Continuing my countdown of last year’s best films…

Best Films of 2024
#2. Sing Sing

I’ve never before seen a film quite like director Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing. It’s a fictionalized version of a true story, performed by non-professional actors portraying versions of themselves. Its authenticity comes not just from the excellent evocation of time and place but from the real-world experience etched into the faces of its cast.

The closest analogue I can think of is Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland, which similarly placed its star amidst “real” people. But that was more of a documentary with an asterisk, with Fern’s invented story overlaying the depiction of actual nomads. Sing Sing is a work of fiction that asks its non-actors to really act.

Set in the Sing Sing maximum security prison, the movie depicts a group of inmates involved in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program. Coleman Domingo plays “Divine G” Whitfield, a real-life participant in the program. He takes fellow inmate “Divine Eye” under his wing, hoping his new friend will find purpose by joining the theater troupe.

“Divine Eye” is played by the actual “Divine Eye,” Clarence Maclin, in his non-prison acting debut. Both “Divine G” and “Divine Eye” were given story credit as well, meaning they are Oscar nominees for Best Original Screenplay.

The rest of the cast is made up of actual RTA participants, each playing a version of themselves, and delivering such beautiful and life-affirming performances. The one exception is Paul Raci, so good in 2019’s Sound of Metal, who brings a similar world-weary naturalness to his role as theater director Brent Buell.

Sing Sing is a movie about the power of art and the importance of friendship. It’s a movie about finding a reason to persevere in the harshest of circumstances. It’s funny and sad, uplifting and transcendent. Just watching the trailer (below) brought a tear to my eye.

Sadly, A24 bungled the movie’s rollout, giving it hardly any time in theaters and tanking its award season chances. Seek it out wherever you can find it. It’s a true gem.