Power Ballad

Note: John Carney’s Power Ballad was screened as part of the 45th Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival. Visit the MSPIFF site here. The film arrives in limited theatrical release on May 29, 2026, and then will expand everywhere on June 5.

Power Ballad is the latest from Irish writer-director John Carney, who has built his filmography around stories about musicians trying to break out of their personal prisons to become famous. His latest follows an American named Rick, played by Paul Rudd, who headlines an Irish wedding band of fiftysomethings called The Bride & Groove. Self-described as “human juke boxes,” they play the usual smattering of generic hits but sound quite professional. Rick, a never-was, used to play original music and even released an album before settling down to start a family. Now, he yearns to return to his roots. It’s one of many of Carney’s films about musicians who oscillate between artistic passion and domestic life. But unlike the up-and-comer stories in Once (2007), Begin Again (2013), and Sing Street (2016), Rick’s goal is not to become a superstar. Refreshingly, Power Ballad is about finding a balance between artistic integrity and personal fulfillment, with a surprising acknowledgment that superstardom is more appealing to the have-nots than to those who must contend with the constant temptation to sell out.

The full review is currently exclusive to Patreon subscribers. To read it, you can purchase individual access. Or you can join Deep Focus Review’s Patron community, where you’ll receive exclusive access to this and many other reviews, essays, and blogs published only on Patreon.

Patrons also get access to:

• A newsletter every Monday
• Streaming recommendations every Friday
• Polls to pick the movies reviewed on Deep Focus Review and Patreon
• Access to the open AMA and DFR Community