Disney+ has just added A Complete Unknown, the terrific music biopic released in cinemas in January that was nominated for eight Oscars, including the Best Picture prize.
The movie stars Timothée Chalamet (Oscar-nominated for his role) as a young Bob Dylan. The film begins in 1961 with the troubadour moving to New York City and seeking to visit the bedside of his recently hospitalised idol Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy in a beautiful wordless performance).
At Guthrie’s bedside, Dylan meets folk icon and social activist Pete Seeger (Edward Norton, also Oscar-nominated) – whom the youngster impresses with his original songs.
Soon enough, Dylan, with the help of Seeger, has a meteoric rise to fame. It isn’t long, however, before the ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ singer starts to find the expectations and limitations of the folk music scene stifling.
Seeking to experiment with electric guitars and rock instruments, he sparks the ire of the folk community who once championed him, with this coming to a head at an infamous 1965 Newport Folk Festival gig.
Co-written and directed by James Mangold (who famously brought Johnny Cash’s life to the screen with Walk the Line), A Complete Unknown received rave reviews upon its release.
A Complete Unknown is available to stream on Disney+ now.
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