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.

Continue reading →