Carl Roberts 
“With a superb performance from Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is fun but lightweight.”
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is a biographical musical drama film. It chronicles Springsteen’s personal and professional struggles during the conception of his 1982 album Nebraska. Starring Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen, the film is written and directed by Scott Cooper. It is based on the 2023 book Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes. Also featuring Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, and Odessa Young. The film is an enjoyable biopic of The Boss. However, it ultimately proves to be far too lightweight to be considered a classic.
PREMISE
The film chronicles the making of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 album Nebraska when he was a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom. He was struggling to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past. Recorded on a 4-track recorder in Springsteen’s New Jersey bedroom, the album marked a pivotal time in his life. It is considered one of his most enduring works. It is a stark, sombre acoustic record portraying the lives of blue-collar workers. They try to succeed in life but fail at every turn, while searching for a deliverance that never comes.
THOUGHTS
Despite a superb and possibly Oscar-nominated performance from Jeremy Allen White, alongside a possible best supporting actor nomination for Jeremy Strong, the film isn’t what we all hoped for. Instead of being a full-on biopic of the legendary star, focusing on just one aspect of his glittering career is somewhat of a mistake. That’s not to say the film is bad; it isn’t. At times, you feel like bursting into song yourself. With some brilliant sequences depicting Springsteen’s struggle actually to get Nebraska recorded and released, and an incredible scene featuring the recording of Born In The USA, the film does entertain. But we get the feeling that the film could have, and should have been, so much better. It should have more meat on its bones than what we are given here.
By focusing on Springsteen and his struggles, both personally and professionally, the film provides insight into the work he put into recording his classic acoustic album. We see the pain and loss of faith the star had along the way. This is brilliantly acted. But by taking certain creative licence decisions, and by introducing certain characters who simply didn’t exist, the film shoots itself in the foot. We are not here for a somewhat fictional recreation of events. What we want is to experience the real, true-to-life story, something we rarely get to experience. We can see the pain and pressure Springsteen faced in bringing his passion project to life. But instead of inspiring us, it sometimes does the opposite and begins to bore us.
JEREMY ALLEN WHITE
Jeremy Allen White is a revelation as Bruce Springsteen. The actor completely throws himself into the role of the iconic rock star. From a slow opening sequence, White explodes to life. He immediately brings us a recreation of Springsteen live on stage, belting out the classic Born To Run in inimitable style. If we didn’t know better, we could swear we are actually watching Springsteen himself on stage. It is an almost perfect opening gambit from White. It is an incredible scene to watch and experience. To use the overused term, it truly does blow the roof of the theater off. Things begin to slow down somewhat after this point, giving us a look into Springsteen off stage.
A neat little scene features the star driving along, listening to the radio, when the brilliant Hungry Heart starts to play over the airwaves. Springsteen smiles to himself, then simply says “no” and turns it off. It appears to us that the star is a man struggling under his own fame, something that is in play for most of the film. White gives us an interpretation that resonates and sticks with us as we leave the theater after the film ends. Despite being a young actor and with great performances both in front of and behind him already, White could have delivered his masterpiece performance here. He simply IS Bruce Springsteen here, delivering a cinematic impersonation of the great man that is historic as well as brilliant.
JEREMY STRONG
Jeremy Strong as Jon Landau, Springsteen’s manager and record producer, also gives what surely has to be an award-nominated performance. By playing Landau, Strong is the yin to Allen’s yang. Neither would be able to provide such strong and brilliant performances at times without the other. When the pair appear together, it is a case of who will outdo whom. In the end, it has to be a tie. But even in the scenes where Strong is acting on his own, his prowess shines through. The actor conveys the emotions that Landau likely experienced during this pivotal period in music history. The lack of a true understanding of why Springsteen is so determined to record and release Nebraska as an acoustic track. The selling and convincing record executives of the genius of Springsteen, and his wants.
Landau’s anxiousness stems from Springsteen’s dissatisfaction with what’s been laid down, session after session. Despite telling him that the track is great, Springsteen is never happy with it. With Born In The USA already laid down and ready to hit the airwaves, Landau struggles to understand why Springsteen wants to delay its release until after Nebraska. These tense and dramatic scenes afford us a sneak peek at the working relationship between Springsteen and Landau. Strong is in top form here, supporting White at every turn while also holding his own in the film. It is yet again another outstanding acting performance from Jeremy Strong.
