The musical biopic A Complete Unknown was released on December 25, 2024. It received an 81% score on Rotten Tomatoes and earned $11.6 million during its opening weekend. A Complete Unknown was an eagerly anticipated film, as fans of Bob Dylan were curious to see if it would meet their expectations. The movie follows a young Bob Dylan, portrayed by Timothée Chalamet, on his journey to fame and the turns his career takes throughout his life.
I watched this movie with my entire family, whose ages range from 9 to 44 years old, and every single one of us left the theater raving about how good it was. My Dad, one of Bob Dylan’s biggest fans who has attended 44 of his concerts, was initially skeptical about whether the movie would capture Bob Dylan’s essence and was pleasantly surprised by Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal of Bob Dylan. I believe Timothée Chalamet did an excellent job in this role. Bob Dylan is a highly respected artist, and Chalamet did an amazing job preparing for and handling this role, he knew how important this portrayal of the significance of portraying such an admired singer.
A Complete Unknown is set in the early 1960s and takes place in New York. Dylan forges a friendship with the well-known singer Pete Seeger, who recognizes Dylan’s potential and Seeger opens doors for him within the music community. Throughout the film, Bob Dylan is very outspoken on political and social issues and connects to his audience with songs that convey messages about peace.
Bob Dylan is one of the revolutionary artists that defied traditional genres and the expectations surrounding their sound. Dylan started to incorporate electric instruments into his work, which sparked outrage among fans who viewed him as a folk artist. The film illustrates how he paved the way for future musicians and is one of the revolutionary artists who is not held back by the standards of music.
Overall, I highly recommend this movie, even if you are not a Bob Dylan fan. The film features stunning scenery and is a great film. The song choices in the movie were really good and did an excellent job of incorporating popular songs that resonate with the audience.
