A Complete Unknown

Play trailer

1:15

A Complete Unknown

R

Released Dec 25, 2024

2h 21m

Biography

Drama

Music

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

332 Reviews

95%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Verified Ratings

New York, 1961. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. He forges intimate relationships with music icons of Greenwich Village on his meteoric rise, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide. Timothée Chalamet stars and sings as Bob Dylan in James Mangold's A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, the electric true story behind the rise of one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in history.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Charged by Timothée Chalamet's electric performance, this ballad of Bob Dylan might not get under the enigmatic artist's skin but will make you feel like you've spent time in his company.

Read Critics Reviews

Audience Says

Without ever falling out of tune, A Complete Unknown composes a gritty verse in the ballad of Bob Dylan’s life that’s uncannily interpreted by Timothée Chalamet.

Read Audience Reviews

Wenlei Ma

The Nightly (AU)

Timothee Chalamet gives a fully committed performance that manages to capture the interiority of Bob Dylan – his talent, his prickliness, his distance from people, and his quiet ambition.

Rated: 3.5/5

Feb 19, 2025

Full Review

Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

The people who made this movie plainly love Bob Dylan, but they allow the Bob Dylan who comes through to be who Bob Dylan is: insecure, overly confident -- all kinds of things.

Feb 11, 2025

Full Review

Danny Leigh

Financial Times

Dylan’s greatest hits have always been heirlooms: somehow just there. Amid the recreated past, the movie restores a sense of how seismic they would originally have been... New ears and life-long fans may both relish the raw novelty.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 4, 2025

Full Review

Marcelo Paredes

Cinencuentro

Unfortunately, while the film has elements to explore far beyond the obvious,...it only accomplishes what is necessary. [Full review in Spanish]

Mar 24, 2025

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

Fish Jelly Films (YouTube)

Mangold develops a very straight laced portrait of the artist as a young man in this biopic on Bob Dylan's early days, but Chalamet, who is flanked by charming co-stars Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro, channels the restless, contrarian energies of...

Rated: 3/5

Mar 21, 2025

Full Review

Filipe Freitas

Always Good Movies

French actor Thimothee Chalamet skillfully slips into the shoes of the genius, transmitting Dylan’s spirit in his twenties and conveying not only his elusive personality but also his enigmatic charm.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 18, 2025

Full Review

Read all reviews

michael B

Outstanding performances and it brought me back to a very special time in my life.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/24/25

Full Review

Matthew

Absolutely phenomenal performances. Loved every second of the film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/23/25

Full Review

Thomas T

Sensitive, timely, fine acting

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/23/25

Full Review

Jean

I think the acting and singing was great!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/22/25

Full Review

Chris D

Loved the history,, the music and the cast and acting was really good. Good flick for my demographic

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/20/25

Full Review

andrea

stunning performance from timothee and his crew

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/18/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

James Mangold

Director

Timothée Chalamet

Bob Dylan

Edward Norton

Pete Seeger

Elle Fanning

Sylvie Russo

Monica Barbaro

Joan Baez

Boyd Holbrook

Johnny Cash

A Complete Unknown: Extended Preview

9:59

A Complete Unknown: Movie Clip - Left Town Already

0:57

A Complete Unknown: Movie Clip - One of a Kind

1:14

View more videos

Spinning Gold

31%

82%

Spinning Gold

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Spinning Gold

Back to Black

35%

85%

Back to Black

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Back to Black

All Eyez on Me

17%

54%

All Eyez on Me

Watchlist

TRAILER

for All Eyez on Me

Blaze

95%

67%

Blaze

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Blaze

Better Man

88%

90%

Better Man

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Better Man

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Awards Leaderboard: Best Movies of 2024

Dune: Part Two and The Substance Nominated at 2025 Producers Guild Awards (PGA)

Weekend Box Office: Mufasa Reigns over Holiday Weekend

Timothée Chalamet on Bob Dylan's Influence

0:41

Cast Reactions to Timothée as Bob

1:16

Monica Barbaro Discusses What It's Like Singing With Timothée Chalamet

0:49

A Complete Unknown: Final Trailer

1:15

The ‘A Complete Unknown’ Cast on Transforming Into Iconic Musicians

31:25

A Complete Unknown: Exclusive Extended Sneak Peek

7:53

A Complete Unknown: Featurette - Live on Set

2:47

A Complete Unknown: Featurette - The Ballad of a True Original

2:05

A Complete Unknown: Trailer 1

2:24

A Complete Unknown: Teaser Trailer

1:52

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

New York, 1961. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. He forges intimate relationships with music icons of Greenwich Village on his meteoric rise, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide. Timothée Chalamet stars and sings as Bob Dylan in James Mangold's A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, the electric true story behind the rise of one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in history.

Director: James Mangold
Producer: Fred Berger, Bob Bookman, Timothée Chalamet, Alan Gasmer, Alex Heineman, Peter Jaysen, James Mangold, Jeff Rosen
Screenwriter: James Mangold, Jay Cocks
Distributor: Searchlight Pictures
Production Co: Searchlight Pictures, The Picture Company, Veritas Entertainment Group, Turnpike Films, Automatik Entertainment
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2024, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 25, 2025
Box Office (Gross USA): $74.8M
Runtime: 2h 21m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

Most Popular at Home Now