Overview
A wild ride through the excesses of early Hollywood, where dreams and debauchery collide.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- decadent
- chaotic
- melancholic
- cinephile movie night
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found Babylon lavish, well acted, and technically accomplished, while divided over its exhausting excess and sprawling execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Manny, Nellie, Jack, and Sidney pursue screen success while the industry discards people who cannot adapt or remain profitable.
The opening Hollywood party features an elephant, cocaine, gambling, sexual revelry, champagne, and chaotic bodily comedy.
The central characters rise rapidly in the movie business as changing tastes and industrial systems threaten their relevance.
The movement from silent movies to sound and talkies restructures performances, production practices, and careers.
Films like Babylon, and why
singin' in the rain
shared period Hollywood setting, movie-industry ambition, and bittersweet reflection on cinematic change
the artist
shared Hollywood decadence, shifting fame, and melancholic critique of celebrity culture
fear and loathing in las vegas
shared cocaine-fueled excess, outrageous sensory intensity, and destructive hedonism
la dolce vita
shared epic Hollywood melodrama, doomed ambition, and extravagant production design
Movie Details
- Director
- Damien Chazelle
- Release Date
- 2022-12-22
- Runtime
- 189 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (3955)
Cast
- Diego Calva
- Margot Robbie
- Brad Pitt
- Jovan Adepo
- Jean Smart
- J.C. Currais
- Jimmy Ortega
- Marcos A. Ferraez
- Shane Powers
- Phoebe Tonkin
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Babylon about?
- An exuberant, filthy, and melancholy trip through early Hollywood, where ambition collides with decadence and the ruthless arrival of sound cinema.
- What is Babylon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Babylon as breakneck, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Babylon violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Babylon as moderate.
- What did critics think of Babylon?
- Critics broadly found Babylon lavish, well acted, and technically accomplished, while divided over its exhausting excess and sprawling execution.
- Which films are like Babylon?
- Films with a similar feel include singin' in the rain, the artist, fear and loathing in las vegas, and la dolce vita.
- How long is Babylon?
- Babylon runs 189 minutes.
- Where can I watch Babylon?
- In United States, Babylon streams on Hulu, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
