Timothée Chalamet has been gaining widespread acclaim for his performance as Bob Dylan inA Complete Unknown, which will surely lead to many people discovering the enigmatic folk singer for the very first time. While Dylan has always been an inscrutable enigma wrapped up in a mystery, plenty of feature films, documentaries, and unusual releases give insight into his life as an artist and pop culture icon. Some Dylan films lay the groundwork to understand his status as the voice of his generation during the 1960s, while others will provide context for the challenges of his later career.
As a filmmaker in his own right, Dylan has been involved in many films that play with or recontextualize his legacy as an elder statesman of rock ‘n’ roll. Dylan has been the subject ofincredible music biopicsthat experiment with the genre itself as well as mockumentaries where he outright lies about the background of some aspects of his career. With films bymovie legends like Martin Scorseseor Todd Haynes,there’s a fascinating world to explore when it comes to Dylan and cinema.
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan
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No Direction Home: Bob Dylan is a documentary film by Martin Scorsese that chronicles Bob Dylan’s career trajectory from 1961 to 1966. The film explores Dylan’s transformation from a folk singer to a protest singer, a cultural icon, and ultimately a rock star.
For viewers who are excited to see Timothée Chalamet inA Complete Unknownbut don’t feel like they have the cultural context for Bob Dylan during the 1960s, then the best place to start would be with Martin Scorsese’sNo Direction Homedocumentary. As a chronicle of Dylan’s career through the 1960s and up to his reported motorcycle accident in 1966,No Direction Homeputs Dylan’s unmatched place in 20th-century American popular music into perspectivein a way that’s digestible to a newcomer. This documentary covers the same period asA Complete Unknownand addresses all the essential historical details.
Much likeA Complete Unknown, the titleNo Direction Homecomes from the lyrics of Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone,” where he sings: “How does it feel? To be on your own, with no direction home, a complete unknown, like a rolling stone.”
No Direction Homeaired as part of theAmerican Mastersseries on PBS and continues Scorsese’s longstanding association with Dylan, which can be traced to his concert filmThe Last Waltzfeaturing Dylan and his former backup group, The Band. Scorsese clearly has a great love for Dylan’s work and legacy, andNo Direction Homepainted a vivid portrait of the artist while still maintaining his mysterious appeal. If audiences want to know why Dylan was perceived to be the voice of his generation,No Direction Homeanswers this question.
Eat the Document
Eat the Document is a documentary capturing Bob Dylan’s 1966 UK tour with the Hawks, directed by Dylan and filmed by D. A. Pennebaker. Initially intended for ABC’s Stage ‘66, its editing was delayed by Dylan’s motorcycle accident, and later rejected by ABC for being considered unsuitable for mainstream audiences.
Bob Dylan always exerted extreme control over his image and how he’s been presented in the media. This was certainly the case for the unreleased documentaryEat the Document, which was shot under Dylan’s direction by theDon’t Look Backfilmmaker D. A. Pennebaker and which cataloged his 1966 European tour with the Hawks. The release ofEat the Documentwas delayed after Dylan’s motorcycle accident, and although the singer later edited the movie himself, ABC rejected it (viaThe New York Times) and said it was incomprehensible for a mainstream audience.
10 Most Exciting Things About Timothée Chalamet’s Upcoming Bob Dylan Biopic
With Timothée Chalamet as the folk legend, there’s a lot to be excited about regarding the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.
However, unauthorized bootlegged copies ofEat the Documentare in circulation, and it gives a fascinating insight into Dylan’s hectic life in 1966, which was characterized by consistent touring, non-stop songwriting, and heavy drug and alcohol use.Eat the Documentincludes a fascinating encounter between an inebriated Dylan and John Lennon in the back of a limousine where the Beatles singer encourages him to “pull yourself together.” With Dylan clearly on the verge of a major burnout,Eat the Documentshowcases the dark reality of Dylan’s rapid rise to famethat’s depicted inA Complete Unknown.
Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid
Pat Garrett, a sheriff determined to bring order to the West, is pitted against his former friend, the infamous Billy the Kid. As Garrett hunts him, they both grapple with memories of their past camaraderie and the choices that have set them on opposing paths.
Bob Dylan represents something essential about the nature of Americana, so it made sense that he’d make his dramatic acting debut inSam Peckinpah’s WesternPat Garrett and Billy the Kid. With two musical icons in the mix,Kris Kristofferson as Billy the Kid and Dylan as the mysterious Alias, these two performers stole much of the limelight from James Coburn as Pat Garrett.Pat Garrett and Billy the Kidwas a glimpse into the lawlessness of the Wild West, which Dylan had already explored in music, like his fictionalized take on the real-life outlaw John Wesley Hardin.
