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Neil Young Shares His Review of Bob Dylan Biopic 'A Complete Unknown': 'I Loved It'

The movie has already garnered major Oscar buzz and positive reviews for star Timothée Chalamet, and is now getting some love from one of Dylan's significant peers.

Neil Young

Neil Young: Children Of Destiny

Neil Young: Children Of Destiny

Neil Young has shared his thoughts on the buzzy new biopic of Bob Dylan, A Complete Unknown.

Young's upcoming "lost" album Oceanside Countryside is still a month away from release, and in the meantime the Canadian folk-rock icon is taking in some cinema. He gives two thumbs up to the film, which stars Timothée Chalamet in the lead role as Dylan.


"I love Bob Dylan and his music. Always have. He's a great artist," Young writes on his Neil Young Archives website. "This movie is a great tribute to his life and music. I think if you love Bob's music you should see this great movie. I loved it," he shares.

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A Complete Unknown chronicles Dylan's beginnings in the New York folk scene of the early '60s, where he was mentored by legendary activist singer Pete Seeger, to his infamous decision to go electric at the Newport Folk Festival of 1965, establishing him as a rock iconoclast.

During that same period, Neil Young was hanging out with Joni Mitchell in Toronto's Yorkville folk scene. Young moved south of the border in 1966, joining folk-rock group Buffalo Springfield and eventually becoming one of the biggest figures in rock and roll, alongside Dylan.

The two have occasionally been rivals: Dylan famously found Young's No. 1 hit "Heart of Gold" frustratingly similar to his own music.

But they also seem to share a major respect for one another, referencing each other in songs like Dylan's "Highlands" and Young's "Flags of Freedom." Young has also called himself a "B student" of Dylan's, and Dylan once made a pilgrimage to Young's childhood home in Winnipeg.

"Once he was on my bus and I didn't recognize him and threw him off," Young adds in his review of Unknown, "but that's another story."

They performed together at The Band's famous final concert (filmed in Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz) sharing the stage for closing song "I Shall Be Released," written by Dylan. Young also performed at a 1992 30th anniversary celebration of Dylan, covering "All Along the Watchtower" and "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues."

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It's a good sign for the movie that Young gives his stamp of approval. Fans on Reddit joked that he's probably looking forward to seeing who will play him in the sequel.

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EMPIRE's Tina Davis (left) and Girl Connected's Lola Plaku at Conversations with the Pros at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto on March 28, 2025.
Courtesy of Girl Connected

EMPIRE's Tina Davis (left) and Girl Connected's Lola Plaku at Conversations with the Pros at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto on March 28, 2025.

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EMPIRE President Tina Davis Gives Strategic Advice to Women in Music at Girl Connected's New Speaker Series

On Friday (March 28), the president of EMPIRE, the Bay Area-independent label and music company, came to Toronto for Conversation with the Pros offering tangible advice to the mentorship program's community. Davis also spoke to Billboard Canada about her impressive journey in the industry.

Girl Connected has launched a new series that connects the next generation of women in Canadian music with powerhouse executives for the global industry.

On Friday (March 28), Tina Davis, president of EMPIRE, sat down with Girl Connected founder and music industry veteran Lola Plaku at Toronto Metropolitan University for the first in-person Canadian edition of Conversations with the Pros (Billboard Canada was a supporting partner). The series brings in inspiring music industry figures from Girl Connected's international network to talk about their journeys and offer actionable information and advice to help the budding music professionals develop their skills and reach the next level of their careers.

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