Colman Domingo, formerly incarcerated actors soar in Sing Sing—but how gay is it?

Welcome to How Gay Is It?Out's review series where, using our state-of-the-art Eggplant Rating System, we determine just how queer some of pop culture's buzziest films and TV shows are! (Editor's note: this review contains mild spoilers for A24's Sing Sing.)

Colman Domingo is back with the best performance of his already storied career in the new A24 drama Sing Sing.

Starring alongside Oscar-nominated Sound of Metal actor Paul Raci and a cast of formerly incarcerated actors, the new drama is based on the real-life "Rehabilitation Through the Arts" program at New York state's Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison.

Directed by Greg Kwedar, who also wrote the film with Clint Bentley, Sing Sing focuses on a wrongfully imprisoned man named John "Divine G" Whitfield (Domingo) who finds purpose in life acting in a theatre group within the prison. When a new member joins their acting troupe, they decide to put on their first ever original production all while Diving G is preparing for a parole hearing.

As Divine G and the new actor, Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin (playing a fictionalized version of himself), butt heads over what kind of play to do and who gets to play which role, the two men also form an unbreakable bond.

Despite their differences, these two men are both actors and performers, and through their craft, they can see each other. Divine Eye convinces Divine G to try new things, and in turn, Divine G helps Divine Eye open up.

A24

The prison industrial complex is built specifically to demoralize and dehumanize the people locked within, and here we get to see one small way imprisoned men get to hold onto their humanity, deepen their connection with it, and celebrate it.

It also shows how unjust and complicated barriers are for being paroled, even if you are innocent and have committed no crime. It's hard to come out of the movie not hating the way our country treats its incarcerated population.

Still, Sing Sing is a triumph of human spirit and the power of art to heal and connect. It will make your heart swell and your eyes tear as you cheer for these incredible performers.

Thanks to Kwedar's unpretentious directing, the performers really shine in this movie.

Domingo is truly triumphant as Divine G, delivering a performance that is equal parts heart, rage, beauty, and freedom. Few actors can tap into the deep recesses of humanity like he can.

While Domingo and Raci are divine in the film, the cast of formerly incarcerated alumni of the real-life program hold their own against these heavyweights. Clarence Maclin is a true breakout star, having many of the film's biggest moments and equaling Domingo's performance in every scene they share. I can't get enough of him. Sean San José also brings so much heart to his role it's impossible to not fall in love with him, and the rest of the cast are just as charming.

But you may be wondering, how gay is it?

As far as we can tell, there aren't any gay characters in

Sing Sing, but we don't care. It's still a perfectly beautiful film that everyone should see. While we give Sing Sing zero eggplants, it wholeheartedly gets five stars.

Sing Sing hits select theaters on July 12 and goes wide on August 2.