‘The Singers’ Review: A Poetic and Powerful Oscar Contender Now Streaming on Netflix

Picture Credit: Netflix With the Academy Awards almost a month away, many of us are trying to cram in as many of the nominated films as we can before Oscar Sunday. While 5 of the 6 Netflix Nominees have been available to watch on the platform for some time, the last nominee to be released to the world on the streamer, Director/Producer Sam A. Davis’s live action short film The Singers, premieres today, February 13th, and will only run you 18 minutes before the credits roll. Acquired by Netflix less than a month ago following the film landing on the Oscar shortlist, The Singers features a rare & unusual collection of talent: from its main cast full of first-time actors cast off viral internet videos to its almost 200-year-old Russian source material. The film’s creator, Davis, told Deadline that he felt “there was an undeniable sense that we were onto something special.” Adapted from a 19th-century short story by Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev, the story centers on a lowly pub full of downtrodden patrons connecting unexpectedly through an impromptu sing-off that will decide who is the best singer that night.  Turgenev’s work has been modernized largely by its references, musical or otherwise, but the tale is as old as time itself. Men, young and old, huddled together in a dimly lit, smoke-filled dive full of desperation; each moving one step forward with every bottle that hit their lips. Men who used to be something or were cut down in their prime now barely cling to what remains. But on any given night, that gruff exterior can give way to something beautiful; a few fleeting moments of spontaneity, joy, & freedom fueled by song & soul. The Singers have won 35 awards across 49 film festivals on their way to Oscar Sunday. The cynics will claim its success to be a combination of familiar anthems like “House of the Rising Sun” & “Unchained Melody,” and its cast of viral sensations & reality show stars, but its resonance lies in its humanity; the spirit heeding the call and casting the pain aside. It’s the man with tubes in his nose who stills smokes cigarettes finding the will to conjure up one last performance. It’s a bartender overtaken by the moment to address his own demons after helping folks keep their own at bay for so long, or simply as Director Davis calls it: “a love letter to underdogs and diamonds in the rough.” While it may not be the current frontrunner to win, it would be apropos for a story like this to pull an upset and give a voice in the dark a place in the sun.  Watch The Singers If You Like The Straight Story Song Sung Blue Sing Street Nai Nai & Wai Po Period End of Sentence MVP of The Singers Director Sam A. Davis While the classic sing-along tracks and viral singers from “The Voice” & “America’s Got Talent” may garner much of the attention for The Singers, the credit for its success lies with director/producer/cinematographer/editor Sam A. Davis. This multi-talented maestro has been a key asset to the success of multiple short films in recent memory; from his behind the camera & behind the scenes contributions on Sean Wang’s Oscar nominated short Nai Nai & Wài Pó to his multi-positional collaboration on the Oscar winning documentary short Period. End of Sentence.  Now sitting in the director’s chair, Davis has collected some impressive talent to bring his vision for Turgenev’s work to life. His casting of impressive vocal talent with unique hardship in their background and the effective use of recording live on set brings a level of authenticity to a story that fails without it. His own 35mm cinematography brings a warmth & depth to a setting that has to come alive from its dusty, humble appearance. And of course, his own recognition of what Turgenev’s story means in a modern sense is what brought these prior elements to set in the first place. 3.5/5Above Average★★★½☆ Inspired by an almost 200-year-old story, The Singers captures the timeless intersection of the power of song and our desire to be seen & heard. Come for the iconic tunes, stay for the compassion & vulnerability.