Will Mavity

The Bend in the River is admirable for its dedication to truth but nearly unbearable as an experience. It is a film that lingers, but one most viewers will never want to revisit.

While it falls short of the brilliance of the “Nebraska” album itself, Cooper’s against-the-grain approach offers a refreshing antidote to the formulaic music biopic, delivering a bleak yet moving exploration of an artist in crisis.