Innovations stemming from folk musicians throughout the ages have shaped countless genres in the modern era. The 1960s were groundbreaking for musicians defying the status quo and creating both political and stylistic change. 

A Complete Unknown follows folk country star Bob Dylan’s (Timothée Chalamet) tumultuous musical career from his start covering folk classics to his breakout album Highway 61 Revisited. The movie explores Dylan’s relationships with songwriting and fellow musicians as he works to find his voice as a musician while evolving and expanding the folk genre. 

A highlight of the film is the expert musical performances from the cast. Every musical performance in the film was performed by the lead actors without any doubles or other editing tricks. Timothée Chalamet spent years learning guitar for this role, even practicing while on the set of his other movies like Dune. 

The soundtrack is filled to the brim with classic folk songs, handpicked to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia, while also encompassing the air of change throughout the 1960s folk scene. Many other folk singers make appearances throughout the movie, such as Joni Baez, Woody Guthrie, and even Johnny Cash. Anyone who loves music will appreciate the meticulous care put into each note of the film. 

Compared to other musician biopics, A Complete Unknown gives a refreshingly honest perspective on Dylan’s life. It shows him as the selfish and standoffish man that he was, not sugarcoating his personality for the sake of a Hollywood hit. It is clear that so much care went into every aspect of this movie, paying respect to all of the great musicians who paved the way for Bob Dylan and helped him along to his stardom. Overall it is an extremely fun watch that any music lover will have a blast going out to see. •