A Complete Unknown (2024)
★★★½ — A Complete Unknown (2024)
James Mangold, best known for Logan (2017) and the similarly music-focused Walk the Line (2005), returns to the biographical drama with this portrait of Bob Dylan's early years in New York City. The film is adapted from Elijah Wald's 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric, which focuses on Dylan's rise through the Greenwich Village folk scene and his controversial pivot to electric rock at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Chalamet, already an Oscar-nominated name by this point, took on the considerable task of performing Dylan's songs live rather than miming to recordings. At a $65 million budget, the film represents a serious studio-level bet on a prestige awards contender, and its theatrical run in late 2024 positioned it squarely in the awards conversation heading into 2025.
In terms of biopics, it just isn't as good as others. Walk the line, Bohemian Rhapsody, the list goes on. Timothy Chalomet and the actress who played Joan Baez were absolutely FANTASTIC in their roles and the soundtrack was understandably incredible, but there's where the movie ends. It lacks substance. There's very little depth to the movie. It didn't delve really into Bob Dylan... just a play by play of his music.
Rating: ★★★½ | Year: 2024 | Watched: 2025-05-16
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from James Mangold: Ford v Ferrari (2019) · Logan (2017) · Cop Land (1997) · The Wolverine (2013)
More with Timothée Chalamet: Beautiful Boy (2018)
More from the 2020s: Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025) · The Long Walk (2025) · Americana (2023)
More drama: Viy (1967) · Wonder (2017) · A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Beautiful Boy (2018)
More music: Style Wars (1983) · 8 Mile (2002) · Chicken for Linda! (2023) · Tender Mercies (1983)
