SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE Review

Scott Cooper’s Deliver Me From Nowhere wants to be profound — the kind of film that stares deep into your soul. Instead, it mostly stares into the corner of a dark room… much like Jeremy Allen White, who broods so intensely you can practically hear the drywall groaning back at him.

THE SETUP

Set between The River and Born in the U.S.A., the film follows Bruce Springsteen through a period of creative doubt and personal reckoning. It’s a fascinating era on paper: a man haunted by his father’s shadow, questioning who he is and what he’s meant to create.But rather than digging into that complexity, the film just sits in it — observing instead of exploring. It’s like watching a therapy session that never actually begins.

WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS

Let’s make one thing clear: this isn’t a critique of Nebraska or of Bruce Springsteen — one of the most enduring artists alive. If anything, my respect for “The Boss” makes this film’s shortcomings sting more.

The storytelling here is narratively flat. Diehard fans might feel nostalgia or recognize lyrical nods, but casual viewers will be left outside the recording booth. Deliver Me From Nowhere assumes emotional investment without earning it — a major sin for a film about one of music’s most passionate performers.

Jeremy Allen White spends much of the runtime in silence — writing, staring, thinking — waiting for an emotional spark that never arrives. None of that is his fault; the screenplay simply gives him nothing to build from. The film acknowledges Springsteen’s struggle but never makes us feel it.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS, MINUS CREATIVITY

The best music biopics let us feel the lightning bolt of inspiration — think Joan Baez and Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, or Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek conjuring “Break On Through” on the beach.

Here, Cooper devotes entire acts to the creative process, but they unfold like molasses. The movie wants to capture genius, yet it inadvertently squeezes the life out of it.

THE BRIGHT SPOTS

Jeremy Allen White & Odessa Young as Bruce & Fay.

Thankfully, the supporting cast rescues several moments:

• Stephen Graham gives a deeply felt, heartbreaking turn as Bruce’s father — torn between love and self-destruction. It’s the film’s emotional anchor.

• Odessa Young lights up every scene as Bruce’s love interest, Fay. Her performance brims with sincerity, which makes it even more frustrating when the screenplay simply forgets she exists.

• Jeremy Strong is the standout. As John Landau — Springsteen’s longtime manager — he delivers warmth, conviction, and integrity. Every scene with him feels alive again. It’s a soulful, beautifully layered performance that could even eclipse his Oscar-nominated work in The Apprentice.

If Deliver Me From Nowhere ends up in any awards conversation, Strong is the reason.

THE CRAFT

Scott Cooper still knows how to make a film feel real. The cinematography captures the grit and texture of the early 1980s — cigarette smoke coiling above studio lights, sweat on a guitar strap, the faint hum of an amp. It’s that same tactile realism seen in Crazy Heart and Antlers.

But while the visuals promise intimacy, the narrative never rewards it. The tone stays stuck in neutral — no crescendo, no catharsis. Cooper admirably avoids glamorizing fame, but his meditative approach never transforms into meaningful drama.

OSCARS OUTLOOK

Jeremy Allen White entered this awards season in my Top 5 Best Actor lineup. After this performance, he’s likely getting towed. He’s not bad — just stranded in a one-note script. There’s no electricity, no transformation, and certainly no “Born to Run” moment.

The only likely contender here is Jeremy Strong in Supporting Actor, who could quietly power through the season with industry goodwill. A technical nod for Sound or Cinematography isn’t out of the question — but don’t expect this one to dominate the Oscar track for long.

THE VERDICT

Deliver Me From Nowhere is a movie about meaning that never finds any. It gestures toward profound ideas — fathers and sons, fear and fame, the loneliness of creation — but never commits to exploring them. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a notebook full of half-written lyrics: you can feel the intention, but the song never comes together.

There’s strong craftsmanship, a few standout performances, and clear admiration for Springsteen’s artistry — yet the emotional engine never turns over. Like its protagonist, the film just sits there, quietly brooding in the corner, staring at what could have been.

🍿 SCORE = 57 / 100

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is playing in theaters (10/24).