Sing Sing ends on an uplifting and powerful note that brings the story to a satisfying conclusion. After debuting at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, Sing Sing received stellar reviews, and holds a 97% critical and audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is based on the true story of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program (RTA) at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in the state of New York, which brings art-focused opportunities to the individuals incarcerated there.
In arguably Colman Domingo’s all-time best movie, he plays John “Divine G” Whitfield. While incarcerated at Sing Sing, he is heavily involved as a playwright and actor in the RTA program, and also works to prove his innocence and be granted parole. Domingo’s riveting performance led to a 2025 Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin and the majority of the cast play themselves and are previously incarcerated individuals who participated in RTA.
Does Divine G Get Out Of Prison?
He Spends Years Trying To Be Released
While it takes years to come to fruition, Divine G is eventually granted parole and is released from the Sing Sing Correctional Facility. He tried to pᴀss his parole hearing before this, only for it to be denied numerous times. When he gets out of prison, Divine Eye, who was released years earlier, is outside the gates waiting for him. Beyond helping Divine Eye prepare for the parole hearing that led to his freedom, Divine G also helped him open up and become invested in RTA. Divine G and Divine Eye embrace and have an emotional reunion.
They ʙuттed heads and had somewhat of a rivalry before becoming close friends and developing a close bond while performing together in the RTA. Now, Divine Eye is the person who waited for Divine G, and is the first to help and support his transition back into the outside world. Their reunion is heartfelt, but it also includes the comfortable banter that the two friends developed. As Divine Eye drives, Divine G rolls down the pᴀssenger seat window, takes off his glᴀsses, and revels in the joy of feeling the fresh air on his face.
Why Divine G Has A Breakdown And Temporarily Quits RTA
He Reaches His Breaking Point
In one of the most emotional moments in the drama movie, Divine G has a breakdown and delivers a devastating outburst during a dress rehearsal for an RTA play. Despite his extensive participation in RTA and his belief in its healing power, he launches into a tirade about how the program is meaningless, as the art does not change the harsh reality of the inmates’ situation. Divine G has this breakdown and temporarily quits the RTA program after he is denied parole, even though he is able to share evidence that another individual committed the crime that got him incarcerated.
Divine G also gave a pᴀssionate explanation about how he had changed and credited the RTA program with aiding in these changes. Not only is he denied parole despite his evidence and speech, but he is asked whether he is acting during his hearing. On top of this, Divine G is still reeling from fellow prisoner, Mike Mike (Sean San José), dying suddenly from a brain aneurysm. Divine G quits RTA and tries to isolate himself, but Divine Eye helps him realize he is still welcome to rejoin the group, and he does, with both men starring in the production.
The Real History Of Sing Sing’s RTA Program Explained
It Goes Beyond What Is Shown In The Movie
As per the RTA, the program began at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in 1996. Thousands of workshops involving the arts have taken place since then for incarcerated individuals. The program has had a tremendous impact on breaking the cycle of incarceration, with less than 3% of RTA members having to return to prison after being released. The prison system in the United States of America revolves around the concept of punishment, but the RTA and its undeniable impact show that there is a better approach that relies on rehabilitation and personal growth.
The RTA now runs workshops in numerous correctional facilities.
Theatrical performances are a key piece of the RTA’s workshops, which is partly why Sing Sing focuses on Divine G, Divine Eye, and their peers collaborating on an original play that incorporates elements from a wide range of genres. While most of the movie’s actors play themselves, the other cast members are still playing characters based on real individuals. Divine G is RTA alumni who worked on the film and Paul Raci’s character, Brent Buell, is based on the real-life Brent, who was an RTA teaching artist. Brent writes and directs the genre-defying production in Sing Sing.
The Real Meaning Of Sing Sing’s Ending
It Demonstrates The Incredible Power Of Art
Sing Sing‘s ending emphasizes the healing power of art and its unparalleled ability to create a community in an unjust world. Sean “Dino” Johnson, who plays himself, says it best when Divine Eye argues and causes problems during rehearsal. He tells Divine Eye, “Brother, we here to be human again, to put on nice clothes and dance around, and enjoy the things that is not in our reality.” RTA offers escapism, but it also offers an opportunity to heal, to bond, and to reclaim the human dignity that the prison system has tried to strip away.
Writing and performing in theatrical productions does not change this reality, but it offers a means for Divine G and his peers to express themselves, to feel the emotions that society tells them they are not allowed to feel, and to form meaningful personal connections.
The injustice of the prison system is particularly evident in Divine G’s story. He is incarcerated for a crime that he did not commit, is able to prove his innocence, and is an exemplary member of the RTA program, only to be demeaned in his parole hearings and to be kept in prison for years. Writing and performing in theatrical productions does not change this reality, but it offers a means for Divine G and his peers to express themselves, to feel the emotions that society tells them they are not allowed to feel, and to form meaningful personal connections.
Sing Sing is the first movie to be released simultaneously in movie theaters and in prisons (via ScreenRant).
As seen with Divine Eye waiting for Divine G when he is released, these connections endure beyond the time spent in prison. It speaks volumes that Divine Eye is the one waiting for him on the outside. Their bond is multi-faceted, but it is one that was forged through the arts, which gave them a unique perspective on each other, and allowed them to be vulnerable in an environment where vulnerability is often frowned upon. Sing Sing has a moving ending that culminates two of A24’s all-time best movie performances from Domingo and Maclin.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes, RTA
