Dir: James Mangold
Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Norbert Leo Butz, Scoot McNairy
James Mangold’s unexpectedly enjoyable Bob Dylan biopic is brimming with captivating musical sequences, with a freewheelin’ Timothee Chalamet inhabiting the legendary folk singer
Since I started writing my reviews back in the summer of 2023, it has become increasingly apparent to me that one of the most oversaturated sub-genres of cinema is that of music biopics. In the past few years we have seen music icons such as Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse and Bob Marley, to name a few, brought back to life through rather tiresome and forgettable biopics that due their respective legacies no justice. As a result of this recent track record, I was more than sceptical when it was announced that star-of-the-moment Timothee Chalamet would be starring as legendary folk star Bob Dylan in an upcoming biopic exploring singer’s early career. While Chalamet’s natural charm and distinct black, curly locks make him an obvious choice to portray a younger Dylan, I was left unsure as to how a narrative would play out without falling victim to the typically drab tropes the subgenre has almost become synonymous with.
The one thing that slightly reassured me about the upcoming project was that it was to be helmed by American filmmaker James Mangold, who is probably best known for directing films such as “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”, “Logan” and “Le Mans ’66” (Ford v Ferrari to my American readers). However, Mangold first made his name in the industry through several well-conceived character dramas, the most relevant being the Oscar-winning “Walk the Line” in 2005. While it may have not reinvented the sub-genre, the Johnny Cash biopic was a well acted and well crafted exploration of Cash’s early career and subsequent substance addiction. Funnily enough Cash plays a supporting part in Mangold’s latest film, having been a regular festival performer, and pen pal of a younger Dylan, though he has been recast from Joaquin Phoenix to Boyd Holbrook.
I found myself to be steadily reassured of the quality of “A Complete Unknown” following its premiere and Stateside release last month, where it garnered acclaim and subsequently entered the 2025 Oscar race as a serious contender. The buzz around the film has continued to grow in the weeks leading up to its belated UK release, with it receiving multiple nominations at SAG, BAFTA, DGA among other industries and guilds.
My initial scepticism seemed to have waned by the time I attended a viewing of “A Complete Unknown” on the day of its UK release, largely due to the strong word of mouth, but also my own lack of knowledge of the world-renown singer-songwriter. Outside of a handful of songs, and his unprecedented Nobel Prize win for literature in 2016, I have been rather ignorant of Dylan’s legacy and the impact he has had on the music industry for over sixty years.
Rather poetically, the movie is opened and closed by music not attributed to Dylan, but to his idol Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy), who is revealed to be in hospital following his diagnosis of Huntington’s Disease. This creative decision to have the narrative occasionally cycle back to the Guthrie in his New Jersey Hospital allows us to understand Dylan’s connection with folk music and its long-standing traditions. In 1961, while paying him a visit having recently moved to New York City, an unknown and fresh-faced Dylan performs a song he wrote for the deteriorating Guthrie, impressing both him and his close friend, fellow folk singer Pete Seeger (Edward Norton). Seeger takes Dylan under his wing, and slowly integrates him into New York’s famous folk scene, where he meets his girlfriend, artist and political campaigner Sylvie (Elle Fanning), as well as upcoming folk star Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro).
Having established himself among Greenwich Village’s folk elite, Dylan begins to produce cover albums and tour the festival circuit, frequently collaborating with Baez much to Sylvie’s chagrin. Despite having achieved stardom at such a young age, an emotionally distant Dylan becomes increasingly frustrated by his lack of creative freedom, resulting in him breaking free of folk traditions by experimenting with an electric guitar. As Dylan pieces together a new band, his new direction becomes worrisome to the growing folk community, particularly Seeger and his fellow committee members at the upcoming 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
I think I can say with confidence, that I am not in the minority by expressing my detestation of the paint-by-numbers approach to music biopics, with often surface level depictions of usually complex personalities depriving most entries in the musical sub-genre of any real depth or emotional attachment – luckily that is not the case here. While I still found the conventional narrative to be relatively safe, it greatly benefits from the development of Dylan as a “character”. From a mysterious young loner to a well versed individualist admired by many, it truly is a remarkable performance by Chalamet, who, despite being one of the most recognisable young talents of the past decade, continues to inhabit each and every role that comes his way. As previously stated, from a resemblance standpoint the casting choice is a no brainer, but the range of personality (or lack there of at times) that the young Canadian manages to convey is sensational. Not only does Chalamet bring the much needed complexity in order to make the performance work, but he absolutely nails Dylan’s physicality. From the way he effortlessly performs countless acoustic numbers, to the nonchalant acceptance of his own genius through his loose-limbed disposition, Chalamet completely embodies the folk icon.
Chalamet is supported by an equally talented ensemble, which has seen the film recently land multiple SAG nominations. Fanning and Barbaro are great as two of the many young women who became infatuated by Dylan’s general aura and poetic song writing abilities. Boyd Holbrook is clearly having a great time as the frequently intoxicated Johnny Cash, whose rebellious and care free lifestyle may have shaped Dylan’s journey going forward. The obvious stand out from the supporting players though is Edward Norton as Seeger. As one of folk’s most prominent advocates, Seeger was less willing than anyone for Dylan to change his sound. It was surprisingly emotional to see a traditionalist like Seeger reluctantly accept the reshaping of folk as a result of Dylan’s success.
While I knew very little about Dylan going in, I feel Mangold and co-writer Jay Cocks have made the right decision by purely focusing on Dylan’s stratospheric rise in the 1960’s, as opposed to a traditional cradle-to-grave narrative often associated with biopics. This allows those less in the know to formulate their own opinion of Dylan, and to encourage them explore his music and cultural impact in his later years for themselves, without having his talent or influence spoon-fed to them in one feature-length portrayal. While the filmmaking and technical crafts on show are solid, I was never wowed by “A Complete Unknown” visually, which could be seen as a good or a bad thing. Dylan is an artist, who to this day, continues to shield himself from his own celebrity, so this more subtle directorial style seems more suitable than a flashy, all energy biopic like “Rocket Man” or “Elvis”.
On the whole, I found myself pleasantly by “A Complete Unknown”, which is more than I can say for previous music biopics. While I would still consider Todd Haynes‘ more experimental “I’m Not There” (2007) to be the superior Dylan biopic, there is plenty to enjoy here. Chalamet’s performance is worth the price of admission alone.
A Complete Unknown is now showing in UK Cinemas
Dan Loves Film 
Terrific, insightful review as always! My wife and I have seen it twice now and enjoyed it even more on the second viewing. I totally agree that by focusing on a slice of his life, we see the transformational aspect of his music – and his personality…I know someone who writes about music for a very reputable outlet and has interacted with Dylan many many times…he said the film captured his personality perfectly: he is a very mysterious figure who can also be extremely cold and callous to those who care for him – the film captures that as well…an gifted enigma indeed.
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That is all I had known about Dylan going in was that nature of his personality, and his Nobel prize win
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Great review. The film certainly made Dylan’s move away from social justice oriented folk seem very dramatic. It’s hard to imagine the acoustic folk community throwing things at the stage, but maybe they did.
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I am not too familiar with the folk scene or its history, but I am aware of the backlash following his switch to electrical guitar, to what extent this was though I have no idea
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