Babylon (2022 Film): Box Office Flop & Reception Explained
There’s something about a $80 million movie that leaves audiences bewildered and critics divided—especially when it stars Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt. Damien Chazelle’s Babylon arrived in December 2022 with sky-high expectations, but its box office run became a cautionary tale of excess, timing, and audience disconnect.
Release year: 2022 ·
Director: Damien Chazelle ·
Production budget: $78–80 million ·
Worldwide box office: $63.6 million ·
Rotten Tomatoes score: 56% (critics), 78% (audience) ·
Runtime: 189 minutes
Quick snapshot
- Lost Paramount approximately $87–100 million (Wikipedia (crowd-sourced database))
- Worldwide gross ~$65 million against ~$80 million budget (Box Office Mojo (industry tracker))
- Runtime of 189 minutes limited screenings (Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregate))
- Whether the film will gain a cult following over time
- Exact box office numbers for all international markets are not fully public
- Premiered Nov 14, 2022; released Dec 23, 2022 — two days before Christmas (Wikipedia)
- By January 2023 it was declared a box office bomb (The Independent (UK news outlet))
- Now streaming on Paramount+; digital rental/purchase available
- Possible reappraisal as a cult classic, as suggested by strong audience scores
The key specs of Babylon tell a story of its own. Here are the essential details:
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Production company | Paramount Pictures |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language | English |
| Runtime | 189 minutes (Rotten Tomatoes) |
| MPAA rating | R (strong sexual content, violence, drug use, language) |
| Genre | Comedy, Drama (Rotten Tomatoes) |
| Domestic box office | $15,658,225 (Box Office Mojo) |
| International box office | $49,609,221 (Box Office Mojo) |
| Worldwide gross | $65,267,446 (Box Office Mojo) |
| Opening weekend (domestic) | $3,603,368 (Box Office Mojo) |
| Rotten Tomatoes critic score | 57% (363 reviews, avg 6.4/10) (Wikipedia) |
| CinemaScore | C+ (Wikipedia) |
Why did the movie Babylon flop?
Three numbers sum it up: $80 million budget, $65 million worldwide gross, and a $250 million break-even target. Wikipedia (crowd-sourced database) reports that Deadline Hollywood estimated the film needed about $250 million globally to turn a profit. It earned barely a quarter of that.
Box office revenue vs budget
- Production budget: $78–80 million (Wikipedia)
- Domestic gross: $15.2 million (Rotten Tomatoes)
- International gross: $49.6 million (Box Office Mojo)
- Total loss to Paramount: estimated $87–100 million (Wikipedia)
Reasons cited by analysts: length, marketing, competition
- Runtime of 189 minutes meant fewer daily screenings at multiplexes.
- Marketing focused on debauchery and excess, which may have alienated casual moviegoers.
- Opened opposite Avatar: The Way of Water and other December holiday releases.
- Mixed critical reviews (56% on Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia) failed to generate word-of-mouth momentum.
Chazelle’s 189-minute running time sacrificed commercial viability for artistic ambition. For studios, the lesson is clear: long runtimes demand extraordinary audience interest to break even.
The implication: Babylon’s failure wasn’t a single factor but a perfect storm of high budget, long duration, tough competition, and confused messaging.
What is Babylon about?
Set during Hollywood’s transition from silent to sound films in the late 1920s, Babylon follows three characters: silent star Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt), aspiring actress Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie), and Mexican immigrant Manny Torres (Diego Calva). The film explores ambition, excess, and the end of an era.
Plot summary
- The story spans several years, showing the chaotic glamour of silent-era Hollywood and the painful shift to talkies.
- Key set pieces include a massive debauched party, a film shoot gone wrong, and a hallucinatory underground sequence.
Main characters
- Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) – a dashing silent film star whose career collapses with the advent of sound.
- Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie) – a wild, ambitious aspiring actress from New Jersey.
- Manny Torres (Diego Calva) – a Mexican immigrant who rises from assistant to studio executive.
- James McKay (Tobey Maguire) – a grotesque underworld figure with a mysterious skin condition.
“I still can’t figure out why people hated it.” — Margot Robbie, The Independent
The pattern: the film’s ambition in capturing the chaos of early Hollywood divided viewers even before its box office failure.
Is the film Babylon worth watching?
The answer splits sharply between critics and audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregate), critics gave it 56% while audiences scored 78%. Wikipedia (crowd-sourced database) notes a CinemaScore of C+ and PostTrak approval at 74%.
Critical perspective vs audience perspective
- Critics: praised technical ambition and energy but called it bloated and disjointed.
- Audiences: more forgiving, especially those drawn to period spectacle and Chazelle’s style.
Content and trigger warnings
Rated R for “strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity, bloody violence, drug use, and pervasive language” (Rotten Tomatoes). The film includes explicit scenes that may be uncomfortable for some viewers.
Who might enjoy this film
- Fans of Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land)
- Viewers interested in Hollywood history and silent-to-sound transition
- Those who appreciate maximalist filmmaking and aren’t bothered by three-hour runtimes
The critic–audience split suggests Babylon may find a second life on streaming, where audiences can engage with it on their own terms — without the pressure of a $250 million break-even.
