Babylon · reception & legacy

2022 · Damien Chazelle

How Babylon has been received, argued over, and remembered.

The arc

A notorious flop on release — roughly $80M budget, a fraction back at the box office, a C+ CinemaScore, and reviews calling it a bloated mess — it almost immediately became the internet's favourite 'they'll appreciate it in 20 years' cause, a reappraisal Babylon itself basically predicted. Barely a few years on, 'Babylon was right' is already a semi-ironic badge of cinephile honour.

What's debated

The eternal fight: audacious misunderstood masterpiece or three hours of self-indulgent excess — with the final montage as the single most relitigated ending of its decade.

Its footprint

Justin Hurwitz's manic trumpet theme escaped the film entirely, soundtracking countless edits and trailers, while the elephant opening and Tobey Maguire's unhinged cameo live on as shorthand for 'this movie is A LOT.'

Where it stands

A textbook insta-cult object — trashed by awards season, adored on Letterboxd, and a reliable top pick in 'best flops' and 'films that deserved better' lists.

★ Did you know? Emma Stone was originally attached to play Nellie LaRoy before scheduling conflicts opened the door for Margot Robbie — and despite the critical drubbing, the film still landed three Oscar nominations (score, production design, costume design).

Named by the director

Influences Damien Chazelle has publicly named — the director's own word, distinct from the inferred lines of influence.

Singin' in the Rain (1952) — Chazelle openly framed Babylon as a darker answer to its sound-transition story, engaging with the classic directly and repeatedly in interviews.
Kenneth Anger — Chazelle cited Anger's scandal-chronicle 'Hollywood Babylon' as a key inspiration for the film's lurid vision of 1920s Hollywood (and its title).