Power Ballad Sings a Familiar But Irresistible Tune

Rating: ★★★★☆

If there is one thing writer-director John Carney understands on a molecular level, it is the transformative, deeply human power of making music. Following up his beloved, toe-tapping classics like "Once", "Begin Again", and "Sing Street", Carney’s latest film, Power Ballad , delivers exactly the kind of charming, heartfelt magic we have come to expect from him. Co-written with Irish actor and writer Peter McDonald, the film offers a sweet, soulful exploration of ambition, creative ownership, and second chances.

The story centres on Rick (Paul Rudd), a Kansas-born, past-his-prime wedding singer who has spent the last fifteen years living in Dublin with his Irish wife and teenage daughter. During a gig at a swanky estate, Rick crosses paths with Danny (Nick Jonas), a fading ex-boy-band star desperate for a solo comeback. After a drunken, late-night jam session, Danny appropriates a deeply personal song Rick wrote for his daughter and turns it into a massive, career-reviving hit. The betrayal sets Rick on a transatlantic quest to reclaim his song and his dignity.

As always with Carney, the Irish setting is practically a character in itself. The film beautifully captures the textured, everyday reality of Dublin, grounding Rick’s middle-aged disillusionment in a world that feels incredibly lived-in. The local flavour is further enriched by a fantastic supporting cast of Irish talent, notably co-writer Peter McDonald as Sandy, Rick's eccentric bandmate who joins him on his crusade to Los Angeles, and Jack Reynor, who brings a sharp edge as Danny's unimpressed music producer.

At the centre of it all is a genuinely great performance from Paul Rudd. Rudd has built a career on being immensely likable, but here, he taps into a wistful vulnerability that grounds the film's emotional core. He embodies the aging rocker who knows he should be content with his beautiful family but can't quite shake the ghosts of his unfulfilled dreams. Rudd’s natural boyish charm makes the theft of his song feel like a profound, personal tragedy. And yes, he does his own singing and playing, proving he is just as comfortable fronting a wedding band as he is delivering a comedic punchline.

Opposite him, Nick Jonas is perfectly cast as Danny. Jonas smartly leverages his own boy-band history to bring a smooth, slightly insecure authenticity to the role. He manages to make Danny more than just a one-note villain; he is a complicated guy wrestling with his own obsolescence, and Jonas’s effortless musicality pairs wonderfully with Carney's signature soft-rock sensibilities.

While Power Ballad occasionally leans into sentimentality and the ending might feel a bit too neatly wrapped in a bow for some, it’s hard to complain when the journey is this enjoyable. It is a breezy, funny, and deeply affectionate tribute to dad-rock, creative passion, and the people we actually write our songs for. John Carney has done it again.