February 2026 Reviews: Song Sung Blue, The Housemaid, Primate
This February, we’ll take a look at a trio of newly streaming titles. Featured in this month’s films: the trials and tribulations of a musical duo, an employment situation that’s quite a bit off the walls, and a chimpanzee that goes bananas.
Song Sung Blue (2025)
Focus Features, 132 minutes
Song Sung Blue is a biographical musical drama about a pair of performers who go by the stage names Lightning and Thunder, and who are a Neil Diamond tribute band. Many of these sorts of biographical music films are just alright to me and whether or not you enjoy them depends largely on how you feel about the music featured.
Prior to watching Song Sung Blue I wasn’t really familiar with Neil Diamond’s music with the exception of his hit song, “Sweet Caroline.” There’s a running thread throughout the film where everyone wants to hear “Sweet Caroline,” and Thunder (whose real name is Mike) keeps insisting that there are other great, worthwhile Neil Diamond songs. Personally though, after hearing a selection of his other songs in this movie, I mainly disagree. I was simply not a big fan of the songs here.
The story itself is fine, melodramatic and a little hokey, but still fine. Even though I didn’t care for the songs, the movie was still watchable. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, who star as the pair, are quality actors and they do service to the story.
However, if you don’t like the music, this isn’t a movie you’re going to truly appreciate. If you’re a Neil Diamond fan, check this one out. Otherwise, Song Sung Blue doesn’t have much else that makes it particularly worth watching.
Grade: 5.5/10
The Housemaid (2025)
Lionsgate, 131 minutes
The Housemaid is a psychological thriller based off of a similarly titled Freida McFadden novel. When I was getting back into reading a few years ago (just prior to starting the What Jeff Read portion of this site), McFadden’s books were amongst the first novels I read. Her work is full of twists and a breeze to read – I’d describe it as almost a summer beach read style of books.
The Housemaid captures the essence of a McFadden book perfectly. It’s a fun, guilty pleasure type thriller starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried. Our story follows a struggling woman who becomes a housemaid for a wealthy family. We realize pretty quickly that something is off, particularly when it comes to the behavior of the female half of the couple who hires her. Of course, everything is not what it seems.
This isn’t the sort of movie that’s going to win any awards for its quality, but it’s not trying to be that sort of film either. The Housemaid is simply a fun (albeit often ridiculous) thriller in which there’s never a dull moment. If you’re in the mood for that sort of story, The Housemaid is perfect. It is what it is, and what it is is a fast-paced thriller I enjoyed (though not as much as the book it’s based on).
Grade: 7/10
Primate (2025)
Paramount Pictures, 89 minutes
Primate is advertised as a gory horror film about a rabid monkey that brutally pursues a group of teens trapped with him inside a mansion. The movie delivers on that premise 100%.
The film is set at a family’s mansion in Hawaii. The family in question also happens to have a well-trained pet chimpanzee. However, (conveniently) when the father is out of town, and the group of teens are having a get together, said chimp (sillily named Ben) happens to contract rabies. Once Ben escapes from his enclosure, the bloodbath commences.
The acting is totally fine enough for this sort of film. Everything, in fact, is up to par for a creature feature starring a killer chimp. There’s nothing more than that here though. If this sort of movie sounds potentially appealing to you, there are worse ways to spend an hour and a half. It’s not bad, but there’s little substance here.
Grade: 6/10