Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere review: melancholic portrait adds little value to music biopics

The common talking point around music biopics is this: If you’ve seen one, then you’ve seen them all. The trials and tribulations that plague an artist’s life make for great character studies, but they ultimately can feel like copy-and-paste stories. Scott Cooper looks to buck this trend with the Boss in Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, based on Warren Zanes’ 2023 book of the same name.

The film examines a specific moment in Bruce Springsteen’s career when he made one of the most personal albums of his life, 1982’s Nebraska. Plagued by his troubled upbringing, Springsteen channels his trauma into a stripped-back project that has become a deep-cut favorite of his fan base.

A more intimate take on an artist’s relationship to their work, Deliver Me from Nowhere creates an aroma of fresh air around the same conventions and trappings you will find in many other musical biopics.

Small-town guy, small-time story

Rather than presenting a sprawling epic about his entire career, Springsteen’s persona of a small-town New Jersey local is reflected in a shrunk-down approach to storytelling. Already a household name, Bruce is no longer craving money and fame but rather a reason for his music. It’s the sole purpose of the yearlong journey we join Bruce on as he creates his perfect album and challenges demons in the past and present.

We never leave the tri-state area, even in flashbacks to his childhood, where a deeper picture of his struggle with a drunk yet loving father (Stephen Graham) tortures Springsteen. He attempts to fill the void with shows, business, and a relationship where he looks to be a father figure himself. Constantly feeling unsatisfied, the Boss locks himself in a room and pours his heart into the music.

Springsteen peels back the curtains on Nebraska and a time in his life that defined him. While this setup feels welcoming, there is a lot to be desired. Depicting one moment in Springsteen’s life creates a greater stress on visual storytelling, but you can only watch a man wander and be sad for so long before some sort of stress is needed. 

A conflict too familiar for the genre

The biggest fault of the movie is the all-too-familiar conflict of balancing the rough past of an artist as they navigate newfound stardom. It feels too akin to other biopics, including Walk the Line, Ray, and A Complete Unknown, in their depictions of a troubled artist. Deliver Me from Nowhere is unique in its approach by tackling an artist’s single album, but it is not enough to say it is something new.

Jeremy Allen White bears the weight of trying to circumvent the cliches associated with the genre. A current Oscar contender, I did not get this sense out of the performance. That is not to say his turn as Bruce is poor, but it feels too familiar. White’s character in The Bear is also an artist dealing with unresolved trauma, and despite this role being far less brash than Carmy’s, the baseline for both is the same. Carmy’s violent outbursts in the kitchen are replaced by Springsteen’s murmurs of sadness. At every turn, White does his best to convince audiences that he is the Boss, but his emotional foundation is already attached to a previous character.

The real standout is Odessa Young playing Faye Romano, Springsteen’s love interest and a guiding light. Her story of a single mom dating a rockstar but needing a reliable companion is far more engrossing than what Springsteen is dealing with. She dominates each scene with a humble performance that relies on human connection rather than a domineering personality. Bruce’s interactions with her seem like mere blips to advance a musical catharsis, but for her, they are the defining moments in her life. I want more of that story.

A musical experience for the most part

Even if you are partial to Springsteen’s music, you won’t be able to deny how it is implemented in the film. A shockingly perfect vocal reflection of Bruce by Allen-White allows each rendition and needle drop to drive the story forward.

Within the first five minutes, Bruce is introduced on stage with a rousing rendition of Born to Run, the perfect song to jump-start the post-childhood flashback. It even makes you want to get out of your seat to dance. While I don’t suggest doing that, the kinetic feeling both the song and visuals provide immediately immerses you in the showmanship of the rock and roll icon.

Contrasted are the more acoustic stylings that come from the recording of Nebraska. These scenes represent Springsteen’s emotional development and connections to his past as he bears his soul in his music. The solemn rendition of the titular track is a quiet moment of reflection that topples the grandeur of the icon. “Oh yeah” are the first words from Bruce’s tech operator, Mike Batlan, played by Paul Walter Hauser, in response to the song, a sentiment the audience will no doubt agree with.

But the music suddenly stops. There is a sudden shift from a cathartic journey of self-discovery through music to a straightforward piece on how to convince a label to believe in an album. Here, Jeremy Strong’s performance as Springsteen’s manager, Jon Landau, gets more time to shine. However, Strong seems to be coasting as a glassy-eyed fan rather than the critical voice the story needs.

Besides a great studio rendition of Born in the U.S.A., Springsteen’s immense catalog is pushed to the backseat. I was begging for more musical moments while growing tired of each character telling me how important this album was to Bruce. At least you can listen to the music on your way home!

Should you watch Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere?

Those who will get the most enjoyment out of this movie will be Springsteen’s fans. The music is perfect for the theatrical setting, and given the artist’s involvement in the film, it feels like the innermost look you can have at a legend. For passive fans, it likely won’t stick out among the many music biopics. Deliver Me from Nowhere doesn’t drag, but you are likely to want far more out of it than what it is willing to give.

I was able to see Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere as a part of the New York Film Festival. The film is in theaters now.