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kidfeatured one of Dylan’s best acting performances, but it was also notable for his soundtrack album, which included “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” one of his most covered songs. This cult classic Western movie featured an older Dylan than the one Timothée Chalamet portrays inA Complete Unknown. However, as such an enigmatic figure whose life story could carry several feature films, if James Mangold wished to make a sequel, then Dylan’s first attempt at becoming a Hollywood star would be an interesting premise.
Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese
Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese is a blend of documentary and concert film exploring Bob Dylan’s 1975 tour across America. Capturing the era’s cultural and political climate, the film provides insights into Dylan’s performances and the spirit of the times.
Martin Scorsese already made one of the best documentaries about Bob Dylan in the 1960s withNo Direction Home, so fans were excited when he released his take on Dylan’s 1975 tour in 2019. However, much like Dylan himself, nothing about theRolling Thunder Revuewas straightforward, as this documentary blended fact and fiction to tell a story where nothing was certain. With much of the visuals compiled of outtakes from Dylan’s 1978 filmRenaldo and Clara,Rolling Thunder Revuefeatured new interviews with Dylan and others associated with the tour.
While all this sounds straightforward enough, the lines between fact and fiction began to blur asRolling Thunder Revueintroduced characters like the fictional filmmaker Stefan Van Dorp or Sharon Stone, falsely claiming she joined the tour at the age of 19 despite never crossing paths with Dylan during the 1970s.Rolling Thunder Revuewas a truly strange mockumentarythat showcases Dylan has not lost any of his unique sense of humor in the decades since the events ofA Complete Unknowntook place.
Renaldo and Clara
Renaldo and Clara is a film by Bob Dylan released in 1978, documenting the 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue tour. It features concert footage, documentary interviews, and fictional vignettes with appearances by artists like Ronee Blakley, Joni Mitchell, and Sam Shepard, exploring themes from Dylan’s songs and life.
Bob Dylan spent the fall of 1975 on his outrageous stage tour, the Rolling Thunder Revue, which featured a traveling assortment of musicians, including Joan Baez, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell, and many more. During this time,Dylan also opted to direct his own feature film, which he co-wrote with the acclaimed playwright Sam Shepard. The result of this endeavor was the sprawling avant-garde workRenaldo and Clara, an inscrutable mix of concert footage, documentary interviews, and dramatic fictional vignettes that clocked in at a whopping 232 minutes.
Renaldo and Clarawas intended to reflect Dylan’s life and lyrics and was as incomprehensible as some of his most surreal songs. The film was released in its original four hour cut in 1978 to an overwhelmingly negative response from audiences and critics. While the full version ofRenaldo and Clarais hard to track down today and has mostly been withdrawn from circulation, those who wish to seek it out will see a fascinating document of Dylan in the midst of a highly creative period, as well as the breakdown of his marriage to his then-wife Sara Lownds.
Hearts of Fire
Hearts of Fire, released in 1987, follows a reclusive former rock star who mentors a young female protege. As they tour, she encounters a younger, more popular musician, prompting a shift in her loyalties.
The late 1970s and early 1980s saw Bob Dylan alienate many of his fans as he released a string of Jesus-loving Christian albums in a period often described as his gospel era. Dylan’s born-again period signaled the beginning of a downturn in his career as his usually distinctive style was bogged down in 1980s production, and by 1987, he felt like a relic from the past. All these downward turns influenced Dylan’s decision to star inHearts of Fire, a music drama where he played a washed-up rock star whose teenage lover leaves him for synth-pop sensation.
WhileHearts of Firemay sound like an intriguing retooled version ofA Star is Bornfeaturing Dylan, it perfectly encapsulates everything wrong with the once-celebrated voice of his generation. WhileA Complete Unknownshowcased Dylan’s meteoric rise to the top,Hearts of Firefeatured him at the lowest point in his career. However, this much-maligned film was worth checking out just to hear Dylan utter the ironic line: “I guess I was never one of those rock and roll singers who was going to win any Nobel Prize.”
