Noah’s take
“Nebraska” is Bruce Springsteen’s cornerstone album: a huge departure from his previous hits, like “Hungry Heart” and “Born to Run,” it’s a slower, melancholy album. More folk than rock, it’s the type of music you listen to when it’s dark out, raining, and you’re in the middle of nowhere on an empty road. This is confirmed by the “Nebraska” album cover – a dark midwestern heartland road.
The songs on “Nebraska” are slow. At times, they’re a little boring. And like the albums five minute and thirty six second long “Highway Patrolman,” a little long. The same goes for 2025’s “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.”
Now, here’s the deal: I went to see “Springsteen” with a group of seven fifteen year olds. 42% (so three of us) didn’t think it was the most boring movie we’d ever watched, so that’s pretty good considering we aren’t exactly the target audience for the movie. I’m one of those three who thought it was a great movie. I have beef with movie critics because they find all these little things wrong with something just meant to be enjoyed, which is why I judge movies based on whether or not they were fun to watch and how much I enjoyed them – not how accurately they portrayed history or how a particular line was delivered or scene shot. With that in mind, I can definitively tell you that the movie is an enjoyable watch. It’s a little slow at times, but “slow” just means the movie has a solid plot. It’s the story behind one of America’s greatest musical storytellers – before Springsteen was singing hits about oil refineries, the working class, and his daddy’s garage, he was sitting in a Freehold, New Jersey bedroom depressed and writing a new album. That album was recorded in the bedroom without any professional equipment, and those exact same recordings are what ended up being released as the melancholy and echoey “Nebraska.”
Overall, the movie provided great insight into the creative process behind “Nebraska,” Springsteen’s childhood, and a great view into his mental health struggles and battle with depression. I’ll always listen to this album differently after watching “Springsteen,” which is why I will be giving this film four out of five coveted “DeLucas.” Deluca, of course, refers to maybe the greatest movie lover and film critic to ever be on ProspectorNow’s staff, Lucas Deluca. Continue reading to hear his expert thoughts and probably get a lot more than you did from my probably simple minded shallow take.
Lucas’ take
“Deliver Me From Nowhere” is an unconventional musical “biopic” in the sense that it doesn’t opt to spoon-feed you the story. While it does provide a lot of background into Bruce Springsteen’s early life, it often uses his childhood trauma as the “why” for its low-key “Nebraska”-focused narrative— keyword there: often, meaning mostly, but not always.
We spend the whole of the runtime with this trauma-afflicted, meandering Springsteen, but the movie doesn’t really feel the need to explain why he’s so messed up. We see black-and-white glimpses of his young’un memories to support our suspicions, but the movie never spells it out in full. Sometimes it’s a fantastic narrative choice for an intrusive character piece, and sometimes it’s an aggravating, “what are you doing, Bruce”-inducing headache. For 50% of “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” it often falls to the latter.
Thanks, black-and-white flashback: now I know about Bruce’s complicated relationship with drunkard Springsteen Sr. Whoops, screenplay: you forgot to explain why Bruce is pissing away the love of this girl he really likes to go and complain about the sound quality of “Nebraska.” She’s got her own stuff to complain about, too, Bruce! Moan about “Nebraska” in the company of a woman who loves you. Don’t ghost her for “wanting to keep her safe from the demons inside [you]” or some emo crap like that, because you know that you need each other! Don’t ignore her affection and her OFFERS TO HELP YOU in favor of going 90 miles per hour on a dark and lonesome Nebraska road. Don’t explain some C-plot familial stuff and leave the audience hanging on what’s most important: THE CENTRAL FEMALE RELATIONSHIP! You’re just like Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” Bruce! That’s not a good thing! If you’re going to be all complicated and intrusive, at least TELL US WHY! We, the audience who paid $20 to see you explain it, WANT TO SEE YOU EXPLAIN IT!
Phew.
If you couldn’t tell from the last three paragraphs, I really liked “Deliver Me From Nowhere!” Beyond his frustrating story beats, director Scott Cooper really managed to make this darkened moment in Springsteen’s life shine, and I have to applaud him for that. The cinematography, while not usually a standout component of a musical biopic, masterfully utilizes color contrast to draw attention to natural environments and Bruce’s subtle fascination with the natural world. At least this movie is pretty-looking and pretty-sounding… *I say, glancing down at my captive, Scott Cooper, who’s frantically rewriting 50% of “Deliver Me From Nowhere”* You have time to make this right, Scott!
As the titular Springsteen, Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”) is utterly transcendent. Sure, he may not speak exactly like Bruce, but I’d be damned if he didn’t sing exactly like him. In the weeks since I’ve seen this movie, I have spent a total of 50 minutes gawking at him singing “Born to Run” and “Born in the U.S.A.” on YouTube. I really don’t know how he does it, considering Springsteen’s iconic gravelly voice is as dangerous to pull off as it is impressive. Watch your back, Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan and Rami Malek as Freddy Mercury (the latter of whom didn’t even sing in “Bohemian Rhapsody”), we’ve got a real hotshot on the field this year. I’d give Allen White an Oscar for that soulful “Nebraska” performance any day.
The supporting cast does a fantastic job… well… supporting Springsteen on his introspective journey. The second-billed Jeremy in this movie is Jeremy Strong (“Succession”) as his manager, and he helps to be a quiet, bonsai tree of a force when contrasted with Springsteen’s irrational, sometimes equally as serene figure. Strong is the rock in this movie, and the only way Allen White can be seen is by standing upon him. Springsteen and his manager: my 2026 Halloween costume, methinks. Stephen Graham (“Adolescence”) as Springsteen Sr. and Odessa Young as the story’s disregarded love interest both give emotional, committed performances, as well. If only Cooper’s screenplay utilized Young in a way that made sense instead of delegating that studio space to Graham in a way that did not. *I look down at Cooper again* Did I tell you to stop writing? You’re not done with that sequel yet, Scott!
In terms of Oscar odds for “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” I’m conflicted, but leaning more to the “I don’t think so” side. With a slightly better-than-average Letterboxd rating of 3.3/5 and IMDb rating of 6.9/10, it seems that some people have problems with the movie stretching beyond its story, and are immovably turned off by the mere concept of a musical biopic in the big 2025. However, movies with much lower ratings than have gotten a ton of nominations and even won a few (last year’s 1.9/5 “Emilia Pérez, for example, or the 2.1/5 Marilyn Monroe biopic “Blonde”).
But I think what’s truly holding “Deliver Me From Nowhere” back from being the Oscar giant people back in July had expected it to be is that it just isn’t an “Oscar movie,” no matter how musical biopic-y it is. It’s a quiet, introspective character study, not a loud, flashy movie like “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “A Complete Unknown.” The nomination ceiling isn’t high for this movie, and the field may be too competitive for it to even be reached. If this movie manages to squeeze one nom in, though, it’d be Allen White for Best Actor. It’d be mighty risky to predict anything else, which is why I’m not. *I glance down at Cooper, forcing a smile.* Best Adapted Screenplay? You’re funny, Scott.
Despite its messy story, “Deliver Me From Nowhere” is a fun, performance-led treat for any Springsteen fan like me. I had fun! It’s fun! Very fun. Is it much more than that, though? No, but it’s still, nevertheless, pretty solid. I learned a lot about “Nebraska,” which is, methinks, the point.
I’d give “Deliver Me From Nowhere” three Lucas DeLucas and one-half Noah Jahn out of five. A bit lower than Noah’s rating, but it was inevitable that I’d be more critical of the screenplay than he. *I crouch down to Cooper* I’m still proud of you, bud.
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