‘Song Sung Blue’: A Quirky Tribute That’s Not Quite So Good

A sincere oddball biopic, Song Sung Blue is a mostly entertaining tribute to tribute singers and the power of love, a film that will leave you either sobbing or blinking, wondering what you just watched.

Based on a true ‘love’ story and a 2008 documentary, the film follows two down-on-their-luck impersonators, Mike and Claire, as they form ‘Lightning and Thunder’, a Neil Diamond ‘interpreter’ duo. Along the way, they fall in love amid a jukebox catalogue and deep cuts proving it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams—even through life’s chaos.

Directed by Craig Brewer, whose films comfortably sit in eccentricity, the film flashes charm but never settles on a consistent tone. On paper, it’s fresh: a biopic not of a legend, but of the people inspired by him.

Nostalgia pays, the film insists—but in practice, it swings between Oscar-bait sentiment and quietly mocking its subjects with shocking tragedy and unintentional levity.

Hugh Jackman plays Mike, a recovering alcoholic veteran and former Don Ho impersonator reinventing himself as Lightning, searching for purpose in an unfulfilled life. Kate Hudson’s Claire is sweet, bubbly and full of energy, with a lived-in Minnesota twang, yearning for love and the joy of singing.

Armed with wildly distracting wigs, their chemistry is undeniable but the romance arrives abruptly; the film never gives us time to see it bloom before tragedy hits.

And hit it does—a shocking left turn in the second act plunges the previously upbeat story into relentless sadness.

The tonal shift is jarring, and much of the story outside the music can feel shallow and manipulative, rarely earning the emotional heft it aims for.

Yet, performances and sheer optimism keep the film afloat. Jackman sings with gusto in a solid performance, though his Broadway instincts occasionally push him toward caricature.

Hudson, by contrast, is the fleeting soul of the movie, carrying every note and Claire through grief, mania, and hope with warmth and sparkling presence.

Among the other kids drifting in and out, Ella Anderson, who plays Claire’s daughter, stands out with a grounding presence and heartfelt performance.

The supporting cast adds texture to this strange tight-knit community with an ensemble of character actors from Steven Fisher to Jim Belushi, who brings genuine comic relief.

The film shines in moments celebrating love, perseverance and the communal magic of music—most memorably in a joyous, well-earned Sweet Caroline montage.

Song Sung Blue isn’t perfect. It bogs down between mostly lacklustre numbers, dragged further by familiar biopic tropes, a wobbly tone, and clunky, cliché dialogue.

It’s schmaltzy, saccharine, heavier than expected, and occasionally boring—but also entertaining and and unexpectedly endearing enough to leave you blasting Neil Diamond on the way home.

Neil Diamond fans, nostalgic tribute band enthusiasts, lovers of underdog stories, or anyone in the mood for a strange, sad musical detour will find something to enjoy.

Song Sung Blue is a broad crowd pleaser, but also easily the saddest one you’re likely to start the new year with.

★★★

Song Sung Blue is in cinemas now.