I’m a huge Bob Dylan fan, but I’ll admit, when I first heard about “A Complete Unknown,” a Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet, I wasn’t sure why we needed another movie about Dylan. 

His story is practically a myth at this point, so what could a film about his early years add to the conversation? But as the end credits rolled, I found myself thinking, “gosh, we did need this movie.”

Though I rolled my eyes when I heard that teen heart throb, Timothée Chalamet, would be portraying Dylan, I was impressed by how much the actor brought to the role. Chalamet nails young, scrappy Bob Dylan. His frizzy hair, signature slouch, and the gravelly rasp in his voice, are almost identical. 

Chalamet channels the restlessness, poetic swagger and ambition Dylan possessed when he was a young artist. 

The movie begins showing the New York City folk scene of the early ‘60s, capturing a world of smoke-filled clubs, passionate musicians and young angst. Dylan, a nobody at the time, meets Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), and through his connections to Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) begins his rise to stardom. 

The film is heavily focused around Dylan’s romantic and personal relationships, especially tension from the love triangle between Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) and Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro). 

The way Dylan’s personal life seems to constantly clash with his public persona is deafening. He’s shown as one who can touch millions with his words but struggles to connect and commit to the people closest to him.

“A Complete Unknown” dives into Dylan’s internal conflicts, especially around the moment he made the monumental decision to leave folk behind and go electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. You can feel the weight of his decision, both artistically and personally. 

He wasn’t just challenging folk traditions; he was challenging the expectations of those who had helped him get there. It’s this tension between wanting to be true to his art and dealing with the fallout from those closest to him that makes the film grounded. 

But let’s talk about the music, because “A Complete Unknown” is practically a concert film in its own right. 

Though Chalamet may not sound exactly like Dylan (let’s be honest, no one could), his voice had the right mix of raw edge and smoothness. You’ll be a fan of the music in this film even if you’re not that familiar with Dylan’s work.

The performances are front and center, with over 40 songs scattered throughout the two-hour runtime. 

If you’re a Dylan fan, you’re in for a treat. 

The sequences where Chalamet and other musicians like Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook) and Joan Baez perform are electric. But, at times, the sheer volume of music can weigh down the narrative. It starts to feel a bit like a double album of Dylan’s greatest hits stitched together with some plot. I believe it would’ve been better to trim some of those musical moments out to let Dylan’s story breathe. 

“A Complete Unknown” is more than a love letter to Dylan’s music. It’s about understanding the artist behind the music, his struggles, his contradictions and his inspiring pursuit of creative freedom. Though the film might drag on in certain places, it’s well worth the watch, especially if you’re a fan of Chalamet, Dylan, or both.