PAUL WALTER HAUSER
The supporting cast is all in great form. The standouts here are Paul Walter Hauser as Mike Batlan, Springsteen’s recording engineer during the Nebraska sessions, and Stephen Graham as Douglas Springsteen, Bruce’s father, with whom he had a complicated relationship. Batlan does everything he can to accommodate Springsteen’s wants and wishes for recording the classic album. The way he sets up the 4-track recorder, playing with the settings and getting the track onto a master, ready to be mixed in the studio, drags us back to the good old days of music recording. We can truly believe that Hauser is Batlan, embodying all the bluster, determination, and resolve needed to achieve his destiny: capturing a moment in time that still resonates today.
STEPHEN GRAHAM
Stephen Graham as Douglas Springsteen plays a vital part throughout the film, despite featuring for no more than ten minutes of screentime. It is Douglas that Springsteen fears the most. Growing up in an abusive household, ruled by Douglas’s alcoholism, it is these memories that push Bruce on. The memories appear at various times during the film, and some are disturbing. The one that will stick out is the kitchen scene.
It is here that, after watching Douglas assault his wife, Bruce’s mother, the youngster grabs a baseball bat and strikes his father as hard as he can in the back. Fearing what will happen next, the scene ends with a revelation we don’t see coming. Graham appears in both these flashback scenes and current ones, fitting two moulds: one of an abusive drunkard, the other of a tragic, sad man who regrets his past. By the time the film ends, we’re presented with an emotional side that we wouldn’t have expected.
WRITING AND DIRECTION
Scott Cooper directs and writes this mini-biopic. His direction is wonderful throughout, recreating some stunning concert scenes alongside some genuine emotion. The way he stages the film, the look of the events, and the way he draws his performances from his cast are impressive. Cooper has created a stunning look back at a moment in music history that will remain etched in our memories long after the end credits roll. They won’t last for too long, but we find ourselves picking out moments that really impressed us.
Now, I’m not going to criticise Cooper’s script too much. Having never read Warren Zanes’s book, I can’t truthfully say if Cooper has adapted it correctly. However, along the way, the script begins to lag. While we are hooked by the music events and recordings, as well as some emotional scenes, much of the film begins to grate on us. At times, we find ourselves feeling restless and bored, and that is never a good sign. While some characterisation is superb, many others are lacking in depth and clarity. Many of the supporting cast, aside from those I have outlined, are neglected. Instead of having rich stories to add to the mix, they are sorely let down by being sidelined with nothing of substance to do. In the case of Odessa Young as Faye Romano, Bruce’s love interest, this is criminal. This ‘relationship’ should have been explored more thoroughly.
VERDICT
With a superb performance from Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is fun but lightweight. Instead of offering a definitive look at the recording of the classic album, we are given brief and sometimes unfulfilling glimpses into the period. Some may argue that they wouldn’t sit through something more heavy or substantial, even they can’t disagree that the film feels, at times, like a piece of disposable fluff. Instead of being something that they can go back to time and again, it’s something that won’t find a place on their most-wanted lists. And that is a shame, as there is much to like here. The recreation of the period is, for the most part, a wonderful throwback to the early 1980s. But the film is in desperate need of something more substantial.
That being said, Jeremy Allen White makes a significant contribution to the film’s soundtrack. His vocal performances as Springsteen are brilliant. The actor learned to play guitar for the movie on a 1955 Gibson J-200 guitar that Springsteen gave him. This alone is worthy of the price of admission; it is incredible. This could be a reason for the actor to walk away with accolades come awards season. Although he will face some robust competition, I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes many home. Between his performance, Jeremy Strong’s performance, and some classic music blaring from the cinema’s speakers throughout, these are the main reasons to watch the film. It isn’t the best biopic in the world, but it also isn’t the worst: fun, light, but disposable. Fans will love it; others may feel they have taken a trip to nowhere.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is in cinemas from this Friday, courtesy of 20th Century Studios.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
