KSanders writesThe 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival, Part 1: A Horror-Heavy First Half, with Some Touching Titles in Between

by Kyle Sanders

In its eleventh year, the Chicago Critics Film Festival continues to outdo itself. Last year gave us the critically-acclaimed Oscar contender Past Lives (not to mention our first glimpse of Lily Gladstone, before becoming an Oscar-nominated household name), so my expectations were high. So far, the festival has managed to fulfill them with a slot of fun horror flicks making big splashes while the more dramatic fare wades in between.

To kick off the festivities, CCFF smartly chose Sing Sing, a crowd-pleasing drama set in the infamous prison, where prisoners find purpose through performance.

Fresh off his Oscar-nominated turn in Rustin, Colman Domingo stars as Divine G, one of the founding members of RTA (Rehabilitation Through the Arts). It's time to put on a new staged production, and Divine G and company decide to shake things up with a comedic original, where each prisoner auditions for roles, rehearses lines, and develops the truths of their character while confronting the truths of their incriminating pasts.

More than just "Shakespeare with shanks," Sing Sing is a triumph thanks to its charming ensemble--mostly made up of formerly incarcerated actors (Release Date: TBD). 

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