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Dreams, escapism, and that ever-unattainable rock ’n roll lifestyle get tuned up with heart in the indie comedy Band on the Run. 

With its title nodding to Paul McCartney and Wings’ 1973 album, the film blatantly throws rose-tinted lenses over the late ’90s Detroit music scene. The band Hot Freaks wins a chance to perform at a still up-and-coming South By Southwest (SXSW) festival, and with a beat-up van, a stolen mic stand, and a wheelchair-stuck dad in tow, they go rockin’ down the highway from Michigan to Texas. Antics ensue, chords get played, and the dream of being the band hovers just within reach.

Title: Band on the Run (2025) Director: Jeff Hupp // Brian Cusac // Merritt Fritchie Writers: Jeff Hupp Studio: The Powers That Be Media IMDb Plot: At the height of the Detroit Garage Rock movement in 1999, a chronically ill father, his musician son and his band bond on a raucous road trip as they war with a rival band on the way to the South By Southwest festival. Joe Says: Band on the Run may not go full devil-horns or light its guitar on fire, but it’s still worthy of applause.

Band on the Run is a wacky road trip comedy written by Jeff Hupp, who co-directed alongside Brian Cusac and Merritt Fritchie. The trio taps into that timeless tug-of-war between youthful ambition and familial responsibilities. The movie isn’t trying to reinvent the rock-movie wheel, but like a cover song with a surprising twist, it hits familiar notes with genuine, sincere energy. The movie’s open sense of joy is what makes it worth sticking around for the encore.

The Hot Freaks themselves sell the dream: Jessie (Matt Perl) on drums, Cody (Jersey’s own Dylan Randazzo) on bass, and Maxime (Daniel Blair) on lead guitar. Together, they have an easy chemistry that works both in the jam sessions and the quieter character beats. But life, as always, has a way of breaking up their rhythm: small venues with smaller crowds, a swaggering rival band called Bull Roar (who riff with heavy shades of the Black Keys), and Jessie’s father, Thomas, who tags along for the ride. Veteran actor Larry Bagby brings unexpected weight to Thomas, a man dealing with medical issues but also a gnawing loneliness, and his arc gives the story more depth than your average road-trip romp.

That blend of comedy and drama is where Band on the Run is both as charming as an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as frustrating as ESPN’s Stanley Cup coverage. The film flirts with being a goofy, van-crammed farce but also leans into heartfelt father-son bonding. The balance is tricky and Hupp and his “Power That Be” directing trio mostly navigate around the usual pratfalls and pitstops. But at times the inconsistency between heavy jokes and softer relations feels like a Mike + The Mechanics power ballad performed during an Opeth concert. 

Speaking of music, there’s surprisingly little actual performance. The battle of the bands occurs on the road — and, humorously enough, on 1990’s-style message boards — not on the stage. And when the long-teased rivalry with Bull Roar goes all Oasis, it unexpectedly fizzles rather than ignites. Band on the Run opts for safe choices where riskier ones might have left a bigger impact. Safe isn’t bad — this is still an enjoyable indie feature — but the film could have cranked the volume up a little higher.

Visually, the movie punches well above its indie weight class. Director of Photography Brandan Lee Keller gives the film a dreamy aesthetic, softening edges and playing with wide-angle shots that keep the period setting alive without ever feeling trapped in nostalgia. Even Jesse’s dream sequences lean into that uncanny, irrational logic of real dreams, adding to the movie’s relatably lived-in texture.

When the credits roll, friendship holds the spotlight here. The film skips the easy “boy gets girl” ending, instead offering something sweeter and truer: “boy gets dream.” Band on the Run is not about conquering the world; it’s about chasing the song you can’t stop hearing in your head.

Band on the Run may not go full devil-horns or light its guitar on fire, but it’s still worthy of applause. The movie is fun, heartfelt, and will leave you smiling, lighter raised.