Springsteen movie review: Deliver Me From Nowhere: If the Boss liked it, who are we to contradict him?

After captivating us in the hit series The Bearfor which he has received numerous awards, Jeremy Allen White takes on a new complex role, this time in the film Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, where he plays the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen, then in a defining period of his life and career.

The feature film, written and directed by Scott Cooper, based on the work Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska by Warren Zanes published in 2023, focuses on a short period in the life of this American rock icon, as we plunge back into the early 80s. It’s a troubled moment for Bruce Springsteen, who has just finished a triumphant tour and is returning to New Jersey, the place where he was born, for a new phase of creation. The inspiration is there, but the result is different from what everyone expected. Haunted by memories of his conflicted relationship with his father, a man who had to face his own demons, Bruce Springsteen will let himself be carried away in a dizzying spiral where love, childhood wounds, creation and depression intertwine. The result, the folk album Nebraska, will mark a high point in the artist’s career.

It is in this context that Jeremy Allen White offers an electrifying performance, not hesitating to delve into his dark sides to deliver moving scenes. The actor succeeds, by avoiding caricature, in doing justice to the inspiration of this film, both from a vocal point of view, since he himself performs the songs in the film, and in attitude. His work also earned him the accolade of the Boss himself, who approved the feature film.

Alongside him, we find two other actors who elevate the whole. On the one hand, the excellent Jeremy Strong lends his features to Jon Landau, the one who was and still is Bruce Springsteen’s manager, a calm, attentive and understanding man, who supported his artist in all stages of his creation, despite doubts. This friendship is the dominant note of this dazzling career. On the other hand, Stephen Graham, whose performance in the series Adolescence was recently awarded, brings to life Bruce Springsteen’s father, a complex man, struck by mental health problems and alcohol addiction. Although his score is less, he succeeds in making an impression, particularly in a final scene with Jeremy Allen White which will leave no one indifferent. Odessa Young also stands out, with magnetism, in the fictional role of the lover.

What is interesting with this proposal from Scott Cooper is that it can be aimed at fans of Bruce Springsteen as well as those who know him very little. Certainly, the scenario gets lost a little between the too many themes addressed – childhood, love, depression, friendship and redemption – too often remaining on the surface. The result, which does not necessarily go off the beaten track, nevertheless generates the desire to learn more about this extraordinary artist, who campaigned to preserve his authenticity in the most difficult moments of his life. An integrity that commands admiration.

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere may not make its way to the annual awards ceremonies, but it remains quite gripping, even inspiring, viewing. If the Boss liked it, who are we to contradict him?