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Complete Unknown

Complete Unknown

You are who you say you are.

201691 minRMidcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Director
Joshua Marston
Starring
Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Kathy Bates, Danny Glover

Tom’s birthday dinner party is turned upside down by the unexpected arrival of Alice, an old flame who changed her identity and vanished without a trace 15 years prior.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Complete Unknown?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Complete Unknown streaming on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Complete Unknown?

Complete Unknown earns 3 badges, led by Overhyped and Star-studded.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Complete Unknown worth watching?

Complete Unknown's Midcredits score is the 23rd percentile of all films, from 11K ratings across 6 sources. 26% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

23rd percentile

Better received than 23% of films

18th percentile among Drama24th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)32nd
Approval (how many liked it)17th

56 /100

32nd percentile of all films

28th percentile among Drama34th percentile among 2010s

Critics 58 · Audience 56

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

26% liked it

17th percentile of all films

12th percentile among Drama16th percentile among 2010s
26% rated it 7–1074% rated it 1–6

Critics 52% · Audience 27%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 3 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

88th percentile

11K ratings across platforms

90th percentile among Drama89th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 93% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$14K
Domestic gross$192K
Worldwide gross$217K

42nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is an ambiguous, dialogue-driven character study about a woman who constantly reinvents herself, anchored by strong lead performances.

Fans praised

  • Rachel Weisz's chameleonic lead performance
  • thought-provoking premise about identity and reinvention
  • atmospheric score and seductive mood

Detractors panned

  • plodding, aimless narrative that goes nowhere
  • underwritten characters and hollow script
  • wasted A-list cast on vapid material

What stands out

Acting78

Weisz praised as magnetic; Shannon sometimes struggles to keep up

OriginalityDivisive65

refreshingly unconventional take on identity

DialogueDivisive55

sharp and philosophical but sometimes choppy

CinematographyDivisive55

shot wonderfully but sometimes derivative visual style

CharactersDivisive40

Alice intriguing but self-absorbed; Tom underwritten and bland

Plot and storyDivisive35

premise promising but narrative rambles without payoff

EndingDivisive30

baffling, unsatisfying resolution

PacingDivisive25

slow and meandering, with a long wait for a clear plot

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 6 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Complete Unknown like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something to think about afterwards.

It takes its time, has a few laughs and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want things to move fast or you want every question answered.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
TenseMelancholicAbsurd
Heaviest: middle
Dry humor
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film maintains a quiet, tense atmosphere, treating its characters' deceptions with gravity.
The rideThe confined party setting with an unpredictable intruder suggests a simmering tension, with pockets of sadness and strangeness.
StructureThe narrative unfolds in a conventional, linear order, building tension around the mysterious guest at a dinner party.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's ambiguity about identity leaves a lingering unease and a question about who Alice really is.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryEnigma
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2% (this title)
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

7% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story revolves around a woman who repeatedly changes identities, creating an enigma for the protagonist and the audience.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsDeception · 9% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the fluidity of personal identity through a woman who regularly reinvents herself, and how that challenges those around her.
StanceThe film questions the stability of identity and the truth between people, centering on Tom's personal reckoning.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticRealistic
AmbientOrchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Danny Bensi
Settinga birthday dinner party in New York
MusicThe score likely underscores the disquiet and mystery of the evening.

Content guide

Is Complete Unknown okay for kids?

R

Complete Unknown is rated R: “Rated R for some language” (MPAA). As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (0/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at moderate (42/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at minimal (0/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • UK15
  • CanadaR
  • Germany6
  • Brazil12
  • Denmark15
  • GreeceΚ
  • Hungary18
  • NetherlandsAL
  • Russia18+
Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (3 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (20 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Complete Unknown have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Complete Unknown?

Cast

4 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Rachel Weisz
as Alice Manning
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Michael Shannon
as Tom
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kathy Bates
as Nina
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Danny Glover
as Roger
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Michael Chernus
as Clyde
Azita Ghanizada
as Ramina
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Christopher Lowell
as Brad
Dola Rashad
as Sharon
Tessa Albertson
as Tilda
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Omar Metwally
as Farshad

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Complete Unknown?

Movies like Complete Unknown include Interview (2007), Two Girls and a Guy (1997) and Six Degrees of Separation (1993). Of the 12 closest matches, all are puzzle films, and several are films set in New York.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

9 of these 12 share its story type: chamber drama. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Complete Unknown?

3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: chamber drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.