Stephen King Has Seen Deliver Me From Nowhere, And He Not Only Thinks The Springsteen Movie Is ‘Terrific,’ He Also Connected To It Personally

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I recently saw the new Springsteen documentary, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, and it really got me thinking about Stephen King. Apparently, about ten years ago, King was at a point where he’d built his whole career on horror, but he felt the urge to try something different – a crime novel called Mr. Mercedes. He wasn’t sure his fans would stick with him if he stepped outside the horror box. Watching the film, he realized it mirrored that moment of uncertainty – that artist’s struggle to evolve without losing your audience. It was fascinating to see that parallel play out on screen.

Stephen King is a devoted fan of Bruce Springsteen, often citing the musician’s impact on characters like Larry Underwood in his novel The Stand. He also enjoys the recent film about Springsteen directed by Scott Cooper. King mentioned watching the movie this week during a virtual book club event hosted by UMass Lowell alumni, and used it as an example when talking about the unique connection between artists and their fans. He stated,

I just saw a fantastic documentary called Deliver Me From Nowhere about Bruce Springsteen, and it really struck a chord with me. It explores a pivotal moment in his career when everyone expected another big rock album, but he was heading in a completely different direction with Nebraska. That album was stripped down, raw, and recorded mostly at home. It’s funny, because I felt a similar pressure during the creation of Mr. Mercedes – the expectation to repeat past successes versus forging a new path. It’s a really insightful look at artistic struggle, and I highly recommend it, though, as with all art, opinions will vary.

While Mr. Mercedes includes scary moments—it starts with a shocking act of violence when a killer drives into a crowd—it was a departure for the author, and he worried readers would like it. He usually focuses on writing stories he thinks his audience will enjoy, and he wasn’t sure this one would be well-received.

I was struck by how clearly he envisioned his story – not just what he wanted to say, but how he wanted to say it. It was fascinating to hear him explain his vision, and he continued to share his thoughts…

This book was a departure from my usual reads. Instead of the supernatural stories I typically enjoy, it was a crime novel. The writing style was also fresh – it was told entirely in the present tense, which was a new and welcome change. Overall, I really liked it.

Fortunately, this story has a positive outcome. Similar to how Bruce Springsteen maintained his fanbase even after releasing the unconventional album Nebraska (and continuing to experiment with his music), Stephen King kept his readers engaged with Mr. Mercedes, which ultimately revitalized his career. While he still writes horror, he’s increasingly focused on detective fiction, and has become especially interested in the character Holly Gibney – an investigator who first appeared in his initial crime novel.

If you trust Stephen King’s taste, check out Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, now showing in theaters. The film, which stars Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, and Odessa Young, was a box office hit, landing in the top 10 this past weekend.

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2025-10-31 05:38