The Singers (2025)
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Duration: 18 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Sam A. Davis
Stars: Michael Young, Chris Smither and Will Harrington
IMDb score:
7,2 (8.127)
Releasedate: 8 March 2025
The Singers plot
In this film adaptation of a 19th-century short story by Ivan Turgenev, a few discouraged regulars at a simple café unexpectedly connect during an impromptu singing contest.
Reviews & comments
Lovelyboy
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- 4113 messages
- 3082 votes
I'll be damned, the bastard can sing.
Singers was the next short film up, and here too I had little idea what to expect. And initially, it is quite a question of what I am actually watching and what the intention of it all is, but ultimately the whole thing manages to strike a certain and sensitive chord.
The image is clear: the pub and the bar filled with grimy and grimy faces where ghosts and traumas from the past are discussed in dialogues overflowing with vulnerability, rawness, and sorrow. In that sense, it is a distinct kind of penance where people seek comfort in one another, yet where a heavy atmosphere hangs in the air. Equally peculiar and contradictory is the challenge—or rather, the challenge—to sing, and whoever does it best wins an evening of free beer or something similar. A greater contradiction hardly exists with all those rough characters who don't exactly look like sweet-voiced singers, but as the saying goes: don't judge a book by its cover.
What unfolds next is remarkable, to say the least, with the first attempt being met with considerable scorn but showing rapid improvement. After all, the guy behind the piano with a cigarette in his mouth sounds fantastic, as do a number of others. It is striking, however, that the atmosphere among those present shifts immediately and it all seems much more bearable, whereas earlier sadness was palpable. Music and singing seem to be a form of processing and bonding in this case, and a very touching moment follows with a group hug.
I can't really name any downsides. I was mainly quite surprised by the whole thing and found it certainly enjoyable, as it comes across as something made with great care—such as the casting and the atmosphere—and where the whole also shows a sensitive and vulnerable side. Beautiful!
Translated from Dutch · View original
Collins
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- 7506 messages
- 4471 votes
The story of The Singers was written in 1852 by the Russian Ivan Turgenev. An old story. The casting for Sam A. Davis's film took place via social media. There is nothing old about that. Consequently, you could label the film as timeless. As could the setting. The setting is a typical American working-class bar. It is dimly lit, with dark seating areas. At the bar, jaded regulars sit gloomily in front of their beer. Most stare silently ahead. Some talk about unimportant matters as if they were world-shattering events. Blandness reigns. Then the monotony is broken by a singing competition.
Davis creates an atmospheric short film. Naturally, this is aided by the brown ambiance of the pub. But it is not just the pub that contributes to the atmosphere; the characters do as well. The ensemble of modernly recruited actors possesses striking faces and portrays authentic types. It is absolutely inconceivable that these gloomy working-class types would start singing. And yet, that is exactly what happens. And it is believable, too. Beautifully shot, as well, with strong contrasts that make the atmosphere come across as lifelike. Almost tangible.
The actual singing part didn't do much for me. The opening is grand. It is briefly enjoyable when the gloomy and grumpy characters show their singing side. After that, it is a repetition of moves, where the amazement at atypical singing types singing fantastically quickly fades.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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