Power Ballad – Movie Review
From Irish filmmaker John Carney, audiences have come to expect music-driven stories overflowing with warmth, wit and emotional sincerity. From Once through to Begin Again and Sing Street, Carney has consistently proven himself one of cinema’s great champions of ordinary people finding connection through song. His latest film, Power Ballad, continues that remarkable streak. Funny, heartfelt and irresistibly catchy, it is another crowd-pleasing musical dramedy that understands the power music has to shape identity, relationships and even personal redemption.
Led by wonderfully complementary performances from Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, the film takes a deceptively simple premise and spins it into a richly entertaining story about artistic ownership, insecurity and the longing to be seen.
Rudd plays Rick Power, a washed-up wedding singer still performing 80s pop-rock covers for crowds more interested in free drinks than live music. Rick once dreamed of genuine musical success, but life has settled into routine mediocrity. During one wedding gig, he strikes up an unexpected connection with Danny Wilson (Jonas), a former boy-band sensation desperately searching for creative credibility after years trapped in manufactured pop stardom. As the pair casually jam together in Wilson’s room afterwards, Rick plays him a song he’s never finished: “How to Write a Song (Without You).” Soon after, Danny releases his own finished version of the song and the battle for creative ownership and credit begins.
What follows is both hilarious and surprisingly poignant. The song explodes into a global sensation, and Rick sees the track as the validation he has waited his entire life for, while Danny wrestles with the uncomfortable truth that his comeback success may not fully belong to him. Carney mines enormous emotional depth from this conflict because both men are trying to be seen and recognised but feel passed by in life.
That emotional nuance is where Power Ballad truly shines. Lesser films would lean entirely into broad comedy or melodramatic rivalry, but Carney grounds everything in recognizable human longing. Rick’s desperation for acknowledgment feels painfully authentic, especially as Rudd balances self-deprecating humour with aching vulnerability. It is one of his strongest dramatic performances in years, reminding audiences how naturally he can embody wounded optimism beneath effortless comic timing.
Jonas is equally compelling. His Danny initially appears arrogant and superficial, but the film gradually peels back layers of exhaustion, loneliness and uncertainty beneath the polished celebrity exterior. Jonas carries the musical sequences with confidence while also proving surprisingly effective in quieter dramatic moments. The chemistry between the two leads becomes the emotional engine that powers the entire film.
Of course, no John Carney film succeeds without memorable music, and Power Ballad absolutely delivers. “How to Write a Song (Without You)” is a genuinely fantastic central hook. It’s soaring, emotional and instantly singable. Crucially, it feels believable as the kind of song that could dominate radio playlists worldwide. Carney understands that fictional hit songs in movies must work beyond narrative function; they must feel emotionally real enough that audiences want to hear them again after the credits roll. This song accomplishes exactly that.
The rest of the soundtrack is equally enjoyable, packed with nostalgic 80s wedding staples that create an infectious sense of fun throughout the film. Carney once again demonstrates his remarkable ability to use familiar music not merely as background decoration but as emotionally literate storytelling language.
If the film has a weakness, it lies in its somewhat abrupt conclusion. Some viewers may leave wanting greater closure or more concrete resolution between the characters. Yet there is also something refreshing about the untidiness of the ending. Life rarely resolves itself in perfectly satisfying ways, and Carney embraces that messiness rather than forcing sentimental neatness onto the story. In doing so, the film’s emotional honesty ultimately still lands powerfully.
Warm, witty and deeply human, Power Ballad is another winning entry in John Carney’s musical canon. Anchored by terrific performances, sharp writing and one unforgettable central song, it is a film full of humour, heart and soul. Like its title suggests, it hits multiple high notes and lingers long after the music stops.
Power Ballad is in Australian cinemas May 28
