Sing Sing deserves more recognition, and why Colman Domingo deserves to win Best Actor.

I was personally wounded—deeply struck in the heart—when Sing Sing wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. That is one of my favorite films of the year, and I think it deserved far more than the polite round of applause it’s getting. It is lush, it is tender, it is painful, it is alive. A depiction of prison life that resists the usual grim, dehumanizing tropes, Sing Sing instead contemplates the role of art and drama in our lives—whether we’ve ever set foot in a prison or not. And listen, I’m a sucker for films about the creative process, about making art, about performing in general; especially when they’re done like this.

There is an undeniable warmth to Sing Sing, a generosity of spirit that runs counter to the kind of prison narratives we’re used to seeing. It is a film about rehabilitation, about men who have been written off by society engaging with their emotions in ways that feel rare and radical. The casting of real formerly incarcerated actors playing themselves only deepens its authenticity. It is a film that believes in people.

I wouldn’t change a thing about Sing Sing.

Now, let’s talk about my Oscar darling Colman Domingo.

This man is electric. He is such a compelling actor. Domingo is so good in this film that I want to give him a massive hug and tell him so. There is a gravitas to his performance that made me grateful to be alive. He is bright, he is moody, he is real, he is brutal. He is like the sharpest line in a life changing poem. Like the coworker you desperately want to be friends with because you just vividly imagine they lead a cool, effortless life outside of work. He embodies the full spectrum of human experience, carrying Sing Sing without overshadowing it. The ensemble shines, and Domingo holds his own; elevating those around him, allowing them to shine just as brightly. 

If the Academy had any sense, they’d have thrown every nomination at this film. But alas, we live in an unjust world.