The Wasteland Reviewer

Power Ballad (2026) Written Review

How many moving and entertaining tales about music and musicians does John Carney have up his sleeve? Well…apparently, he just has a reservoir full waiting in the wings because he keeps coming with them. With his latest directorial effort, Power Ballad tells the tale of a wedding singer whose life brought him to a loving wife and daughter instead of fame and fortune. But a chance encounter with a former boy band member changes his life forever. An enjoyable jam session leads to this young artist stealing one of our protagonist’s songs which soon becomes a mega-hit. Our protagonist, Paul Rudd’s Rick, desperately attempts to prove this as his life goes spiraling out of control. Dreams, talent, and love are the foundation for this engaging and moving tale.

Does Carney bring his unique musical voice to Power Ballad? This latest effort is certainly the biggest in scale of Carney’s film and the broadest appeal. You can feel the bigger budget with a sleeker presentation. There lacks a bit of grit to the visualization but there is plenty of heart and soul in Carney’s presentation. The most important aspects of the film are the music performances and Carney certainly has the deft hand to bring them to life. The audio for the performances do feel a little too polished to make them believable live performances but the music still hits. Plenty of fun cover performances certainly strike those nostalgia chords but the new music is quite catchy and charming as well. The film is genuinely funny (especially when leaning into the Irish sensibilities of Carney and most of the cast). There are certainly some moments that feel a little too broad comedically, but the overall charm of the film keeps it going. Carney also finds some genuine emotion along the way (which certainly sets his films apart from many films like this). The pacing of the film is electric and keeps the audience engaged throughout the modest runtime. Moving, charming, and heartwarming, Power Ballad might feel a little bigger for Carney’s style, but he does not sacrifice his voice in the execution.

Does Carney and Peter McDonald’s screenplay offer up a good narrative and themes for this interesting story? The overall message has plenty of depth and soul to it. This easily could have come off as a black-and-white story of creative theft, but Carney is able to find the layers in the experience. This is a film about the creative process including an incredible sequence between Rick and Nick Jonas’ Danny jamming together and creating some musical alchemy. The film also explores the feast or famine nature of the musical industry. Rick is confronted with the fact he never made it as a true artist when one of his songs is reworked and elevated to a worldwide hit. His journey is intriguing as it evolves from a monetary need to one of actualization and acknowledgement. Danny’s journey could have been even more intriguing but at least his journey has some grey to it. Danny’s choice becomes a clear representation of desperation and the cutthroat nature of the music industry (with Danny’s agent being a one-dimensional representation of this nefarious aspect). There are plenty of emotional beats and fun set pieces along the way which make Power Ballad such an engaging film on top of its thematic work. There are certainly some elements of the story that make you suspend your disbelief, but the core of the story is so strong that you can get past them. The supporting cast of characters are a little underdone, but they are so entertaining that they enrich the experience, nonetheless.

What is the secret weapon of the film? The cast. Rudd is such a charismatic performer and when given even solid material, he is able to run with it. But Carney and McDonald give him plenty of material to work with and he shines. His physicality and vocal performance in the performance scenes pop on screen. Rudd brings so much empathy to Rick even when he is crashing out over this situation. He balances the humor of his character with the emotional beats quite well giving a well-rounded and poignant central performance. There are even a few quirks and unique choices that Rudd brings that make Rick feel so authentic. Jonas is delivering a strong turn here and the most important element that he brings to Danny is authenticity. These two have genuine chemistry whether it is performing a duet of Stevie Wonder or jamming together or having a heated confrontation. McDonald is not just a co-writer of the film, but he is also the best supporting turn in the film as Rick’s best friend, Sandy. A wild card of energy and personality, Sandy is a great vehicle for McDonald to show off his comedic chops and some surprising emotional depth as well. The wife and daughter characters are given a ton to work with but the natural charm of Marcella Plunkett and Beth Fallon genuinely bonds them to the audience. The rest of Rick’s band don’t have a ton of screen time, but they are a fun crew when the audience gets to spend time with them. Jack Reynor is excellent at portraying prickish jerks, and he eats up the role of Danny’s nefarious agent. Havana Rose Liu does not get a lot of screentime at all as Danny’s girlfriend, but she absolutely steals a pivotal scene with her natural presence and her ability to leverage small acting choices and reactions.

Is Power Ballad another win for Carney and his collection of musically inclined films? You can tell that Carney has inched himself closer to more mainstream and broader appeal approaches to his stories. That is quite apparent with Power Ballad but that is not a bad thing. Some of the humor and story beats might not feel as authentic but Carney is able to find plenty of his classic Irish charm and humor to shine through. There is plenty of emotion along the way as well that deepens the experience of going on this journey with Rick. Rudd was the perfect choice for this film and brings so much to the role. Power Ballad is a charming and moving cinematic experience certainly worth checking out.