Movie Review: Sing Sing (2023)

Genre: Drama  

Director: Greg Kwedar  

Starring: Colman Domingo  

Running Time: 105 minutes  

Synopsis: At the Sing Sing high security correctional facility in New York State, a group of male prisoners participate in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program. The thoughtful John "Divine G " Whitfield (Colman Domingo) is the group's spiritual leader, while Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin (playing himself) is the snarling and angry newcomer. The inmates decide to put on a time travel comedy as their next project, with both Divine G and Divine Eye also preparing for their upcoming parole hearings. 

What Works Well: Based on actual events, this noble drama features mostly amateur performances by RTA alumni, and is filled with good intentions demonstrating the power of art to rehabilitate and offer a version of freedom through creativity. Both Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin deliver raw performances filled with pain, regret, and internal battles between despair and hope.

What Does Not Work As Well: The talky and static material is better suited to a small theatre production. The few rudimentary sets are at the high school gymnasium level, and too many characters compete for the same emotional space, stranding most definitions at the introductory stage. The missing dramatic elements are conspicuous by their absence: the crimes committed and victim impacts receive barely a mention, while life in a high security facility is portrayed as remarkably comfortable and lacking in hardship. The omissions result in maximum sympathy for minimum effort.

Key Quote:

Divine Eye (to Divine G): You don't get to tell me what I need in prison.



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