Forget what you know about Bruce Springsteen, the guy that fills stadiums with that big grin on his face. The new movie, Deliver Me From Nowhere, introduces us to a young, hungry, and deeply complicated Bruce, played with so much intensity by Jeremy Allen White, best known for The Bear.

This film focuses on the nerve-wracking time in the early 1970s when Springsteen and the newly started E Street Band were really struggling to record the album that would either make them stars or send them back to the New Jersey bars forever: Born to Run. The movie captures the grit, the noise, and the passion behind their entire process of drafting. White’s performance puts you in awe. You feel his desperate need to get the perfect recording, the perfect drum, and the perfect sound, even if it drives his band and producers to the point of insanity.

The general theme of the movie is the pressure that comes with having high expectations and the challenge of balancing personal preferences with reality. We see Bruce struggling with his complicated relationships, like his tough, working class background, and trying to write songs that somehow feel both iconic, yet relatable. Jeremy Allen White’s portrayal of Springsteen is far more demanding than most people would assume. He shows the audience the restless mind of an artist who uses music as a form of coping with his trauma. His connection with actor Judah Sealy, who plays saxophonist Clarence Clemons, is truly the core of the film. Their friendship gives Bruce a sense of comfort that protects him from letting his perfectionist mindset take over.

Director Scott Cooper sets the film in the colors of a 1970s summer night, making the New Jersey setting feel like its own individual character. It’s a place of dead-end jobs and dreamers that feel desperate to escape. The script does an amazing job of combining the lyrics into the dialogue, not in a forced way, but as a true representation of Bruce’s thoughts and fears. When he finally lays down the definitive track for “Thunder Road,” the moment feels earned.

While the film is focused and intense, it occasionally feels rushed, especially going over the history of every band member. Deliver Me From Nowhere succeeds by not trying to tell the entire story of Springsteen. It focuses on the key moment when he became “The Boss,” a name he earned through pure willpower and a refusal to change his vision.