Babylon (2022) is a dramatic film set in 1920s Los Angeles, serving as a love letter to the film industry, fame, and the lifestyle that comes with notoriety. It is a grand, tragic, and visually extravagant exploration of Hollywood’s cycles of excess and downfall, capturing both its magic and its mercilessness.
The film follows the rise and fall of multiple characters during Hollywood’s transition to sound films. Manny Torres (Diego Calva), a poor immigrant studio assistant, works his way up through passion and initiative. Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie), a talented yet self-destructive aspiring actress, is both a personal train wreck and a natural-born star. Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt), an alcoholic silent film legend, begins to feel his career slipping away after years as one of Hollywood’s most beloved leading men.
As Hollywood evolves into the era of sound films, those unable to adapt are left behind. Jack, unable to cope with his irrelevance as a silent film star, takes his own life. Nellie struggles through failed auditions and succumbs to her vices, spiraling into addiction, gambling, and scandal before ultimately vanishing from the spotlight. Manny, entangled with the mob while trying to protect Nellie, is forced to flee to Mexico, leaving behind the world he once dreamed of conquering.
The film flashes forward to 1952, where Manny returns to Los Angeles and watches Singin’ in the Rain, a film that romanticizes the era he once lived through. He realizes that while he and others were cast aside, cinema itself endures. The film closes with a montage of classic movies, emphasizing the lasting power of film even as individual stars fade into obscurity, ending with a reflection on cinema’s enduring legacy.
Many movies today are treated as mere content or products rather than true art. Babylon (2022) is a film about transition—both in cinema and culture—telling a story of change, loss, and the constant evolution of Hollywood. By exploring different eras of the film industry, the movie prompts audiences to reflect on what was gained and what, and who, was lost along the way. It serves as a reminder that most things, including Hollywood, inevitably fall. In the end, Babylon urges its audience to appreciate cinema as an art form while it still thrives.
Babylon (2022) Awards:
Academy Awards (95th Oscars) – 3 Nominations, 0 Wins
- Nominated: Best Costume Design
- Nominated: Best Original Score – Justin Hurwitz
- Nominated: Best Production Design
Golden Globes (80th Golden Globes) – 5 Nominations, 1 Win
- Won: Best Original Score – Justin Hurwitz
- Nominated: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
- Nominated: Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy – Diego Calva
- Nominated: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy – Margot Robbie
- Nominated: Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture – Brad Pitt
British Academy Film Awards (76th BAFTAs) – 3 Nominations, 1 Win
- Won: Best Production Design – Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino
- Nominated: Best Costume Design – Mary Zophres
- Nominated: Best Original Score – Justin Hurwitz
