Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- elusive
- cerebral
- quietly tense
- late night viewing
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics found the film an elegant but elusive identity mystery with strong central performances, though its ambiguity and resolution divided viewers.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Tom recognizes Alice at a dinner party, while she denies their shared history and repeatedly challenges his assumptions about who she is.
Alice's shifting identities and Tom's desire to change his life make reinvention the film's central psychological and ethical problem.
After Alice leaves the dinner party, Tom follows her through an extended nocturnal journey structured around encounters and difficult conversation.
The pre-credit sequence presents the plethora of forms Alice assumes before the central dinner-party narrative concentrates on one identity.
Films like Complete Unknown, and why
The Double Life of Véronique
shared themes of identity, reinvention, and elusive personal history within a cerebral mystery drama
Persona
shared intimate psychological mystery, shifting identity, and ambiguous atmosphere
Before Sunrise
shared all-night urban odyssey, relationship uncertainty, and conversational dramatic tension
Movie Details
- Director
- Joshua Marston
- Release Date
- 2016-08-26
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 5.2 / 10 (196)
Cast
- Rachel Weisz
- Michael Shannon
- Kathy Bates
- Danny Glover
- Michael Chernus
- Azita Ghanizada
- Chris Lowell
- Dola Rashad
- Tessa Albertson
- Omar Metwally
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Complete Unknown about?
- A baffled man follows a woman who denies their past through a nocturnal maze of reinvention, intimacy, and uncertainty.
- What is Complete Unknown like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Complete Unknown as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Complete Unknown violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Complete Unknown.
- What did critics think of Complete Unknown?
- Critics found the film an elegant but elusive identity mystery with strong central performances, though its ambiguity and resolution divided viewers.
- Which films are like Complete Unknown?
- Films with a similar feel include The Double Life of Véronique, Persona, and Before Sunrise.
- How long is Complete Unknown?
- Complete Unknown runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch Complete Unknown?
- In United States, Complete Unknown streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
