Lucky 13 Reviews
POWER BALLAD (2026)— Movie Review
Directed by John Carney
★★1/2★★Lucky 13 Rating
Critical Stats
Release Date
May 29, 2026
Tomatometer
87%
Letterboxd
3.6 / 5
Running Time
98 mins
Official Synopsis
When Rick (Paul Rudd), a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) during a gig, the two bond over music and a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into the hit that reignites his career, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves , even if it means risking everything he cares about. From writer-director John Carney (Sing Street, Once), POWER BALLAD is a feel-good story about music, self-respect, friendship, and the price of ambition.
Ensemble
Paul Rudd as Rick Power
Nick Jonas as Danny Wilson
Peter McDonald as Sandy
Marcella Plunkett as Rachel Power
Beth Fallon as Aja Power
Jack Reynor as Mac Darling
Havana Rose Liu as Danny's Girlfriend
Architects
DirectorJohn Carney
WritersJohn Carney, Peter McDonald
CinematographerYaron Orbach
Film EditorStephen O'Connell
ProducersAnthony Bregman, Peter Cron, John Carney, Robert Walpole, Rebecca O'Flanagan
Executive ProducersDavid Fischoff, Dominic Wright, Alison Thompson, Mark Gooder
Production Vault
| Motion Picture Rating | R (Language and brief drug content) |
| Aspect Ratio | 1.85:1 |
| Production Status | Released (Digital Premieres June 23, 2026) |
| Key Locations | Dublin and Crumlin, Ireland |
Behind The Lens Spotlight
Director John Carney captures the raw sonic spirit of Dublin's streets with down-to-earth realism. Avoiding glossy studio sheen, his camera frames local pubs, neighborhood houses, and tiny local studios to establish a grounded sense of place. Carney uses natural light alongside soft interior illumination to highlight the emotional divide between an aging wedding musician's small reality and the stadium-sized pop machinery across the ocean.
Director John Carney captures the raw sonic spirit of Dublin's streets with down-to-earth realism. Avoiding glossy studio sheen, his camera frames local pubs, neighborhood houses, and tiny local studios to establish a grounded sense of place. Carney uses natural light alongside soft interior illumination to highlight the emotional divide between an aging wedding musician's small reality and the stadium-sized pop machinery across the ocean.
Production Info
| Studio Production Companies | Screen Ireland, Likely Story, Treasure Entertainment, Distressed Films, 30West |
| Theatrical Distributors | Lionsgate |
| Screenwriters | John Carney, Peter McDonald |
| Filming Locations | Dublin and Crumlin, Ireland |
Official Cinematic Trailer
Ray's Thoughts
Director John Carney is one of the industry's most gifted filmmakers, possessing a rare ability to balance sincere emotional depth with a profoundly effective use of music. His breakthrough feature, Once, remains arguably one of the greatest modern cinematic musicals in recent memory. The Academy Award-winning film was so resonant that it eventually transcended its big-screen roots, transitioning flawlessly into a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. Carney steadily continued his success within the genre through a string of critically acclaimed hits: Begin Again, Sing Street, and Flora and Son.
With his latest venture, Power Ballad, Carney attempts to lean much further into pure comedy than in his previous works, anchoring the project with a proven comedic superstar in Paul Rudd. Yet, despite Carney's undeniable talent, he and his creative team miscalculate the comedic potential of their premise.
The core plot revolves around a pop star and a humble wedding singer who spend a long night drinking, bonding, and ultimately composing a song together. When the pop icon (played by Nick Jonas) takes sole credit for the track, the life of the wedding singer (Rudd) spirals completely out of control as he finds himself utterly unable to prove his authorship. Even on paper, it is genuinely difficult to decipher where the filmmakers saw a fountain of comedy in this setup.
The bitter truth is that Power Ballad is far more of a frustrating watch than a laugh-out-loud riot. There is very little joy in watching a privileged, shallow celebrity ruthlessly exploit a modest, unknown artist. While Paul Rudd is historically brilliant at playing the lovable butt of the joke, traditionally delivering big laughs whenever he acts as a sympathetic target of comedy, the writing here fails to capitalize on that strength. Instead of feeling like a funny, chaotic comedy routine, the situation just feels genuinely mean-spirited and sad. Fortunately, Carney is a filmmaker who is structurally incapable of making a truly unwatchable movie. It is not surprising, then, that he still manages to wring a mildly entertaining narrative out of the material. Both Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd do their absolute best with the thin script they are handed. It is a treat to see Rudd showcase his genuine musical talents on screen, and equally rewarding to watch Jonas stretch both his comedic and dramatic muscles in a heavily self-aware role.
While I would stop short of calling the film a complete misstep, it undeniably stands as a personal disappointment. Carney remains one of my favorite working directors because his filmography is usually defined by profoundly moving, unforgettable emotional high points. As much as it pains me to admit it, Power Ballad entirely lacks that signature, showstopping emotional crescendo that Carney is usually so proficient at delivering.
I can still recommend the film to dedicated fans of Jonas and Rudd, and it is entirely possible that this premise will play better for a less cynical audience. In fact, I would be willing to give the film a second chance down the road; perhaps knowing the narrative trajectory in advance will make the journey more entertaining. For my initial viewing, however, I simply cannot shake a lingering sense of disappointment.
π¬ Expanded Fun Facts
- Carney's Signature Sandbox: Director John Carney returns to his preferred themes of musical realism, studying middle-aged regret and song-writing ownership rather than typical romance frameworks.
- Meta Pop Casting: Co-star Nick Jonas infuses a heavy dose of real-world history into his role, leaning heavily on his own lived background transitioning out of global boy band fame to anchor Danny's pop star identity.
- Festival Buzz Tracker: The project received glowing early reviews across the tracking circuit after securing prime presentation positions at SXSW and the Dublin International Film Festival.
The Final Verdict
★★1/2★★Lucky 13 Rating
John Carney is structurally incapable of making a truly unwatchable movie, but Power Ballad stands as a definitive personal disappointment. Despite valiant efforts from Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, the script takes a thin premise about creative theft and turns it into a frustratingly mean-spirited experience that completely lacks Carney's signature emotional crescendo.