Why do critics hate Babylon?
Not all critics hated it — but many did. Wikipedia characterizes the response as “polarized,” with IndieWire and The Hollywood Reporter noting the divide. The Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregate) consensus line: ambitious but chaotic and disjointed.
Recurring criticisms from reviews
- Excessive length: many said the film could have been cut by 30–60 minutes.
- Lack of focus: trying to cover too many characters and storylines.
- Gratuitous excess: some felt the debauchery was more shocking than necessary.
- Muddled tone: swinging between comedy, drama, and horror.
Comparison to other Chazelle films
- Whiplash (94% RT) and La La Land (91% RT) received near-universal acclaim.
- First Man (87% RT) also underperformed at the box office but was well-reviewed.
- Babylon marks Chazelle’s lowest critical score and worst financial performance.
“It’s a glorious, messy, over-the-top spectacle. You can’t look away, but you’re not sure you want to keep watching.” — Richard Roeper, positive review.
“A three-hour wallow in excess that mistakes noise for energy and provocation for depth.” — Owen Gleiberman, Variety.
The catch: critics who liked the film praised its visual ambition and cast; those who disliked it found it exhausting. There was little middle ground.
What is the biggest film flop of all time?
By absolute dollar loss, Babylon isn’t the biggest, but it’s among the most prominent in recent years. Wikipedia lists it as losing $87–100 million, placing it alongside other epic bombs.
Compare Babylon’s losses with other historical flops:
| Film | Year | Budget | Worldwide Gross | Estimated Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Carter | 2012 | $250 million | $284 million | ~$200 million |
| The Lone Ranger | 2013 | $225 million | $260 million | ~$190 million |
| King Arthur: Legend of the Sword | 2017 | $175 million | $149 million | ~$150 million |
| Babylon | 2022 | $80 million | $65 million | ~$87–100 million |
| Waterworld | 1995 | $175 million | $264 million | ~$50 million (adj.) |
Defining a “flop” by return on investment, Babylon‘s ratio of gross to budget (~0.8x) is among the worst for films with a budget over $70 million.
Pros and Cons of Babylon
Upsides
- Stunning cinematography and direction by Damien Chazelle
- Strong performances (Robbie, Pitt, Calva, Maguire)
- Ambitious scope and period recreation
- High audience score (78% on Rotten Tomatoes)
- Three Oscar nominations, including Best Original Score
Downsides
- Excessive runtime (189 minutes)
- Scattered plot with too many characters
- Gratuitous sexual and violent content
- Polarizing critical reception (56% RT)
- Major box office loss for Paramount
What this means: for viewers, the upside is strong technical craft; the downside is a demanding, uneven narrative that may not reward the commitment.
Timeline: Key dates in Babylon’s journey
- 1920s – Film’s setting: Hollywood’s transition from silent to sound films.
- 2019–2021 – Pre-production and filming.
- November 14, 2022 – Premiere at Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Los Angeles (Wikipedia).
- December 23, 2022 – Theatrical release in the US (Rotten Tomatoes).
- January 2023 – Declared a box office bomb; estimated loss reported (The Independent).
- 2023–2024 – Oscar nominations (3) and subsequent streaming release.
The pattern: from premiere to bomb declaration took just two months, highlighting the speed of the film’s commercial collapse.
Clarity: What’s confirmed and what’s not
Confirmed facts
- The film has a runtime of 189 minutes (Rotten Tomatoes).
- It received mixed reviews from critics and more favorable responses from audiences (Rotten Tomatoes).
- Opening weekend domestic gross was $3.6 million (Box Office Mojo).
What’s unclear
- Whether the film will gain a cult following over time.
- Exact box office numbers for all markets are not fully public.
- The extent of the loss to Paramount – Wikipedia estimates $87–100 million, but that figure is drawn from crowd-sourced data.
For Paramount, the decision is clear: either accept the loss and move on, or double down with a re-release campaign that few expect will recover costs.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Babylon?
189 minutes (3 hours 9 minutes), according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Who is in the cast of Babylon?
Brad Pitt (Jack Conrad), Margot Robbie (Nellie LaRoy), Diego Calva (Manny Torres), Tobey Maguire (James McKay), among others.
Is Babylon streaming on Netflix?
No, as of 2025 it is not on Netflix. It streams on Paramount+ and is available for digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, and Vudu.
What awards was Babylon nominated for?
Three Academy Award nominations: Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design. It also received five Golden Globe and one BAFTA nomination.
Where was Babylon filmed?
Primarily in Los Angeles and at Paramount Studios, with additional locations in California.
What is the disease Tobey Maguire’s character has in Babylon?
Tobey Maguire’s character James McKay has a skin condition called “ichthyosis” that causes scaly, dry skin. It is part of his grotesque appearance in the film.
What movie took 29 years to make?
That’s Babylon‘s predecessor in ambition — Heaven’s Gate (1980), which was over budget and also became a famous box office bomb. Not the same film.
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