Blinded by the Light (2019 film)

Blinded by the Light is a 2019 British comedy-drama film directed by Gurinder Chadha. Inspired by the life of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor and his obsession with Bruce Springsteen, the film is set in Luton in 1987. Manzoor co-wrote the script. It premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and will be released in the United Kingdom on 16 August 2019, by New Line Cinema.

Plot
The official synopsis reads "Blinded by the Light tells the story of Javed (Viveik Kalra) a British teen of Pakistani descent, growing up in the town of Luton, England, in 1987. Amidst the racial and economic turmoil of the times, he writes poetry as a means to escape the intolerance of his hometown and the inflexibility of his traditional father.  But when a classmate introduces him to the music of “the Boss,” Javed sees parallels to his working-class life in Springsteen’s powerful lyrics.  As Javed discovers a cathartic outlet for his own pent-up dreams, he also begins to find the courage to express himself in his own unique voice."

Cast

 * Viveik Kalra as Javed
 * Hayley Atwell as Ms Clay
 * Rob Brydon
 * Kulvinder Ghir as Malik
 * Nell Williams as Eliza
 * Dean-Charles Chapman as Matt
 * Aaron Phagura as Roops
 * Meera Ganatra as Noor
 * Jonno Davies as Michael
 * Sally Phillips as Mrs Anderson

Release
The film is scheduled to be released on 14 August 2019.

Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 90% based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 7.96/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".