Power Ballad (2026, John Carney)

I was already a sucker for this movie, another “song can save your life” narrative from Carney with winning actors and actually good songs and a cute Glen Hansard tribute, then Glen died suddenly, and now I’m ready to declare this the most important film of the year. The Odyssey wasn’t any better! Wedding band frontman Paul Rudd has a good relationship with his wife(!) and daughter(!) until he gets depressed and obsessed after his one-night bromance with a Jonas brother ends with Nick stealing Paul’s song and making it a massive hit. On the long road to predictable redemption we get to spend time with Rudd, his buddy Peter McDonald (the film’s cowriter giving himself a plum role), and Jack Reynor as the music producer villain.