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London: The Modern Babylon

London: The Modern Babylon

2012125 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Director
Julien Temple
Starring
Michael Gambon, Keith Allen, Steve Jones, Bill Nighy

London: The Modern Babylon is legendary director Julien Temple's epic time-traveling voyage to the heart of his hometown.

Where to watch

Where can I watch London: The Modern Babylon?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists London: The Modern Babylon streaming on Docurama via Prime Video, Midnight Pulp via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about London: The Modern Babylon?

London: The Modern Babylon earns 3 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Hopeful.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is London: The Modern Babylon worth watching?

London: The Modern Babylon's Midcredits score is the 81st percentile of all films, from 1.2K ratings across 5 sources. 70% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

81st percentile

Better received than 81% of films

55th percentile among Documentary81st percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)80th
Approval (how many liked it)79th

70 /100

80th percentile of all films

50th percentile among Documentary79th percentile among 2010s

Critics 77 · Audience 70

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.1 — solid but not unanimous.

70% liked it

79th percentile of all films

57th percentile among Documentary79th percentile among 2010s
70% rated it 7–1030% rated it 1–6

Critics 88% · Audience 82%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 6 noms overall

61st percentile

1.2K ratings across platforms

85th percentile among Documentary64th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 53% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$1.6M
Worldwide gross$28K

Returned 0.0× its budget — 35th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

London's people and their resilience are the film's central subject.

Fans praised

  • Kaleidoscopic portrait of London's people and resilience
  • Brilliant visual and musical editing with bold juxtapositions
  • Wide-ranging cultural diversity from musicians to dockyard workers

Detractors panned

  • Feels bogged down and repetitive with footage reused
  • Jumps around confusingly, especially in the post-war period
  • Skips the 1960s pop culture in favor of politics

What stands out

Atmosphere85

immersive portrait of cycles and change, heady experience

Plot and storyDivisive55

roughly chronological with allusions but loses focus after WWII

PacingDivisive45

two hours sweep by quickly for fans, but drags and repeats for detractors

Watch experience

What is London: The Modern Babylon like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that leaves you smiling.

It takes its time and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

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

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
ContemplativeMelancholicTriumphant
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Epic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.Warm
Told as
Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneTemple's documentary is earnestly celebratory, mixing archival footage with music and narration in a heady, kaleidoscopic collage that treats its subject with affection and wonder.
The rideThe film sustains a reflective, often melancholic mood across its two-hour collage, with bursts of energy from music and archival moments but no single heavy climax.
StructureThe film moves roughly chronologically through a century of London history in a loosely connected, episodic collage.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulRousing · 10% of films
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves the viewer inspired by London's resilience and capacity for renewal, with a sense of wonder at its diverse people.
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).
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%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThis is a documentary collage without a single narrative arc; Booker's archetypes do not apply.

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 filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: 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%
  • 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% (this title): Community 14% (this title) · 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%

Society

Community · 14% of filmsIdentity · 14% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how London's diverse, ever-changing population collectively shapes the city's character over a century, focusing on communal survival and renewal.
StanceThe film celebrates London's communal resilience and reinvention, emphasising how its people overcome challenges while affirming the city's enduring vitality.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
RockPopWorldForeground music · hybrid · Jc Carroll
SettingLondon across the 20th century into the 2012 Olympics, from docks to West End to council estates
MusicFeatures popular music from The Clash and Sex Pistols, among others, woven into the archival collage.

Content guide

Is London: The Modern Babylon okay for kids?

Not Rated

London: The Modern Babylon is not rated.

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does London: The Modern Babylon have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in London: The Modern Babylon?

Cast

Michael Gambon
as Quotations reader
Keith Allen
as Quotations reader
Steve Jones
as Quotations reader
Bill Nighy
as Quotations reader
Andy Serkis
as Quotations reader
Imelda Staunton
as Quotations reader
Julien Temple
as Quotations reader
Juno Temple
as Quotations reader

Crew

More like this

What are movies like London: The Modern Babylon?

Movies like London: The Modern Babylon include The Filth and the Fury (2000), The Sparks Brothers (2021) and Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2005). Of the 5 closest matches, most are episodic films, and all are counterculture films.

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

All 5 share its story type: music documentary. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with London: The Modern Babylon?

2.9K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: music documentary. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.