After Seeing Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, I Can’t Help But Compare It To Another Recent Biopic

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I usually avoid comparing films, as I don’t think it’s a helpful exercise. But while watching Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere last night – a new music documentary releasing this weekend – I found myself thinking about last year’s A Complete Unknown. Both films are biopics focusing on musicians, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, and both center on a particular period in each artist’s life. However, the comparison goes beyond the surface level, as the experiences depicted were quite different for Springsteen and Dylan.

Just a heads-up: there are a few minor spoilers for both films coming up, but they won’t spoil the overall experience.

Deliver Me From Nowhere Finds Springsteen In A Moment Of Doubt

The documentary Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere begins with Bruce Springsteen, portrayed brilliantly by Jeremy Allen White, finishing a highly successful tour for his 1980 album The River. He’s just achieved his first top-five hit with “Hungry Heart” and is about to become a music superstar, but privately, Springsteen is struggling with doubts about his career and creative direction, unsure of what his next move should be.

Just like what happened in his own life, the artist went into isolation, renting a house in the woods of New Jersey, to wrestle with some tough questions about himself. He was struggling with his identity, both as a person and as a musician. His usual sources of inspiration had dried up, leaving him unsure about his future and his music. Eventually, after months of intense self-reflection, this led to the creation of his famous album, Nebraska, as he rediscovered his artistic direction.

A Complete Unknown Is The Complete Opposite

The new 2024 film, A Complete Unknown, now streaming on Hulu, shows Timothée Chalamet portraying Bob Dylan at a time when he was completely sure of his artistic choices. He firmly believed switching to electric guitar was the right move for his career, even if others disagreed. This is a stark contrast to the artistic uncertainty depicted regarding Bruce Springsteen in Deliver Me From Nowhere.

Dylan struggles to gain acceptance from others, while Springsteen, despite having a strong support system—including his manager Jon Landau (played by Jeremy Strong)—lacks self-assurance. This difference in their journeys, and how it’s portrayed in the films, was a recurring thought throughout the movie.

Both films offer a compelling look at pivotal times in each songwriter’s career, but they approach the subject in very different ways. The albums that came out of these periods – Bruce Springsteen’s stripped-down Nebraska and Bob Dylan’s plugged-in Bringing It All Back Home – were both a departure from the styles that had made the artists famous.

These two films feel like they go together, both showing how famous musicians grow as artists. I’d love to watch them back-to-back, especially if I get a chance to see Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.

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2025-10-26 01:10