SONG SUNG BLUE (2025)

Genre: Drama
Director: Craig Brewer
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, Mustafa Shakir, John Beckwith
Runtime: 2 hr 12 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Drug Reference)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 1 January 2026

Synopsis: Based on a true story, two down-on-their-luck musicians (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson) form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band, proving it's never too late to find love and follow your dreams.

Movie Review:

At its heart, Song Sung Blue is inspired by a real-life story. Based on a documentary about the famed Neil Diamond tribute duo Lightning and Thunder, the film dazzles things up and transforms their journey into a heartfelt musical drama about two performers whose lives intersect through music, ambition, and the complicated pull of love. Fittingly, the film takes its name from Diamond’s plaintive classic “Song Sung Blue,” a tune that captures the bittersweet yearning running through the story.

Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson play entertainers brought together by a shared passion for performing, finding connection and conflict as their professional partnership deepens into something more personal. The film traces their journey through rehearsals, stage triumphs, and the emotional costs of life choices, often set to crowd-pleasing standards like “Sweet Caroline,” which lands exactly as it should—joyful, communal, and irresistibly infectious.

Jackman proves, once again, that he is one of the rare modern movie stars who can truly do it all. From Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (2012) to P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman (2017)—not to mention his extensive stage work—Jackman has long demonstrated his command of musical performance. Song Sung Blue gives him yet another opportunity to let loose vocally, and he seizes it with gusto. Whether he’s belting out “Soolaimon” or “I Am… I Said,” his singing is confident, generous, and thrillingly unrestrained. He anchors the film with sheer star charisma, reminding audiences why he remains such a magnetic screen presence.

Hudson matches him with a warmth and ease that feels refreshingly natural. Having released her debut single in January 2024, Hudson brings her own musical credibility to the role, using her husky croon to strong effect. Her renditions of Diamond’s softer ballads feel intimate and emotionally grounded. She’s charming without trying too hard, vulnerable without tipping into melodrama, and her chemistry with Jackman is key to the film’s success. Together, they make even familiar songs feel newly personal.

What truly elevates Song Sung Blue is its ability to make viewers want to participate. The musical numbers are staged with infectious energy, practically inviting you to sing along or tap your feet—especially during rousing performances of “Sweet Caroline,” which inevitably turn the cinema into a shared, smiling experience. There’s a sincerity to the performances—Jackman and Hudson commit fully—and that dedication transforms the film into something communal, where the joy of music becomes contagious.

Yet beneath the feel-good surface lies a surprisingly sentimental core. The film doesn’t shy away from emotional turns, including plot developments that are genuinely heartbreaking and quietly devastating. It’s in these quieter moments, underscored by more introspective songs, that Song Sung Blue finds its emotional weight, and where some viewers may find themselves unexpectedly misty-eyed.

Ultimately, Song Sung Blue is a celebration of love in its many forms: romantic love, artistic passion, and the sustaining joy of performance. Inspired by the real-life devotion of Lightning and Thunder and powered by Neil Diamond’s enduring catalogue, it entertains lavishly, tugs gently at the heart, and leaves you humming long after the final note fades—a crowd-pleasing musical that understands the timeless power of a well-sung song.

Movie Rating:

(Powered by Hugh Jackman’s show-stopping charisma and Kate Hudson’s soulful warmth, this heartfelt, toe-tapping musical celebrates love, performance, and the joy of singing your heart out)

Review by John Li