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DramaMusicComedy

Power Ballad Review (2026) — 77% Celluloid Score

Directed by John Carney · 2026 ·

LLM fact sheet (.md)

Answer Summary: Is Power Ballad worth watching in the UK?

Power Ballad (2026) earns a 77% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics (88%) were notably more enthusiastic than audiences (78%).

Quick Verdict: What is the Celluloid Score for Power Ballad?

Averaged from five public sources (critic, audience, Metascore, Letterboxd, IMDb). See how we calculate scores.

77%
Celluloid Score Recommended

Five-source breakdown

88% Critic Score
78% Audience
75 Metascore
★★★½☆ Letterboxd 3.6
7.2 IMDb /10
Watch Trailer
Runtime
1h 50m
Cast
Paul Rudd , Nick Jonas , Fionnula Flanagan , Chris O'Dowd

Where to watch in the United Kingdom

Power Ballad is in cinemas now — it isn't streaming anywhere yet.

Why this score?

  • Majority of critics rated it fresh (88%).
  • General viewers mostly liked it (78%).
  • Metascore is generally favorable (75/100).
  • Celluloid Score 77% averages all five public rating sources — our own composite, not a third-party trademark score.

Best for

  • Viewers who want a well-regarded drama, music, comedy pick
  • Short runtime — easy weeknight watch
  • Critics' darlings — stronger with reviewers than general viewers

Not ideal for

    Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

    Is Power Ballad worth watching?

    Yes — Power Ballad earns a 77% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

    Critics Consensus

    John Carney returns to the music-drama lane that made Once essential — Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas share a warm 88% Certified Fresh rapport in a song-theft story that Empire's summer issue singled out as Ireland's feel-good theatrical of the year.

    Celluloid Critics Consensus

    Critics (88%) were notably more enthusiastic than audiences (78%).

    What is Power Ballad about?

    A washed-up session musician in Dublin discovers his teenage demo was stolen decades ago and became one of the biggest power ballads in rock history — credited to a rival who never wrote a note. John Carney pairs Paul Rudd's shame-soaked veteran with Nick Jonas's hungry young producer as they set out to reclaim the song and the life it cost him. Fionnula Flanagan and Chris O'Dowd ground the ensemble while Carney films pub sessions and studio arguments with the live-performance patience that made Once essential — feel-good with stakes, not without them.

    Watch the Trailer

    Critic Reviews

    critic Power Ballad

    Power Ballad Review: Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas Reclaim a Stolen Anthem at 88%

    John Carney pairs Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas in an 88% Dublin song-theft drama — Ireland's feel-good theatrical of the spring with a third-act chorus that earns its key change.

    Certified Fresh comfort on [Best of 2026](/best/2026/) — [Ireland](/country/ireland/) music cinema for anyone who wished Once had a slightly bigger budget and a lawsuit.

    Kaiser Khan Founder & Editor

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