Loved Colman Domingo in Euphoria? His New True-Story Film Will Blow You Away!

What’s the Story About?

Locked up in Sing Sing prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Divine G dedicates himself to a theater workshop for inmates. To everyone’s surprise, a gang leader of the penitentiary, Divine Eye, shows up to audition…

To Be or Not to Be Moving

Colman Domingo’s acting prowess cannot be praised enough; his presence alone can turn the tide of a scene. Often seen in supporting roles, both in films and on television, he stands out as one of Hollywood’s most beloved “character actors.”

From his roles in “Fear the Walking Dead” to “Euphoria” (who could forget that special, minimalist yet poignant episode opposite Zendaya?), and from “Candyman” to “The Color Purple” and “If Beale Street Could Talk,” he has mastered the art of stealing scenes.

With “Bayard Rustin,” released in November 2023 on Netflix, “Sing Sing” breaks the norm primarily because Domingo plays the lead role.

In this film directed by Greg Kwedar, he portrays an inmate wrongfully incarcerated who dedicates himself to rehabilitating his peers through the arts by overseeing the theater workshop.

From this collaborative process that takes all actors’ feedback into account, an unlikely musical comedy about a time-traveling adventure, “Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code,” emerges, which features characters as diverse as Peter Pan and Shakespeare…and it actually happened.

This is revealed in the end credits, adding an extra layer of emotion to a film already rich in it. If you managed to hold back tears before, they are likely to flow during the performance sequence and continue as the credits roll, showing archival footage of the actual show.

And when you realize that most of the actors surrounding Colman Domingo are the actual inmates from the story, reprising their respective roles, it’s deeply moving. This includes the initially menacing yet ultimately endearing Clarence ‘Divine Eye’ Maclin, while the real John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield appears in a scene opposite his on-screen counterpart.

If you find that “Sing Sing” (a perfect title, referring both to the prison setting and the musical aspect of their play) sometimes feels like a documentary during the on-camera auditions of the inmates, it’s no coincidence.

Like in “Jockey” by Clint Bentley, co-author here, Greg Kwedar blends fiction and reality in this confined setting which, while driven by Domingo’s charisma, manages to highlight each inmate without resorting to stereotypes or overdramatization.

To Be or Not to Be Nominated for an Oscar

While reminiscent of Emmanuel Courcol’s “Un triomphe” (The Big Hit), another true story about an actor (Kad Merad) who goes to prison to lead a theater workshop, “Sing Sing” does not focus on escape but rather on hope and humanism, shedding light on the injustices at the heart of the American penal system.

After successfully touring the Deauville, Toronto, and SXSW festivals (where it won the Audience Award), it starts off like a classic American indie film but avoids falling into typical traps and clichés.

Thanks to its sincerity and the talent of its leading actor, nominated for an Oscar for his performance capable of bringing us to tears with just a look or a monologue, it’s the film’s simplicity and authenticity that touch our hearts deeply.

And it reminds us why we love cinema so much: for its power to transcend situations and bring together beings who seem to be at odds.