It has almost become a running joke during awards season that each year brings yet another biopic centered around a famous musician or band. These films are nearly always positioned as awards contenders, and over the past decade, we’ve seen at least two dozen of them from N.W.A. to Bob Dylan.
To be fair, I’m generally a fan of musical biopics and have enjoyed most of ones that have been released over the last ten years. While the genre has produced its share of misfires or disappointments, these films typically perform well at the box office and consistently generate awards buzz. That said, the formula is also notorious for clichés and familiar story beats, which audiences often embrace but critics have increasingly grown weary of.
With Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Scott Cooper largely avoids the standard biopic trappings. Instead, he digs deep into Bruce Springsteen’s psyche, exploring how his abusive upbringing shaped his struggles with depression, identity, and connection to others. The film doesn’t portray “The Boss” as a rock icon, but as a man whose trauma controls his life.
In the film, Springsteen feels most alive whenever he is on stage yet wrestles with the idea that anyone could genuinely appreciate his art. His fear of commitment and persistent self-doubt becomes the main focus of the narrative, giving the film a raw intimacy which sets it apart from most other films in the genre.
What makes Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere even more striking is that it doesn’t lean on flashy musical numbers or montages of greatest hits. In fact, some viewers may be surprised to learn that only two of Springsteen’s most recognizable songs make it into the film.
Cooper’s choice to resist the usual jukebox approach is bold, but I admire the hell out of him for it. Instead of playing to what fans are expecting, he immerses us in the headspace that Springsteen was in while creating Nebraska, an album that he recorded on a four-track cassette in his bedroom as battled inner demons and pushed back against industry expectations. I love how this film respects the artistry, showing how Springsteen found a creative release during one of the most pivotal periods of his career.
As for Jeremy Allen White, he doesn’t just play Bruce Springsteen; he embodies him. Within minutes, you forget you’re watching White at all. This is a career-defining performance: restrained, poignant, and never showy. He avoids the grand musical set pieces so common in this genre, instead channeling Springsteen’s inner turmoil through subdued, emotionally grounded moments of reflection and struggle. It’s a big swing, but White absolutely nails it.
Acting alongside White is Jeremy Strong as Jon Landau, Springsteen’s longtime manager who never abandoned him even in the darkest times. Strong, now firmly an awards-season fixture thanks to Succession and last year’s much-discussed role as Roy Cohn in The Apprentice, once again delivers something remarkable. His performance here is quiet and compassionate, a complete departure from his more volatile work. Landau is portrayed not as the typical “manager villain” but as a true friend who supports without having to have his moment in the spotlight. It’s refreshing and deeply affecting.
Odessa Young also deserves mention for her turn as Faye Romano, Springsteen’s love interest. Her grounded performance captures both the vulnerability and strength of someone drawn into Springsteen’s music. The dinner scene between Young and White is filled with tension, heartbreak, and emotional honesty, further underlining the film’s refusal to romanticize the man behind the music.
Cooper also pays homage to the places that shaped Springsteen. Asbury Park becomes almost a character in the film. Scenes at The Stone Pony and the old merry-go-round aren’t just background; they root the story in authenticity and nostalgia that lifelong Jersey fans will recognize instantly.
All in all, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is one of the best musical biopics in recent memory and the strongest work of Scott Cooper’s career. I was deeply invested in every second of it, and I hope audiences and awards voters connect with it as much as I did. I absolutely adore this film.
Grade: 9/10
Awards Buzz: Expect this to be a major contender. Jeremy Allen White feels like a lock for Best Actor nominations, with Jeremy Strong right behind him in Supporting. Best Picture is absolutely within reach, and I would not be surprised to see Scott Cooper earn recognition for both writing and directing.
