsboro Boys) and Oscar-nominee (Rustin) Colman Domingo and the graduates from New York prison, Sing Sing’s Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program. Domingo is one of the few in the film who isn’t playing himself. His character, John “Divine G” Whitfield, is the prison theater troop’s star performer, a man unjustly imprisoned, but making the best of his time to perform seminal and original works.

It’s a truly remarkable story about the affirming power of performance art. Sing Sing treats each of the incarcerated individuals with grace and dignity, and the results are poignant and transformative. It was inspiring seeing the real individuals, most of whom play fictionalized versions of themselves in the movie, walk on stage in solidarity, including Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, Sean “Dino” Johnson, and Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez. They spoke about their experience, and to see the kind of visceral support from the audience after watching their story play on the screen was truly a remarkable experience.

Fortunately, Sing Sing is finally making its way to theaters. Written by John H. Richardson, Brent Buell, and Clint Bentley, and directed by Greg Kwedar, the powerful movie will be released this weekend in the San Francisco Bay area on Friday, Aug. 2. Sing Sing then releases in limited markets on Aug. 16 and heads to nationwide theaters a week later on Aug 23.

The idea to feature the men themselves whose stories are depicted on screen was a novel one and a complete revelation that makes the narrative so much more meaningful. Seeing them talk about their passion for the project while at SXSW was such a heartfelt experience for me. Sing Sing also features a tour-de-force performance from Domingo. He’s sure to receive an Oscar nod for it too.

“This is truly what I care about in the world and how we make each other feel and how we can create new pathways through art.”

“[We saw] ourselves no longer as translators of an experience, but using the skills that we had as screenwriters to be a vessel and have that story passed through, rather than us trying to put our own ideas and conceptions around it as much,” screenwriter Bentley explained, according to Broadway World.

“We were rehearsing during Covid,” said Domingo, who was brought into the storytelling process along with Maclin and the real-life Whitfield. “It just seemed like the camaraderie clicked straight off the top because of the genuineness. What started as just us planning to put in the work became a friendship because it bled off the script… It was a bond that was built through conversation and communication.”

“I do movies like that to be able to do movies like this.” – Colman Domingo before tonight’s screening of Sing Sing at #SXSW #SXSW2024

You can read Lisa Laman’s rapturous review of this phenomenal drama. Sing Sing is one of the most important films of the year and an Oscar contender.

“I want the world to know that art is precious to us. And it’s the way that we are going to save the whole world. It is just not about this movie,” said Maclin. “It’s about appreciating the power of transformation through art. To appreciate the power of building up communication so that we can communicate better through art. This is what we mean by being revolutionary and taking over the world.”

If you only see a few movies this year, Sing Sing should be on your list. You will leave transformed.