In the early eighties, the musician Bruce Springsteen and his career were at a crossroads. He had strong career momentum with the success of his Born To Run album in 1975 and The River in 1980, but he was far from a happy man. He was struggling, and those were the days when people’s mental health was not a comfortable topic of conversation. 

He felt he had something dark and deeply personal to share with his audience, and this set of songs eventually became the album Nebraska. It was unconventionally recorded (at home in his bedroom and onto a cassette recorder) and presented to his record label with instructions to release no singles and with no touring to support it. In a nod to his and manager Jon Landau’s power, the label went against their strong sense of self-interest and complied.

This story is presented in a bleak manner that strays far from overstatement and relies heavily on its excellent cast. Of particular note is Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) as Bruce; he gets the nuances just right, and his emotive expressions say so much while presenting so little. The support cast of Jeremy Strong as Landau, Odessa Young as on and off girlfriend Faye Romano and Stephen Graham as Springsteen’s abusive and troubled father, who also suffered from mental health issues, are superlative.

While not being particularly fun to watch, the emotions on display are raw and feel real, and its underlying message of acknowledging and looking after one’s mental health is an important one. We are slowly making progress in that struggle, and works like this will help to keep that dialogue alive, but keep in mind that this is also a very effective piece of storytelling. One that features amazing performances and exceptional technical execution.
Rob Hudson
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“Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” chronicles the making of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 “Nebraska” album. Recorded on a 4-track recorder in Springsteen’s New Jersey bedroom, the album marked a pivotal time in his life and is considered one of his most enduring works—a raw, haunted acoustic record populated by lost souls searching for a reason to believe.

“‘Nebraska’ is where Bruce chose truth over expectation—a choice that still reverberates through everything he’s written since. At that crossroads, he could have chased the bright lights and the roar of arenas, but instead he turned inward, armed only with silence, a four-track recorder, and the courage to confront himself. For him to trust me with telling that story—the most vulnerable chapter of his life—is the greatest honour I’ve ever had as a filmmaker,” says Cooper.

“This film takes a couple years out of my life and looks at them very closely, a time when I made ‘Nebraska’ and went through some personal difficulties,” says Springsteen. “I’m so appreciative of Jeremy Allen White and the entire cast for their wonderful and moving performances—and Scott Cooper, one of the most generous collaborators I’ve ever worked with.”

Starring Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen, the film is directed by Scott Cooper from his adaptation of Warren Zanes’ book of the same name. “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” also features Jeremy Strong as Springsteen’s long-time confidant and manager, Jon Landau; Paul Walter Hauser as guitar tech Mike Batlan; Odessa Young as Faye; Stephen Graham as Springsteen’s father, Doug; Gaby Hoffman as Springsteen’s mother, Adele; and David Krumholtz as Columbia executive, Al Teller.

The film is produced by Cooper, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Eric Robinson and Scott Stuber. Tracey Landon, Jon F. Vein and Zanes executive produce. The film includes an original score by composer Jeremiah Fraites, cinematography by Masanobu Takayanagi, production design by Stefania Cella, costume design by Kasia Walicka-Maimone, and is edited by Pamela Martin. “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” will be in cinemas October 23.
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Director Scott Cooper, who wrote the script for the screen based on the book “Deliver Me from Nowhere” by Warren Zanes, said, “Making ‘Springsteen’ was deeply moving as it allowed me to step inside the soul of an artist I’ve long admired – and to witness, up close, the vulnerability and strength behind his music. The experience felt like a journey through memory, myth, and truth. And more than anything, it was a privilege to translate that raw emotional honesty to the screen, and in doing so, it changed me. I cannot thank Bruce and Jon Landau enough for allowing me to tell their story.”

From 20th Century Studios, “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” chronicles the making of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 “Nebraska” album when he was a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggling to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past. Recorded on a 4-track recorder in Springsteen’s New Jersey bedroom, the album marked a pivotal time in his life and is considered one of his most enduring works—a raw, haunted acoustic record populated by lost souls searching for a reason to believe.

Starring Jeremy Allen White as the Boss, the film is written for the screen and directed by Scott Cooper based on the book “Deliver Me from Nowhere” by Warren Zanes. “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” also features Jeremy Strong as Springsteen’s long-time confidant and manager, Jon Landau; Paul Walter Hauser as guitar tech Mike Batlan; Stephen Graham as Springsteen’s father, Doug; Odessa Young as love interest, Faye; Gaby Hoffman as Springsteen’s mom, Adele; Marc Maron as Chuck Plotkin; and David Krumholtz as Columbia executive, Al Teller. Arriving only in cinemas October 23, 2025, the film is produced by Cooper, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Eric Robinson and Scott Stuber. Tracey Landon, Jon Vein, and Zanes executive produce.
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The Patriarch of the family, Fritz Von Erich was a wrestler with a successful career, but it never reached the heights he thought due. This caused him to over-invest in his children’s lives and forced them to be myopic in seeing their future. This led to self-induced tragedy as well as accidental.

As horrific as the happenings in the film are, they are downplayed and the actual truth is even more sad. This kind of work places large demands on its actors and Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson and Zac Efron are fully invested. Efron is startling in his transformation and the rest of the cast put in exemplary work.

Equal parts powerful and devastating, The Iron Claw shines a light on the dynamics of parental overreach. In this case, the boys didn’t have a chance. The Von Erich family have been described as professional wrestling royalty but their lives still spun out of control and those events form a cautionary tale of incredible tragedy and sadness.
Rob Hudson
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The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.

Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.

Starring Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons, with Holt McCallany and Lily James. Only in cinemas from January 18.
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