Western Stars
Warner Bros. | Release Date: October 25, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
80
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
The PlaylistJordan RuimySep 24, 2019
What Western Stars best achieves, a universal notion that will hook fans and non-fans alike, is the shared sense of community displayed in the infectious love shown for playing vital and moving music. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleOct 24, 2019
By the end, you almost want every recording artist with Springsteen’s compassion and lyricism to introduce their newest material the way he does in “Western Stars,” like a docent of everyone’s damaged soul, pointing to the parts that make not just the music, but the musician, too. Read full review
90
VarietyOwen GleibermanSep 14, 2019
Western Stars isn’t a rockin’-out extravaganza; it’s intimate in its embrace. Yet it’s a moving testament to how much Bruce Springsteen has still got it. It’s a concert film you’ll want to experience with others, as a ray of light in the dark. Read full review
90
TheWrapSteve PondSep 14, 2019
Western Stars goes far deeper than the usual performance document, to sensitively explore what he sees as the state of his, and our, lives. It’s a ruminative, almost elegiac look at Springsteen’s life and career, filled with moments of uncommon beauty that makes it of a piece with this latest, most introspective phase of his career. Read full review
90
UproxxMike RyanSep 14, 2019
Don’t go into Western Stars expecting to see The Boss. That guy is on a break. What we get instead is Bruce Springsteen, a human being who seems a lot less sure of himself than The Boss ever did. Springsteen’s book gave us some details, but Western Stars looks straight into his soul. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenSep 14, 2019
A gorgeous tone poem that both deepens and personalizes the audio recording, creating a satisfying emotional arc that isn’t as apparent in the collection of 13 fully-orchestrated country-tinged songs. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoOct 25, 2019
A lovely companion piece to the latest album from the legendary musician, a gorgeous, introspective journey into the very concept of the American conscience. Read full review
83
IndieWireKate ErblandSep 14, 2019
Springsteen’s natural charisma shines through at every turn, and while Bruce neophytes might not totally buy his particular brand of profundity, old admirers will appreciate his usual tricks. As ever, Bruce means what he says. Read full review
80
The New York TimesKen JaworowskiOct 24, 2019
The energy here is controlled, the mood reflective. These character-driven songs are populated by the washed-up and the run-down — an aging actor, a hitchhiker — and the shared themes are remembrance and regret. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicEd MasleyOct 24, 2019
As a substitution for the tour that never was, this concert film within a documentary does a brilliant job of bringing "Western Stars" to life. Read full review
80
Rolling StonePeter TraversOct 23, 2019
The film, bathed in gorgeous shadow and light by cinematographer Joe DeSalvo, gets more personal as it moves along. You can feel the romantic ache when Bruce and the missus duet on “Stones.” Read full review
80
EmpireIan FreerOct 21, 2019
Western Stars is not only a concert film presenting 13 Springsteen bangers, plus one great cover. Showcasing his charisma, wit, thoughtfulness and vulnerability, it emerges as a telling portrait of one of music’s modern greats. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerOct 23, 2019
It’s lovely film to look at, Springsteen confronting his past and demons in the prettiest, gently tuneful barn-and-big-sky way imaginable. Read full review
63
Washington PostMark JenkinsOct 21, 2019
Swaggers across the landscape like a cinematic epic, but it’s basically a concert flick, with some extras. And those extras are not the best things in it. Read full review
60
The GuardianCath ClarkeOct 24, 2019
A little of the intimacy is gone, and I have to admit to not being 100% sold on the cowboy-inflected songs, which feature quite a bit of dime-store sentimentality. But Springsteen is undoubtedly magnetic, his voice a honeyed growl. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreOct 20, 2019
Western Stars isn’t misguided. It’s just dull and self-serious. But if you’re Bruce Springsteen, nobody around you’s going to point that out. Read full review
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