TIFF Review: ‘Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band’ Looks at The Boss Grappling with Mortality on His Latest Concert Tour

When you watch a music documentary, or at least one about a musician, you’re looking for two things. One is to learn something new about the artist. The other is to hear some great tunes. Luckily, Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band has both. You’re going to get some actual breaking news about one member of the band, as well as details about why this latest concert tour was done in a particular way. Plus, you’re going to get some great highlights from the shows. Having been to three of them myself, nothing can compare to this experience, but director Thom Zimny gets as close as you can. Playing at the Toronto International Film Festival, this a blast and one of my favorite documentaries of the year so far.

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band thrilled me, but it won’t just work for fans of The Boss. This late stage of Bruce Springsteen‘s career has seen the man start to examine his life in a way that invites us all in to understand him as well. The memoir, the Broadway show, and now this tour, as well as these films that he’s made with Zimny, they all tell a piece of the story. I’m having a wonderful time putting the pieces together with him.

The doc looks at the world tour that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have gone on, post COVID. We see them literally getting back together, rehearsing, choosing the set-list, and then shaking off the rust. Some of the shows are highlighted, as are specific songs. Of course, this being a documentary and not just a concert film, it’s also about the why, as opposed to just the how. The through line for almost everything here is mortality and looking back, as we see in how the shows highlight departed E Street Band members Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici.

The movie answers the question of why Springsteen’s wife and band member Patti Scialfa hasn’t been present for many shows, as well as why he’s opted to largely play the same set-list night after night. The answers are newsworthy but also fairly clear cut, so it’s more about confirming than breaking news. Still, understanding the man is at the core of it all, as he grapples with mortality.

Thom Zimny and Bruce Springsteen are true collaborators here, with Zimny directing and Springsteen credited as the screenwriter. They’ve worked together on Western Stars and Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You (my previous rave is here), so they have a shorthand. It allows Zimny access, not just to the band and the man himself, but also to music producer Jon Landau as well. Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band is more evidence that Zimny knows exactly how to capture The Boss. I sincerely hope there’s more to come between them. The music is brilliantly shown, as is the relationship that he’s build with fans.

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band is exactly up my alley, but the strong TIFF reception suggests that it has a broader appeal. On October 25th, everyone can see it streaming on Hulu and I think it’s a must watch. The more you love Springsteen the more essential it is, but for anyone interested in the creative process, there’s so much here. I adored this flick.

SCORE: ★★★1/2