Are critics in tune with the Bob Dylan movie?

A complete unknown— starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan — is new in theaters. How are critics reacting to the biopic about the movie icon?

A complete unknown— a title inspired by the lyrics to Dylan’s classic hit Like a Rolling Stone-opens in cinemas across the country on Christmas Day.

The film’s logline reads: “In 1961, unknown 19-year-old Bob Dylan arrives in New York City with his guitar. He forms relationships with music icons in Greenwich Village on his meteoric rise, culminating in a groundbreaking performance that resonates around the world .”

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Directed by James Mangold, screenplay for A complete unknown is written by Mangold and Jay Cocks, and is based on Elijah Wald’s book Dylan goes electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan and the night that split the sixties.

A complete unknown also stars Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash, Scoot McNairy as Woody Guthrie and Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo – a representation of Dylan’s former real-life girlfriend, Suze Rotolo.

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Rotten tomatoes critics to date have collectively given A complete unknown a 79% “fresh” rating based on 163 reviews.

The RT Critics Consensus for A complete unknown reads: “Charged by Timothée Chalamet’s electric performance, this ballad by Bob Dylan may not get under the enigmatic artist’s skin, but will make you feel like you’ve spent time in his company.”

A complete unknown also scored a 95% “fresh” rating on RTs Popcorn meter based on more than 250 reviews.

How do individual critics respond to ‘a complete unknown’?

Leonard Maltin is among them top critics on Rotten tomatoes who gives A complete unknown a “fresh” assessment. On his official website, Maltin writes: “Will younger people relate to this picture or even care about its central characters? I can’t predict that, but I know when I’ve seen a beautifully crafted period piece. This is my favorite film of the year .”

Richard Roeper from Chicago Sun-Times also gives A complete unknown a “fresh” review on RTwrites, “Timothee Chalamet gives an Oscar-worthy performance in one of the best films of 2024.”

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In his “fresh” review on RT, Los Angeles Times critic Joshua Rothkopf makes some sharp observations about Bob Dylan, writing: “Superfans won’t necessarily love this. It’s a film made with love, but also with the wisdom that visionaries can sometimes be idiots.”

Candice Frederick is among the film’s detractors RTwrites in his “rotten” review for HuffPost“A complete unknown never feels like much of a movie and certainly not a biopic. Rather, it comes across as inferior, reality-adjacent fanfiction.”

Odie Henderson from Boston Globe also gives A complete unknown a “rotten” review, writing: “When it comes to fleshing out these characters, we get bupkis. Baez calls Dylan a word that starts with ‘a’ and ends with ‘hole,’ and that’s the only personality trait, that informs Chalamet’s production.”

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The New Yorker the critic Richard Brody is not a fan of A complete unknown either, he wrote in his “rotten” review on RT: “This kind of performance is essentially stunt work, as is the accompanying non-musical mimicry. But because the film emphasizes the characters’ public faces even in private, it doesn’t require genuine emotional depth and expressive range.”

A complete unknown is already an awards season contender, earning Best Picture nominations from the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, as well as Best Actor nominations from both organizations for Timothée Chalamet.

Rated R, A complete unknown opens in cinemas across the country on Christmas Day.

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