Javed ( Viveik Kalra), the only son of a British Pakistani family, is finding it hard to fit in at his new school, clinging to the New Wave band he shares with a childhood friend ( Game of Thrones actor Dean-Charles Chapman) as his only substantial social engagement. I have no doubt that by the time 2019 is done, Blinded by the Light will stand as one of the year’s best films.īased on the life of journalist and the movie’s co-writer Sarfraz Manzoor, Blinded by the Light opens in 1987 in the small town of Luton, which sits about 200 miles outside London. About how art in general can shape and affect one’s life in substantial ways-especially during the advent of adolescence.
It’s a rapturously joyous, heartfelt, and genuinely insightful film not just about The Boss, but about the personal nature and power of music. You may think the film’s sentimentality is too much, but you’ll be in tears by the end. You may be initially dubious about its premise-a coming-of-age 80s-set story about a young British Pakistani boy who discovers his identity by listening to Bruce Springsteen-but you will inevitably succumb to its charms. It's now playing in theaters.īlinded by the Light is an irresistible movie. This is a re-post of our Blinded by the Light review from the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.