The music biopic has changed in recent years. No longer do they all follow tired structures and tropes (although there's plenty that still do). Rocketman (2019) leaned into surrealism that made emotional and narrative sense, Elvis (2022) was pure Baz Luhrmann maximalism, and Better Man (2024) was truly unlike anything else we've seen before. Song Sung Blue may have charm, but it unfortunately has none of the originality of more recent music biopics.

There's already a lauded documentary with the same title and subject, but writer and director Craig Brewer tells a fictional version of Lightning & Thunder's story—a Neil Diamond tribute band reaching for stardom in the 1990s. On-stage impersonators Mike (Hugh Jackman) and Claire (Kate Hudson) meet to form the band and fall in love as they play to raving fans across Milwaukee. As their careers take a turn for the better, tragedy strikes, causing a rift in their job and marriage that only performance can fix.

Jackson and Hudson are, unsurprisingly, great in their roles. Mike is a starry-eyed musician who comes alive on stage, and Jackson injects him with natural charisma and an endearing naivety. Hudson comfortably slips into the quieter, sweet Claire, but shows intensity as she deals with a life-changing accident. With their musical backgrounds, Jackson and Hudson are clearly having a blast performing Neil Diamond tracks. Yes, including ‘Sweet Caroline'. They also nail the comedic beats which are present in most scenes—this is a crowd-pleaser after all.

Song Sung Blue isn't entirely toothless, however. The scene where Claire loses her lower leg in a horrific car accident is suitably grounded and visceral, and the film takes considerable time showing the difficulties Claire and her family face while recovering. But Brewer leans into harmful disability stereotypes; Claire becomes a resentful woman with streaks of erratic behaviour, and sees her disability as a hurdle to overcome. Without seeing the documentary and knowing the real-life story, it's hard to know whether the onslaught of hardships the family faces is drama for drama's sake, or a faithful retelling of their tale.

Having a bit of an edge isn't enough for Song Sung Blue to stand out from the crowd. Aside from a handful of shots and sequences, there is no inspired direction to be found. It's a simple retelling of a true story that is carried by good performances and some comedic dialogue. The target audience is clear to see: older audiences who want a breezy watch during the holiday season. Which is fine, but any viewer deserves an experience where the filmmakers put in the effort to emotionally connect with audiences and provide something new.

Song Sung Blue is fine, but it doesn't have the staying power of a hit like ‘Sweet Caroline'. And whilst Lightning & Thunder made an impact with their earnestness, this big-screen retelling of their story needs more than that.

Song Sung Blue is in cinemas 1 January.