--- title: "Power Ballad: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/power-ballad/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/power-ballad" critics_score: 67 critics_reviews: 22 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Power Ballad (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 67 from 22 reviews: 13 positive, 7 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics come away warm. The praise settles on Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, whose pairing as a washed-up wedding singer and a former boyband star almost every review singles out, and on an extended early sequence in which the two write a song together, which several reviews name as among the best things John Carney has directed. The original song is repeatedly called catchy, and the film is generally taken as a return to his usual ground. The reservations gather around what happens once the song is written. Several reviews find the tone uneven, the script thin and the ending soft, and a few, notably The New York Times and The Playlist, think it never gets past its own pleasantness into the harder story about ownership it keeps raising. The spread is wide: the festival notices from March are markedly warmer than the later ones, and The Observer is alone in finding Jonas over-produced where most others find him charming. ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2026. The critic calls it a terrific comedy of bromance and betrayal in the music world, praising Irish writer-director John Carney for brilliantly pairing Paul Rudd's washed-up wedding singer with Nick Jonas's insecure ex-boyband star. The film explores the binary of success and failure, with a standout extended scene of creative collaboration on a song. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/may/27/power-ballad-review-nick-jonas-and-paul-rudd-star-in-terrific-comedy-of-bromance-and-betrayal) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Angie Han Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 16 March 2026. Festival review. The critic praises the film's command of tone, blending comedy and drama about ambition and music without clichés, highlighting the catchy song and strong chemistry between Rudd and Jonas. It hits every note and deserves to be a smash hit. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/power-ballad-review-paul-rudd-nick-jonas-john-carney-1236533227/) ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 March 2026. Festival review. Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas deliver winning performances in Carney's most engaging pop-music drama since Once, with genuine dramatic discord that elevates the material. The story of a stolen song between a wedding singer and a former boy-band star has breakout potential. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/power-ballad-review-paul-rudd-nick-jonas-john-carney-sxsw-1236687860/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 16 March 2026. Festival review. It's the biggest crowd-pleaser at SXSW, with great chemistry between Rudd and Jonas, funny and emotional scenes, boding well for release as a summer hit. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/power-ballad-is-this-years-summer-miracle-movie.html) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 3/4/3. 27 May 2026. An amiable musical comedy about songwriting and plagiarism that toys with questions of creative ownership. It is fun and undemanding thanks to Rudd, but tonally uneven with a cop-out ending. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/power-ballad) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2026. The critic finds Power Ballad a big-hearted, consistently funny musical comedy that explores middle-age despair and creative ownership through music's connective power. Rudd and Jonas's easy chemistry and the memorable original song are singled out for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/power-ballad/) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 29 May 2026. The premise of an unrecognized artist's work being appropriated is worked into a plot that is admirably tight and irresistibly catchy. It centers on the soulful joys of collaboration and the resentments that arise when credit and acclaim are stolen. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/preview/articles/6a15a08f12f309299a702783) ## Sight and Sound — Sam Davies Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 2026. Carney follows his usual formula of a plucky musician finding vindication but plays subtly with expectations in this story of artistic ownership and compromise. The film is elevated by the casting of Rudd and Jonas, though the script sometimes feels undercooked. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/power-ballad-paul-rudd-nick-jonas-lead-this-warm-hearted-comedy-about-pop-stardom-fading-ambition) ## The Observer — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2026. Wendy Ide describes it as a disarming comedy that flips Carney's usual formula by placing the creative synergy at the start, leading to a darker examination of betrayal and creative disappointment. Paul Rudd charms as the likable wedding singer, though Nick Jonas's performance feels over-produced and synthetic. [Read the review](https://observer.co.uk/culture/film/article/wendy-ides-pick-of-other-films-power-ballad-fairyland-moss-freud-and-more) ## Radio Times — Terry Staunton Rating 3/5. 