Timothée Chalamet has achieved a new personal milestone on Rotten Tomatoes with his Bob Dylan-inspired movie “A Complete Unknown”. In this James Mangold-directed film, which delves into Dylan’s early days on the East Village folk scene and the momentous occasion when he went electric at the Newport Folk Festival, Chalamet takes on the role of the legendary singer-songwriter and even does his own singing. The movie, released theaters on December 25, has already sparked Oscar buzz for Chalamet.
Viewers who’ve witnessed Chalamet’s performance in “A Complete Unknown” have been vocal on Rotten Tomatoes, propelling the biopic to a 95% Popcornmeter rating (the audience score), which ties it with his previous highest-scoring film in this regard, “Dune: Part Two”. The film has surpassed the 250+ verified reviews requirement set by the site for a rating to be shown.
What this means for “A Complete Unknown” is that audiences seem to hold the movie in higher regard than critics. Dylan’s electric performance in 1965 was a game-changer in music history, and now Chalamet’s Rotten Tomatoes history is being rewritten by this film, which has become a new co-leader in his personal Popcornmeter rankings.
However, Rotten Tomatoes ratings should be taken with caution, especially the Popcornmeter scores, as there has been a history of number manipulation by non-professional reviewers. The fact that critics gave the Dylan movie a relatively lower score compared to regular moviegoers could potentially impact its awards season prospects. Chalamet is currently considered a frontrunner for the Best Actor award, yet it remains to be seen how much overall awards recognition “A Complete Unknown” will receive. If the 79% critics’ score is any indication, the film’s award haul might be somewhat limited.
“A Complete Unknown’s” Popcornmeter score is to wonder if the positive buzz will translate into a strong box office performance. Assuming the 95% audience score is a fairly accurate reflection of how audiences feel, then the Christmas release could have a good showing at the box office, thanks to positive word-of-mouth. The hope is that the movie will appeal to Dylan fans and also draw in younger audiences who are keen to see Chalamet. It appears to have started off well with viewers, suggesting that its formula is working.
The movie does face tough holiday competition from the hugely popular “Wicked” and the new horror release “Nosferatu”, both targeting a similar adult audience. While the high Popcornmeter number might change as more reviews come in, for now, it seems that moviegoers are embracing Chalamet like never before in his career, potentially adding to his Oscar buzz.
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