BABYLON (2022), Dir. by Damien Chazelle

If doomsday is on the horizon for cinema, I think this movie deserves a spot somewhere in the eulogy. No one really knows what the future of the movie industry entails, and BABYLON cleverly reminds us that that’s half the fun. A lot of “idea movies” feel clumsy, but that’s not the case here. Story and theme are married so smoothly that you don’t even feel duped when characters get “meta”; you actually want to be preached to.

At its DGA premiere, Chazelle spoke of the importance of a strong AD, particularly in directing background actors. Together with Bob Wagner, who he recruited via David Fincher, Chazelle fills the frame with decadence and debauchery in every square inch. Most of the extras in the incredible opening set piece occupy the screen for fractions of a second, but every single one is dialed up to ten. That’s truly unhinged, madman directing, and I love it.

Speaking of which, this movie would never be this effective without its lovable, human characters, which have become a point of criticism for many. While the performances are undoubtedly amazing across the board, some have called the ensemble “thinly drawn”, which I just disagree with entirely. Part of the brilliance of BABYLON is that we meet our characters exactly as we’re meant to (first impressions are everything in the world of this movie), without wasting time on pedantic backstories that would probably clog up its pacing.

I truly believe BABYLON will come to be an important moment in movie history, even if it’s not “the last of its kind” as it’s been heralded to be. It’s a true theatre-worthy spectacle that ideally would remind audiences of the magic of movies. Unfortunately, your everyday Joe Smith probably isn’t down for a three-hour journey into the underworld of silent film, and even if they were, it’s probably too late anyway.