A Complete Unknown (2025) | Hollywood Movie

A Complete Unknown (2025), directed by James Mangold, is a bold, electrifying biopic that captures Bob Dylan’s meteoric rise from 1961 Greenwich Village folk darling to the 1965 Newport Folk Festival’s electric renegade. Timothée Chalamet delivers a transformative performance, embodying Dylan’s wiry charisma, elusive mystique, and vocal grit—mastering guitar and harmonica with a raw edge that sidesteps mere imitation.

Mangold’s direction weaves a tight 141-minute tapestry of music and rebellion, favoring full song performances over snippets, with standout scenes like Dylan’s first “Times They Are A-Changin’” rendition crackling with urgency. The ensemble—Edward Norton’s earnest Pete Seeger, Monica Barbaro’s fiery Joan Baez, and Elle Fanning’s tender Sylvie Russo—grounds the chaos, though the script (co-written with Jay Cocks) skirts Dylan’s inner life, leaving him an enigma even to viewers.

Based on Elijah Wald’s Dylan Goes Electric!, it’s less about demystifying the man than reveling in his cultural detonation, peaking with the Newport betrayal that birthed rock’s voice. It’s not flawless—some dialogue clunks, and the historical tweaks (like Suze Rotolo’s name change) jar—but Chalamet’s Oscar-worthy turn and the film’s visceral energy make it a standout, earning its eight 2025 Academy Award nods, including Best Picture.