What: Babylon
Premiere date: January 31, 2023
If you haven’t yet seen one of 2022’s most polarizing films, fret not, because it’s coming to streaming. Damien Chazelle’s Babylon is a bombastic epic about a changing 1920s Hollywood, with a story so shocking it inspired a whole round of Twitter discourse. If you’re ready to finally watch the film that had people talking, here’s everything you need to know.
Where can I watch Babylon?
Babylon is coming to streaming on Jan. 31 on Premium Video-On-Demand, with digital purchases available from Paramount Home Entertainment.
What is Babylon about?
Babylon follows an ensemble of charismatic characters as they try to make their mark on a changing Hollywood. There’s Nellie (Margot Robbie), a young starlet with big dreams; Manny (Diego Calva), a production executive trying to become an industry name; Lady Fay Zhu (Li Jun Li), a tornado of talent sweeping the scene; and Jack (Brad Pitt), a successful silent film star trying to stay relevant amid a Hollywood that’s finally found its sound.
Babylon takes you on a wild ride as its characters try to find timelessness in an industry already moving on to the next best thing. The film also stars Olivia Wilde, Jean Smart, Tobey Maguire, Samara Weaving, and more.
What have people said about Babylon?
Some critics have called Babylon a genius fever dream; others describe it as an agonizing three hours with nothing to say. Mashable Film Editor Kristy Puchko wrote, “Babylon assaults audiences with gross-out gags and tiresome debauchery, painting the movie-making industry as a hedonistic hellscape of unhinged egos, forgotten tragedies, and devious star power.”
“While this devil-may-care attitude might sound thrilling, it’s all done with a smug attitude that is exhausting early on, and only grows more so as the film progresses through a torturous runtime of three hours and 8 minutes. Even in a comedy packed with scatalogical humor, Chazelle takes himself achingly seriously.”
Puchko continues, “Amid all this mayhem and charisma, Babylon is ultimately shallow. Its condemnation of Hollywood feels furious but not profound. Its critique is full of outrage, but offers little argument… So, in the end, as wild as it sounds, Babylon is not madcap fun or deviously campy. It’s just plain boring.”
I told you this film was polarizing. If you’re up for watching the hot pile of mess (or maybe genius?) that is Babylon, click that button below to pre-order the film for $24.99.