By the timeMasked and Anonymouswas released, the dark days of the 1980s were long over, andBob Dylan had earned his place as an elderly statesman of rock. Following the success ofOh Mercy,Time Out of Mind, andLove and Theft, Dylan cemented his reputation as one of the few living icons of the 1960s who remained creatively relevant into the 21st century. This was why it was so exciting when he returned to feature films with a starring role inMasked and Anonymous, which he co-wrote withSeinfeldand futureBoratdirector Larry Charles.
Dylan played Jack Fate inMasked and Anonymous, a film whose strange and cryptic style felt like it was straight out of a Bob Dylan song. With a star-studded cast including Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Penélope Cruz, and Jessica Lange, there was no shortage of major names who wanted to appear alongside Dylan in a film. WhileMasked and Anonymouswas badly received upon release, like many of the singer’s projects, its reputation has only grown with time, and looking back, it’s a fascinating insight into how Dylan views his own legacy in the modern age.
Bob Dylan: Shadow Kingdom
Bob Dylan: Shadow Kingdom captures the legendary musician performing in an intimate setting, reimagining a selection of songs from his expansive repertoire. Released on August 04, 2025, the film offers fans a glimpse into Dylan’s creative process and musical legacy.
Throughout the 21st century, Bob Dylan has pulled away from the public eye and instead focused primarily on touring, only doing around one major interview for each new album he releases. With a strict ban on video recording at most live shows, it’s difficult to even catch a glimpse of Dylan in recent years, which made the release of the concert filmShadow Kingdomso interesting. This unusual live showcase was shot on a soundstage during the Covid-19 pandemic and featured Dylan singing renditions of his early career songs in an intimate club-like setting.
For viewers who are only learning about Dylan’s importance from the press tour ofA Complete Unknown, watchingShadow Kingdomis a great way to get insight into his modern style and sound. WhileDylan sang many of his best-known songs inShadow Kingdom, his renditions are totally different from the studio recordings and represent an older artist reimagining his songs continually. Dylan’s late-career live output can be quite alienating because he has changed so much since the 1960s, andShadow Kingdomhelps bridge the gap between his early and late career.
I’m Not There
An innovative biographical film that reimagines the life of Bob Dylan through six distinct characters, each symbolizing a different phase of his career and personality. Portrayed by a diverse cast including Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, and Heath Ledger, these characters navigate through the various transformations of Dylan’s life—from his early days as a folk singer to his electric phase and beyond.
The life of Bob Dylan has so many different facets that the only way to make a movie about him would be to focus on one era, like inA Complete Unknown, or to completely reimagine the structure of a typical music biopic. This was exactly what Todd Haynes opted to do with his extraordinary filmI’m Not There, which cast six actors depicting different facets of Dylan’s public personas. This included the extraordinary decision to have Cate Blanchett play the 1960s, strung-out, sunglass-wearing version of Dylan as he’s accused of selling out for going electric.
I’m Not Therefeatured several major stars, with Christian Bale playing the born-again Bob of the 1960s and Richard Gere portraying the Western version of him fromPat Garrett and Billy the Kid. All these reimaginings of Dylan had different names and were meant to reflect the essence of the singer’s life and legacy rather than a true historical account. For those looking fora more experimental take on Dylan’s storythan what’s seen inA Complete Unknown,I’m Not Thereis the perfect alternative.
Don’t Look Back
Don’t Look Back is a 1967 documentary film directed by D. A. Pennebaker. It chronicles Bob Dylan’s 1965 concert tour in England, providing an unfiltered look into the life of the artist. The film captures candid moments with Dylan, as well as interactions with fans, journalists, and fellow musicians, offering a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on the iconic singer-songwriter during a pivotal moment in his career.
For viewers wishing to gain insight into the era of Bob Dylan’s life depicted inA Complete Unknown, thenDon’t Look Backis essential. This documentary of Dylan’s 1965 tour in England is a time capsule into an extraordinary moment of the 1960s, as this folk singer’s fame was exploding and the world witnessed the dawning of one of the most essential figures rock ‘n’ roll music has ever seen. As an account of Dylan on the precipice of going electric,Don’t Look Backshowcases how he plays with the media and carves out his calculated persona.
Don’t Look Backwas as much an acting role for Dylan as any feature film he appeared inand was an impressive document of art meeting fame as the press struggled to make sense of his enigmatic presence. From his interactions with the likes of Joan Baez and Donovan,Don’t Look Backgives viewers a glimpse into Dylan’s creative process as everyone around him was left dumbfounded by his seemingly endless talent.Don’t Look Backis the greatest record music lovers have of Dylan during the 1960s and is one of the best music documentaries ever made.
