John Carney has spent much of his career proving that music can do things dialogue simply can't. Whether it was Once, Sing Street, or Begin Again, his films understand that songs are often emotional shortcuts to truths people struggle to say out loud. With Power Ballad, Carney leans into that idea once again, but this time with a little more comedy, a bit more cynicism, and a lot more awkward middle-aged longing.
At its heart, Power Ballad is about two musicians standing on opposite sides of the same dream. Rick Power (Paul Rudd) is a wedding singer whose glory days never quite arrived. He fronts a Dublin wedding band called “The Bride and Groove,” (now, that’s funny!) charming guests and belting out crowd-pleasers while quietly wondering what might have happened if life had taken a different turn. Fourteen years earlier, Rick put his pop-star ambitions aside to raise a family with his wife Rachel (Marcella Plunkett, Once), and while he doesn't regret that choice, you can see the unfinished business lingering behind every smile.
Then along comes Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a fading American boy-band star desperately searching for relevance in an industry that treats yesterday's headline like expired milk. During a wedding gig, Rick and Danny connect over music, beers, and the universal musician hobby of staying up way too late talking about songs nobody else wants to hear.
What follows is one of the film's strongest stretches. Their subsequent late-night jam session feels authentic, messy, funny, and surprisingly touching. Carney has always been gifted at making musical collaboration feel exciting, and watching these two artists inspire one another becomes genuinely infectious. I found myself smiling through much of it, partly because the chemistry between Rudd and Jonas works so effortlessly, and also because I find myself fascinated by the behind-the-scenes process of songwriting.
As expected, this wouldn't be much of a movie if everything stayed friendly.
After hearing Rick perform a deeply personal song called "How to Write a Song," Danny takes it, records it as his own, and suddenly finds himself back on top of the charts. It's the kind of betrayal that would make anyone consider throwing a piano through a record-label window.
Rick's growing frustration becomes the emotional engine of the film. Nobody believes the song belongs to him. Legal avenues go nowhere. Friends begin looking at him like he's become the world's least successful conspiracy theorist. The more he tries to reclaim his creation, the more his life starts unraveling.
The premise is admittedly a little formulaic. You can see certain story beats coming from a mile away. Yet Carney and co-writer Peter McDonald consistently find fresh emotional angles within familiar territory. The film balances humor, heartbreak, and self-reflection with impressive ease.
What I particularly enjoyed was how Power Ballad pulls back the curtain on the music industry. Beneath the feel-good exterior sits a thoughtful examination of commerce, celebrity, ownership, and artistic validation. The film repeatedly asks uncomfortable questions about who gets credit, who gets discovered, and whether talent alone is ever enough.
In some ways, it feels like a much funnier cousin to A Star Is Born, mixed with the friendship dynamics and comic energy of I Love You, Man. Yes, I know. That’s an oddly specific combination, but somehow it works.
Paul Rudd is excellent here. He makes his Rick both lovable and frustrating, a man whose sense of injustice is completely understandable even as his obsession begins pushing away the people he loves. Jonas also grabs some attention, bringing more complexity to his Danny than the role initially suggests. He's not simply a villain. He's another artist chasing relevance before time leaves him behind.
Ultimately, Power Ballad works because Carney understands something many filmmakers don't: music isn't just entertainment. It's memory. It’s identity. It’s therapy, It’s confession. And it’s sometimes revenge wrapped in a catchy melody.
Carney’s film raises big questions about ambition, recognition, and self-worth without offering easy answers. Instead, he leaves those answers for the audience to discover themselves.
And quite honestly, that's probably the right note to end on.
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 98 mins
Director: John Carney
Writer: John Carney
Cast: Paul Rudd; Nick Jonas; Peter McDonald
Genre: Comedy | Music
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "You are too good for that wedding band."
Distributor: Lionsgate
Official Site: https://www.powerballad.movie/
Release Date: June 5, 2026
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Rick, a washed-up wedding singer, and Danny, a fading boy band star, bond over music and a late-night jam session. When Danny turns Rick's song into a hit, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves.
