The film is based on Warren Zanes’ 2023 book Deliver Me from Nowhere, which chronicles the making of Springsteen’s stark and haunting 1982 masterpiece, Nebraska. Zanes, brother of musician Dan Zanes, was also in an ’80s college radio band called The Del Fuegos. Warren Zanes has written extensively on music, including a well-regarded biography of Tom Petty, Petty: The Biography. While Dan Zanes went on to carve out a successful career as a children’s musician, Warren has built a reputation as one of rock’s most insightful historians.
Unlike the grand, full-band productions of the E Street Band, Nebraska was something entirely different. Springsteen recorded it alone in his New Jersey home on a simple 4-track tape deck. These songs were raw, stripped down, and haunting. The album is full of gritty tales of isolation, despair, and the American dream gone wrong. Many fans and critics consider it to be his most authentic and powerful album, precisely because of its unpolished honesty.
Fresh off his Emmy-winning run on The Bear, Jeremy Allen White isn’t just portraying Springsteen—he’s performing as him. White has confirmed that he actually sings in the movie, handling vocals, guitar, and even harmonica. He trained with vocal coaches, studied archival footage, and put in hours of practice to embody the spirit of The Boss. The payoff? None other than Springsteen himself has praised White’s performance.
With its focus on the creation of Nebraska, a record that has loomed large in Springsteen’s catalog for more than 40 years. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere promises an intimate look at a pivotal moment in the artist’s career. Also, it was filmed in New Jersey locations, including Bruce Springsteen’s hometown of Freehold and The Stone Pony, a legendary music venue in Asbury Park on the Jersey Shore that Bruce is often associated with. For fans of Bruce, for fans of music history, or for anyone who loved Jeremy Allen White’s intensity on screen, this film is shaping up to be a must-see.