Screened at the Virginia Film Festival on opening night, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere serves as a biopic about “The Boss” himself. Jeremy Allen White stars as Bruce Springsteen, chronicling the time before and leading up to his hit album Nebraska. During this time, Springsteen wrestles with demons from his past to rejuvenate his creative perspective as he continues to rise in stardom.

Facing the Music

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is a biopic that, while seeming like other biopics, takes an even more personal turn. The personal account that the film takes is a lot more raw and psychological than one would expect. Springsteen’s music is about hope and inspiration, and there are many times when that is the main focus of the film. The film begins referencing Bruce Springsteen’s childhood, and in doing so, it adds a lot of given context to what haunts him in the 80s. Springsteen was a victim of abuse at the hands of his father, and that shows up throughout the film, especially when he’s performing, as that unchecked abuse is holding him back. It is in these moments that Springsteen begins to go on a journey of self-discovery, and this journey helps him to write his celebrated album Nebraska. The film takes us through many facets of creating the album, from different songs to different beats and title changes overall.

Jeremy Allen White gives an astonishing performance as Bruce Springsteen, and at the same time, it’s psychological. There are moments in the film where it plays out like a therapy session, and we get to see why he goes through the motions as he’s trying to come to terms with emotions, while also trying to find himself with his music. It is important to note that when it comes to the musical numbers and the film, Jeremy entrenches himself into Bruce Springsteen in a way that feels impossible (especially during Born to Run). Helping him out along the way is his manager, John Landau, played by Jeremy Strong. Strong’s performance as Landau is exceptionally strong when he’s championing Springsteen to look in the mirror and get to the root of his problems. There are also moments where he’s advising Springsteen, and his stoic demeanor brings a lot of spectacles to Springsteen’s motives. Stephen Graham as Bruce Springsteen’s abusive father was also a huge highlight of the film, adding so much dramatic pause as he is the catalyst for Springsteen’s emotional trauma.

Confronting Demons

Scott Cooper’s direction for Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is anything but conventional. He goes back to the beginning and then takes off from that moment to the present time in which the film is set. From that point on, while the audience thinks they are probably going to get a musical biopic with big numbers, it’s a lot more subdued. With the film not being utilized to the fullest potential and only shedding light on one specific part of Bruce Springsteen’s life, it gives credence to being independent in its storytelling from an aspect that skews monolithic.