Power Ballad (2026)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A wedding singer's life is upended when a famous pop star uses his original song to launch a successful solo career.
The story
Rick Power is an American singer in a Dublin-based wedding band who has stepped back from his dreams of stardom to focus on his family. While performing at a castle wedding, he meets Danny Wilson, a famous singer struggling to find success in a solo career. The two bond over music and a specific original song Rick wrote. However, when Danny's career is revitalized by Rick's song, Rick finds himself in a conflict over recognition. He must navigate the complexities of fame, ownership, and his own identity as a father and musician when his creation becomes a global hit.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Rick Power, a singer in a Dublin wedding band, meets and bonds with pop star Danny Wilson during a performance. After Danny uses Rick's original song, "How to Write a Song (Without You)" for his solo album, the track becomes a massive hit. Rick faces a dilemma when he cannot prove his authorship to the record label, who threaten him with legal action. After a falling out with his band and his wife, Rachel, Rick travels to Los Angeles with his bandmate, Sandy, to confront Danny. He demands recognition, explaining the song was actually written for his daughter, Aja. After being kicked out of the party, Rick returns to Ireland and reconciles with his family. The film concludes with both men performing the song separately. Ultimately, a home video of Rick singing the song to Aja provides the proof of his authorship, and Rick is finally compensated for his work.
- First release year
- 2026
- Runtime (minutes)
- 98
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Carney
- Writers
- John Carney · writer; Peter McDonald · writer
- Cast and characters
- Paul Rudd · Rick Power; Nick Jonas · Danny Wilson; Peter McDonald · Sandy; Marcella Plunkett · Rachel Power; Beth Fallon · Aja Power; Jack Reyner · Mac; Havana Rose Liu · Marcia; Rory Keenan · Binzer; Paul Reid · Bernie; Keith McErlean · Kyle; Robert Mitchell · George; Juliette Crosbie · Barbara
- Genres
- musical; comedy; drama
- Themes
- fatherhood; artistic ownership; fame vs. personal life
- Tone and mood
- musical; comedy-drama
- Setting
- Dublin and Los Angeles
- Premise and plot tags
- musical; fatherhood; musical groups; singers
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, praising the performances of Rudd and Jonas.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 67 · scale: 100 · review count: 35
- Production trivia
- The film features covers of tracks by Bryan Adams and Thin Lizzy.; The film was premiered at the Dublin International Film Festival.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…