The latest film from director Scott Cooper, the musical biography of Bruce Springsteen entitled Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere may feel less like a standard biography of this ilk and more like a deeply earnest and heartfelt ode to arguably astonishingly brilliant piece of artistic creativity and the young man that created it.
Cooper’s film chronicles the recording of Springsteen’s 1982 album Nebraska. But, more appropriately, it surveys the artist’s life during this period as the actual recording takes up only a small portion of the film’s narrative. Overall, the film follows Springsteen’s journey through a creative malaise that finds him emerging with what is considered one of his more enduring works, along with the seminal Born in the USA album that skyrockets him into world-wide superstardom.
Director Cooper, who also penned the screenplay, no stranger to the biopic format, having previously directed Black Mass, the 2015 true story of Whitey Bulger starring Johnny Depp, does a splendid job of weaving the recording of Nebraska into the narrative of Springsteen’s life without shortchanging either story along the way.
Although strident music fans may be disappointed there is not more of an emphasis on the creation or performance of the album, the focus on the source of the music serves the story well and the film benefits from that perspective in spades. This is more of the saga of an artist discovering his path and setting upon it than the chronicling of the creative process. Ultimately, the film is as rewarding as the resulting album is.
As Springsteen, Jeremy Allen White does a masterful job of portraying one beloved by so many. There may be little idiosyncrasies that could be the fodder for nitpickers, but overall the depiction of one of music’s iconic artists is handled with care and love. The troubled Douglas “Dutch” Springsteen, as played by Stepen Graham, is afforded a far wider berth to be the flawed individual he is here, but the caveat is that there is an underlying reason he is the way he is and it is ultimately one that Springsteen himself must take into account if he is going to be able to conquer his own demons.
Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in 20th Century Studios’ “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.” Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Throughout it all, Pamela Martin’s editing creates a clear path through Springsteen’s life that swirls the film’s splendid performances with the purposeful narrative to weave the journey of one troubled soul on a path to superstardom.
Like the recording of the album that lends the film its title, that was done by Springsteen himself on a simple four-track recorder in a sparsely furnished New Jersey bedroom, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is a titanic story housed in a deceptive package that delivers more during its running time than one is likely to expect.
| Producer: | Scott Cooper, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Eric Robinson, Scott Stuber |
| Release Date: | October 24, 2025 |
| Running Time: | 120 minutes |
| Starring: | Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, Odessa Young, Gaby Hoffmann, Marc Maron, David Krumholtz, Johnny Cannizzaro, Harrison Gilbertson, Chris Jaymes, Matthew Anthony Pellicano Jr., Grace Gummer |
| Writer: | Scott Cooper |
| MPAA Rating: | PG-13 (for thematic material, some sexuality, strong language, and smoking) |
| Director: | Scott Cooper |
| Distributor: | 20th Century Studios |
| External Info: | Official Website |
