If this decade were a film genre, it would be the biopic. It feels like every week, it is announced that another “white boy of the month” will star as an aged rockstar. In the last few years, Austin Butler as Elvis, Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, and now, Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen.
“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” released Oct. 24, 2025, follows Springsteen as he returns home from a world tour on the verge of stardom. At home, he faces flashbacks from his traumatic childhood and temptations to withdraw from the limelight. He meets Faye (Odessa Young) and quickly falls in love, but he does not let her in completely. Springsteen also faces pressure from his manager, Jon (Jeremy Strong), and his record label to create a hit single. Influenced by his rural surroundings, he works on the album “Nebraska,” a departure from his previous work with its folk sound and audio imperfections.
The film is dark at times, with flashbacks to Springsteen’s childhood, where he faced abuse from his father. Springsteen’s complicated relationship with his father is a central conflict in the film as he is forced to support his aging father through a mental health crisis. Springsteen’s struggle with mental health is also addressed, although the film skips over many of the details of his depression, especially his recovery. The movie could have benefited from a more specific focus on Springsteen’s relationship with mental health.
The highlight of the film is undoubtedly the music. From the demos recorded in his bedroom to the studio recording, the movie’s depiction of Springsteen’s writing process is great.. White’s impression of Springfield’s singing voice is spectacular, and it is hard to tell when White or Springsteen himself is singing.
Although “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” is an enjoyable movie, it received low box office numbers compared to other recent biopics like “A Complete Unknown,” starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan. This has to do with both Jeremy Allen White and Bruce Springsteen. While White certainly has star power, as shown in his breakout role in “The Bear,” he lacks the critical acclaim of an actor like Chalamet, who has multiple Oscar nominations. While White’s performance in the film is compelling and an accurate depiction of Springsteen, there are no moments from the film that feel worthy of an Oscar. Also, Springsteen lacks the intrigue that a figure like Dylan has.
“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” despite a few hiccups, is all-around entertaining. If the plot is not of interest, at least it will have viewers dancing in their seats.