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What to watch: The freewheelin' Timmy C as folk hero

Brian Truitt   Paste BN
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Before we reach 2025, let's visit the folksy 1960s and gothic 1830s.

A great way to spend some of your holiday break is hitting up the local cinema, and there are a couple retro affairs – each very different as counterprogramming goes – that you'll want to see. There's an excellent Bob Dylan biopic with a stellar cast led by Timothée Chalamet, plus a remake of the 1922 horror movie "Nosferatu" that's a lot sexier and cooler than you might imagine for a 19th-century vampire flick. (I'll let you guess which one inspired a sarcophagus popcorn bucket.) If neither of those excite, how about the return of Netflix's "Squid Game"? A second season of that pandemic hit is streaming for lovers of Korean pop culture and dystopian survival thrillers.

Now to the good stuff:

See Timothée Chalamet channel Bob Dylan in biopic 'A Complete Unknown'

If I'm being honest, I've never been that big a fan of Chalamet or Dylan. But James Mangold's biopic "A Complete Unknown" is so satisfying and enlightening that you have more respect for the actor's depth and the iconic musician's poetry after this musical look at his early rise. (Peep my ★★★½ review.) My colleague Marco della Cava did a deep dive, talking with cast members about how they spent months learning to play and sing, breaking down the facts vs. fiction, plus a profile of Monica Barbaro, the "Top Gun: Maverick" breakout who plays Joan Baez. The actress says she talked with Baez about the real-life relationship between her and Dylan that's dramatized onscreen: "She told me there was a lot of love there, and a lot of disappointment."

Thrill to a new 'Nosferatu' in theaters starring Lily-Rose Depp

Fans of vampire movies and the classic "Nosferatu" have a lot to sink their fangs into with director Robert Eggers' great-looking redo. Lily-Rose Depp plays a young woman who has a psychic connection with a monstrous figure, and the dark Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) takes a trip – with a plague in tow – to be with her in an intimate, bloodsucking fashion. (Peep my ★★★ review.) My fellow scary-movie guy Brendan Morrow takes a look at what's new and what's different between the "Nosferatu" of 1922 and the remake, while I talked with Depp about connecting with her 19th-century character and the physically tough scene that had her "take the corset off and get some cozies on."

Stream the new season of Netflix's 'Squid Game'

Three years ago when we were locked down and watching anything and everything, the Korean show "Squid Game" debuted on Netflix and become a huge hit that people couldn't get enough of, leading to much acclaim and some Emmy wins, including one for star Lee Jung-jae. Well, the second season of the thriller about competitors playing kids' games to win cash and not die is now streaming, and the luster's come off a bit. In her ★★ review, TV critic Kelly Lawler writes that while the teal tracksuits and masked men in pink hoods have returned, as has plenty of ultraviolence, "there is less bite, less idealism and seemingly less care taken." And if you're like me – watched three episodes and never really came back to it – Kelly also has a refresher in case you need to catch up.

Before we hit the links ... a special message

As we reach the end of the year, I wanted to thank everyone who's joined our Watch Party. It's only been seven months since we launched, but this newsletter has been a blast to write every week, sharing the quality stories our talented Paste BN entertainment squad puts together on the regular, taking Watch Party on the road to Comic-Con and Toronto Film Festival, and introducing y'all to shows and movies that hopefully bring extra joy to your lives. We appreciate everyone who's hopped on the bandwagon, keep telling your friends, and get ready for a lot more Watch Party to come.

Even more goodness to check out!

Got thoughts, questions, ideas, concerns, compliments or maybe even some recs for me? Email btruitt@usatoday.com and follow me on the socials: I'm @briantruitt on Bluesky, Instagram and Threads.

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