Complete Unknown
Complete Unknown is a 2016 American drama film written and directed by Joshua Marston from a screenplay he co-wrote with Julian Sheppard.[1] The movie stars Rachel Weisz as Alice, a enigmatic woman prone to reinventing her identity, and Michael Shannon as Tom, a health department employee in a strained marriage.[2] It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2016,[3] and received a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 26, 2016, distributed by Amazon Studios and IFC Films.[4] The film's plot centers on Tom's birthday dinner party, where Alice unexpectedly arrives as a guest of a colleague and denies any prior acquaintance with him despite their shared romantic history from 15 years earlier.[5] Intrigued and unsettled, Tom leaves the party to pursue her, embarking on an all-night journey through New York City that forces him to confront dissatisfaction in his career and personal life, including his upcoming relocation to Minnesota with his wife for her graduate studies.[6] Weisz's portrayal of Alice showcases her chameleon-like ability to adopt new personas, from a folk singer to a nurse, highlighting the narrative's exploration of fluidity in identity and the allure of escape.[2] Produced by companies including Parts & Labor and Great Point Media, Complete Unknown has a runtime of 90 minutes and carries an R rating for language.[4] It earned mixed critical reception, holding a 52% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 77 reviews, with critics praising the lead performances but noting a lack of narrative depth.[2] On Metacritic, it scored 58 out of 100 from 24 critics, reflecting a similar divide.[7] The film grossed $191,761 at the domestic box office.[8]Plot and characters
Plot summary
Complete Unknown opens with glimpses of a woman assuming various identities and professions in different cities around the world. In present-day New York City, she arrives as Alice, a biologist who has just returned from studying frogs in Tasmania. She meets Clyde, a coworker, at a cafeteria and accepts his invitation to attend his friend Tom's birthday party that evening. At the party, Alice captivates the guests with tales of her travels, but Tom, the guest of honor, becomes convinced that she is actually Jenny, a woman he dated 15 years earlier who abruptly disappeared from his life. Alice denies any connection, but Tom is unsettled and leaves the party to follow her. Their night unfolds through New York City: they visit a nightclub where Alice performs an impromptu magic trick, casting further doubt on her stories; they assist an injured woman on the street, with Alice convincingly posing as a surgeon; and they drive to Long Island to witness frogs hatching, where Alice reveals her pattern of reinventing herself every few years to escape feeling trapped, discarding her old identities like shed skins.[9] As dawn approaches, Alice prepares to leave once more, inviting Tom to join her in starting anew. Torn between his stagnant marriage to Sharon—who is pursuing graduate studies that will require a move to Minnesota—and the allure of Alice's fluid existence, Tom ultimately declines and returns home. Alice destroys her credit cards but retains her real driver's license in a scrapbook of past selves before heading to the airport for her next transformation. The film explores themes of identity, dissatisfaction, and the desire for reinvention.[2]Cast
The cast of Complete Unknown features strong performances that drive the film's intimate exploration of personal reinvention and relational tension.Main Cast
| Actor | Role | Character Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rachel Weisz | Alice/Jenny | An enigmatic woman who frequently changes her identity and profession, reentering Tom's life under a new persona.[1] |
| Michael Shannon | Tom Brayton | A health department employee in a strained marriage, facing an upcoming relocation, who encounters his past in Alice.[1] |
Supporting Cast
| Actor | Role | Character Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kathy Bates | Nina | Tom's mother, present at the birthday party.[10] |
| Danny Glover | Roger | Tom's boss at the health department.[10] |
| Michael Chernus | Clyde | Tom's coworker who invites Alice to the party.[10] |
| Condola Rashad | Sharon | Tom's wife, focused on her career and upcoming move.[10] |
| Chris Lowell | Brad | A party guest and friend.[10] |
| Azita Ghanizada | In-Law | A family member at the party.[10] |
| Omar Metwally | Paul | Another party attendee.[10] |
| Zach Appelman | Malcolm | A colleague or friend.[10] |