Film Review : Springsteen - Deliver Me From Nowhere

Written 29th October 2025

It was with genuine curiosity and anticipation that I took my seat in the cinema for Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere. As someone who has followed Bruce Springsteen since before the days of Tunnel of Love, I arrived with a fair amount of background knowledge about the Nebraska sessions, though I have never read Warren Zanes’ book of the same title as the film - Deliver Me from Nowhere being a phrase borrowed from the lyrics of State Trooper. After watching, I shall certainly be seeking it out.

This is not a film that bathes in the glow of stadium lights or parades its subject’s triumphs. Instead, it plunges headlong into the shadows, focusing with intensity on the creation of Nebraska. The film opens in 1957 New Jersey, with a young Bruce sent by his mother to retrieve his father from a bar. This moment, which Springsteen himself has described as both thrilling and terrifying, sets the tone for what follows: a journey into the heart of darkness, both musical and personal.

The narrative leaps to the final date of The River Tour in 1981, where Jeremy Allen White steps into Springsteen’s boots with uncanny precision. White has clearly immersed himself in Springsteen’s world, capturing not just the physicality but the restless energy and haunted introspection that defined this period. For those expecting a cavalcade of onstage fireworks, be warned: the E Street Band are present but silent and the film is far more interested in the man than the myth. Even the scenes at the Stone Pony, where Springsteen played impromptu sets, are less about performance and more about the search for something authentic.

After the tour, Springsteen retreats to a rented house in Colts Neck, New Jersey - a setting that becomes a silent witness to his isolation and creative struggle. The house has such atmosphere that it almost becomes a character in itself. Paul Walter Hauser, as guitar tech Mike Batlan, helps set up the now-legendary four-track TEAC Tascam recorder and the technical details are rendered with a craftsman’s care: the fragility of the original cassette, the use of a Gibson echo unit, the makeshift bedroom studio; these are not just props but the instruments of a singular artistic moment.

What truly sets this film apart is its refusal to sugar-coat or sentimentalise. Some critics have dismissed it as dour but I found its honesty bracing. The film does not flinch from Springsteen’s struggles with fame, with relationships or with his own sense of self. There is a moment, early on, when a car salesman says, “I know who you are,” and Springsteen replies, “That makes one of us.” While this line does have the hint of cliché that appears in films of this nature, it sows the seed of Springsteen's self-doubt.

There is an intriguing dichotomy at the heart of the film: the lure of superstardom beckoning on one side and the need to go his own way on the other. The influence of Terrence Malick’s Badlands on the title track is explored with real insight. This includes Springsteen’s decision to shift the lyrics of Nebraska's title track from third to first person, a move that lends the song its chilling intimacy. Springsteen has commented on how some of the tracks on Nebraska are written from a child’s perspective - such as the featured Mansion on the Hill - and that they investigate the landscape of his own memories.

The character of Faye Romano, played by Odessa Young, is a composite, serving as a sounding board for Springsteen’s thoughts. While Faye never quite emerges as a fully realised character, Young brings a quiet intelligence to the role. Stephen Graham, always magnetic, makes a strong impression as Springsteen’s father, even within limited screen time. Jeremy Strong’s Jon Landau is a vital presence, though the film only hints at the depth of their partnership and this potentially could have been further explored. What we do find is how much Landau sticks by his man when the record company do not respond well to what Springsteen wants to release.

The film excels in its attention to the technical minutiae of recording Nebraska. The scenes depicting the cutting of vinyl grooves, the precarious fate of the original cassette and the overlap with the early sessions for Born in the U.S.A. are handled with meticulous care. It is good to see that attention to detail was paid, such as when Landau lists the songs destined for Born in the U.S.A. but does not mention Dancing in the Dark, which had not yet been written - a nod that will not be lost on devoted fans.

Despite a short montage, I would have relished a deeper dive into the construction of more individual Nebraska songs. However, I recognise that this is not a documentary and such granular exploration is perhaps better suited to another format. The romantic subplot, while functional, never truly ignites. In its ambition to cover so much emotional territory, the film occasionally skims over moments that could have been investigated more fully. Still, these are minor blemishes on an otherwise compelling portrait. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is not a rock biopic in the mould of Bohemian Rhapsody; it is a meditation on depression, creative struggle and the relentless pursuit of meaning. Some will arrive expecting a victory lap and leave feeling drained, as the film is honest in its depiction of inner turmoil and artistic risk. I, for one, am grateful that it chooses grit over gloss.

Springsteen himself has expressed real satisfaction with his portrayal here and it is easy to see why. On the whole, the historical accuracy within is high. The film captures not just the facts but the spirit of a man wrestling with his own legend. Eventually, he did release Born in the U.S.A. with all those colossal hits but Nebraska was a necessary detour - an act of creative catharsis before the tidal wave of superstardom. On the whole, I found the experience absorbing and would recommend it to any fan eager to plunge into this lesser-known chapter of Springsteen’s life. Just do not be surprised if you leave the cinema feeling as if you have travelled through the stark landscapes of Nebraska itself - changed and unsettled by Springsteen’s search for something real.