5 June 2026. An engaging bromance celebrating the emotional power of song, with Carney revisiting familiar territory from his earlier films. It is serviceable entertainment but easily forgotten, with awkward tone shifts and broad performances. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/paul-rudd-power-ballad-review/) ## Time Out — Elizabeth Weitzman Rating 3/5. 27 May 2026. Likeable performances from Rudd and Jonas anchor this slick but crowd-pleasing comedy-drama about a stolen song. Carney delivers a high-quality, Spotify-friendly film with a catchy earworm at its core. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/power-ballad-review-2026) ## Slant Magazine — Chris Barsanti Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 21 April 2026. The film has charming leads and a catchy song but never finds the right groove; it saps energy in parts, missing sustained musical ecstasy typical of Carney's work. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/power-ballad-review-paul-rudd-nick-jonas-john-carney/) ## Los Angeles Times — Amy Nicholson Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2026. The opening sequence of song creation is one of Carney's best, showcasing terrific creative chemistry between the leads. The rest of the film is cynical and sloppy, keeping the characters apart after an initial betrayal and failing to develop its ideas. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-05-28/power-ballad-paul-rudd-nick-jonas-havana-rose-liu-john-carney) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 5 May 2026. A wistful comedy with likeable leads that grapples with themes of creativity and ownership but opts for a sentimental tone over the tougher-minded story that occasionally emerges. The early bonding scenes between the leads are among its strongest. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/power-ballad-review-paul-rudd-and-nick-jonas-pluck-the-heartstrings-in-overly-sentimental-john-carney-drama/5216187.article) ## The AV Club — Simon Abrams Rating C-. 29 May 2026. The film is affable but bland, with likable characters that make it not funny enough; it's a light tribute but lacks memorable jokes and strong character development beyond Rudd's charm. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/power-ballad-review) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2026. The film gestures at promising themes around collaboration, celebrity, and the music industry but keeps everything glib and light instead of exploring them. It remains insistently superficial, with underdeveloped characters and a commitment to avoiding real complexity. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/28/movies/power-ballad-review.html) ## IndieWire — Christian Zilko Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 2026. After exploring positive musical friendships in prior films, Carney here examines the uglier side of human nature in a story where a song can ruin lives as easily as it can connect people. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/power-ballad-review-paul-rudd-nick-jonas-john-carney-1235196996/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 17 March 2026. Festival review. The critic finds it a wonderful music comedy and lovely addition to director John Carney's oeuvre, praising its exploration of song ownership and the power of music in everyday lives. Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas are highlighted as a delightful pairing that balances charm, drama, and comedy in an uncynical, crowd-pleasing underdog story. [Read the review](https://collider.com/power-ballad-movie-review-paul-rudd-nick-jonas-sxsw/) ## Eye for Film — Andrew Robertson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 May 2026. The critic finds the film well-executed and satisfying, a feel-good movie that explores authenticity through music and middle-age themes with charm from its stars and soundtrack. Minor issues like ADR don't detract from its success. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/power-ballad-2026-film-review-by-andrew-robertson) ## HeyUGuys — Nathan McVay Rating 4/5. 19 March 2026. Festival review. The critic praises the film as a feel-good hit with strong performances from Rudd and Jonas, and music that elevates the emotional core about fatherhood, friendship, and perseverance. Some moments feel corny or formulaic, but overall it's a joyful crowd-pleaser. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/power-ballad-review/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 4 out of 5. 26 March 2026. The critic praises the film's warm exploration of artistic disappointment, collaboration, and the frustrations of a musician's life, along with the marvelous chemistry and duet between Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas. They single out Rudd's textured performance blending affability with ennui as a standout element in this authentic and sweetly observed dramedy. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/power-ballad-review-paul-rudd/) ## The Playlist — Chase Hutchinson Rating C-. 14 March 2026. Festival review. The critic calls it a misfire and one of Carney's most hollow films, criticizing the shallow characters, superficial story, weak songs, and failure to explore deeper themes of creativity and authenticity beyond clichés. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/power-ballad-review-paul-rudd-nick-jonas-cant-find-a-new-tune-in-john-carneys-shallow-music-dramedy-sxsw-20260314/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/power-ballad.md