Skip to content
MovieCove
Babylon

Babylon

Always make a scene.

2022189 minRMidcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Director
Damien Chazelle
Starring
Diego Calva, Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Jovan Adepo

A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, tracing the rise and fall of multiple characters in an era of unbridled decadence and depravity during Hollywood's transition from silent films to sound films in the late 1920s.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Babylon?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Babylon streaming on Hulu and Paramount+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Babylon?

Babylon earns 16 badges, led by Top 10% in Comedy and Standout soundtrack.

Show 8 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Babylon worth watching?

Babylon's Midcredits score is the 85th percentile of all films, from 1.3M ratings across 6 sources. 72% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

85th percentile

Better received than 85% of films

90th percentile among Comedy86th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)86th
Approval (how many liked it)81st

72 /100

86th percentile of all films

92nd percentile among Comedy85th percentile among 2020s

Critics 61 · Audience 73

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.2 — solid but not unanimous.

72% liked it

81st percentile of all films

87th percentile among Comedy81st percentile among 2020s
72% rated it 7–1028% rated it 1–6

Critics 57% · Audience 53%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 2 Oscar noms · 24 wins / 76 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Production Design

79th percentile

1.3M ratings across platforms

77th percentile among Comedy79th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 46% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$80M
Opening weekend$3.6M
Domestic gross$16M
Worldwide gross$65M

Returned 0.8× its budget — 93rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A long, messy, and wildly excessive spectacle about Hollywood's transition from silent to sound films.

Fans praised

  • Vibrant opening sequence with manic energy
  • Stunning cast performances, especially Robbie and Pitt
  • Justin Hurwitz's exhilarating score

Detractors panned

  • Bloated runtime with self-indulgent excess
  • Scattershot plot with too many pointless subplots
  • Juvenile shock-value gross-out scenes

What stands out

Sound and music90

Hurwitz's score called mesmerizing, crucial to the film's energy

Cinematography85

Gorgeous visuals, lavish production design, sweeping camera work

Acting82

Cast uniformly praised, Robbie's ferocity and Pitt's warmth singled out

Atmosphere80

Immersive, decadent 1920s Hollywood world-building

CharactersDivisive50

Thinly written archetypes, arcs feel familiar or underdeveloped

Plot and storyDivisive38

Fragmented narrative, loses focus after first act, too many tangents

Ending30

Multiple false endings, pretentious montage, unsatisfying

Pacing28

First hour electric, then drags severely; 30-40 minutes too long

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 23 points higher than women.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Under-30s

Under-30s scored it 23 points higher than over-30s.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 21 points higher than US viewers.

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

  • Critics vs users 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Babylon like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark comedy: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to laugh at things you probably shouldn't.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark comedy.

Moods
ManicTenseElegiac
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
The answer rests on this: Register
Exuberant · 2% of films: Bursting with energy and joy in its own filmmaking.Satirical · 5% of filmsMelodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film holds its material with a knowing, exaggerated stance, often playing the absurdity and depravity for both horror and comedy, but ultimately lands as a sincere lament for a lost era.
The rideThe film swings wildly from chaotic, euphoric parties to anxious, desperate scenes, with the heaviness settling most during the final acts as the characters' dreams collapse.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically across key years (1926-1932) with an epilogue in 1952, following a conventional three-act structure of rise, apex, and fall for its ensemble cast.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a lingering mix of sadness for the lost characters and admiration for the art they created, provoking reflection on the cost of ambition and the impermanence of fame.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet 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).Tragedy
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% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% (this title) · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Corruption arc: Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).

9% of films fit this archetype

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

Why this archetypeThe film traces the rise and fall of several characters during Hollywood's transition to sound, with a tragic arc driven by overwhelming ambition and the corrupting influence of the industry.

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 filmsSelfAmbitionSelf
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% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% (this title) · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% (this title) · 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%
  • 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% (this title) · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Ambition · 7% of filmsFame · 3% of filmsCorruption · 3% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film is about the intoxicating yet corrosive pursuit of fame and success in Hollywood, where ambition fuels both creation and destruction.
StanceThe film warns that the pursuit of fame and ambition in a corrupt system is not only personally destructive but emblematic of a broader cultural rot.

The world

Early 20th centuryUrbanDomesticStylized realism
Orchestral modernJazzForeground music · original score · Justin Hurwitz
SettingHollywood, California in the late 1920s, during the transition from silent to sound films
MusicThe score blends frenetic jazz, sweeping orchestral pieces, and a recurring, melancholy theme that underscores the characters' rise and fall.

Content guide

Is Babylon okay for kids?

R

Babylon is rated R: “Rated R for strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity, bloody violence, drug use, and pervasive language” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (84/100), sexual content at severe (82/100), language at severe (91/100), drug and alcohol content at severe (91/100) and frightening material at intense (78/100). Overall it is heavier than 98% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 41 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland18
  • New ZealandR18
  • JapanR15+
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil18
  • Argentina+16
  • Belgium16
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceK18
  • Hong KongIII
  • Hungary18
  • ID17+
  • Israel16
  • Italy14+
  • LTN-16
  • LU16
  • LV16+
  • MexicoC
  • MOD
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • PhilippinesR-16
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/16
  • PRPG-13
  • SingaporeR21
  • SK15
  • South Africa18
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
  • Taiwan18+
  • TH18
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Severe · all five categories
Heavier than 99% of all filmsHeavier than 98% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 72%
Sex & Nudity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 98%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 94%
Alcohol & Drugs
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 98%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 76%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: language, drug and alcohol content, violence, sexual content, and frightening material.

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 Babylon have?

MovieCove's classifier found 8 depicted content warnings in Babylon: Addiction or relapse (severe), Gore or body horror (severe), Animal cruelty (moderate), Animal death (moderate), Drug overdose (moderate), Hate-motivated violence (mild), plus 2 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. 1 more is mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory (behind the spoiler gate). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereAddiction or relapseGore or body horror
ModerateAnimal crueltyAnimal deathDrug overdose
MildHate-motivated violence

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in Babylon?

Cast

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

Diego Calva
as Manny Torres
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Margot Robbie
as Nellie LaRoy
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.
Brad Pitt
as Jack Conrad
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.
Jovan Adepo
as Sidney Palmer
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Jean Smart
as Elinor St. John
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
J.C. Currais
as Truck Driver
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Jimmy Ortega
as Elephant Wrangler
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Marcos A. Ferraez
as Police Officer
Shane Powers
as Dale
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Phoebe Tonkin
as Jane Thornton

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Babylon?

Movies like Babylon include The Artist (2011), Rock of Ages (2012) and La La Land (2016). Of the 11 closest matches, several are corruption arc stories, and most are films set in Los Angeles.

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

7 of these 11 share its subject: ambition. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Babylon?

4.7K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: whirlwind romance. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.