Back in the day, it took decades for cinematic flops such as , , and to be reclaimed as unsung masterpieces. In the digital age, when media and editorialization spread faster than ever, movies don't even have to wait two years to be revisited with new eyes. Released in December 2022, crashed and burned at the box office like the silent era, grossing $16 million in the U.S. on a $110 million budget. While it had its defenders, disparaging critics were appalled by 's maximalist — if not crass — portrait of Hollywood in the late 1920s during the transition to talking pictures. Not long after the press declared Babylon a shameless exercise in director indulgence, the film spawned a cult following online, which gained a powerful ally recently in star ,

Although his previous film, , underwhelmed financially, Damien Chazelle developed enough goodwill with studios, thanks to his breakout hits in and , to receive carte blanche. With all that freedom, resources, and star-studded talent, including Margot Robbie and , Chazelle threw caution to the wind with Paramount's money when making Babylon, a gonzo, sensory overload epic opening wide on Christmas weekend, sharing theater space with , which released the weekend prior. The film tracks the glitz and glamor of old Hollywood and the rot and decay of the forgotten stars who failed to transition from silent to sound cinema, particularly the ladder-climbing assistant, Manny Torres (), the brash bombshell, Nellie LaRoy (Robbie) and the dignified leading man, Jack Conrad (Pitt).

Margot Robbie said as a guest on Turner Classic Movies' podcast in response to 's bewilderment surrounding Babylon's critical panning. The actor is hopeful that Babylon will experience a similar trajectory to , a film that left a marginal dent at the box office but became an instant classic upon repeat viewings on cable. She praised Chazelle's "thorough" and pedal-to-the-metal approach to directing, working tirelessly with her to perfect Nellie's accent. Ultimately, the intensity of the production, evident in the bombastic and frantic content on the screen, couldn't draw a mass audience to theaters. Appearing on the podcast last year, Chazelle described being in "a trepidatious state of mind," following Babylon's poor response, and admitted that he

It wasn't that critics were just critical of Babylon — they were flat-out revolted by Chazelle's crass provocation. of The Ringer hilariously wrote that the film, which glamorizes a world of excess while lambasting the lifestyle in a -esque fashion, "wants to have its cake and eat it too, but also to puke it up, smear it around, and cram it in the viewer's face." Babylon being pitted as an Oscar player at the outset of 2022 was certainly misguided, A film that seemed scientifically designed to become hotly divisive, Babylon is undoubtedly a mixed bag, and the polarized response requires reservations on both sides. The film is far too messy, awkwardly paced, and reliant on shock value for dramatic effect to carry the status as a misunderstood masterpiece, but

In hindsight, Margot Robbie probably shouldn't be too surprised that Babylon flopped, as it arrived at theaters with lackluster word-of-mouth and the burden of a 3-hour runtime. Furthermore, it's unclear whether a mass audience has any interest in movies about filmmaking, a realization box office experts had to reckon with during 's underwhelming financial performance despite its high hopes. Regardless, in an age where moviegoing audiences are more picky than ever, viewers want to feel moved or invigorated at the multiplex. From its ghastly opening scene to Nellie's painstaking failure to hit her marks during the first sound shoot, Despite its pastiche setting, Babylon is aggressively modern, subverting the Technicolor escapism of to create a raw and unbridled examination of distressed individuals panicking their way through rapid change. Luckily, art triumphs over dollars, so even though Babylon failed to make its money back, few will remember that fact in the coming decades.

Since the release of Babylon in 2022, star Margot Robbie and director Damien Chazelle have swung toward opposite ends of the spectrum. Since the audacious 3-hour Old Hollywood epic flamed out, Robbie produced and starred in one of the seismic cultural phenomenons in recent memory in . Now firmly cemented as one of Hollywood’s brightest stars, she could ostensibly get anything greenlit, especially due to her producing work. While Robbie appears to be the toast of the town, her Babylon director may be stuck in the dreaded director’s jail — at least that’s what many expect after such a major flop. Their careers are seemingly heading in opposite directions, but each has enticing projects on the docket. At the very least, the two can dine out on the booming cult status of Babylon, with its most passionate fans claiming it to be a gravely misunderstood masterpiece.

Although ’s films have proven to be divisive, auteurist swings, she is undoubtedly a prominent figure, whose future films will draw attention, especially when they are adaptations of acclaimed classic novels. Robbie, who produced Fennell’s previous films, and , is set to produce and star in her take on Wuthering Heights, the 19th-century novel by , alongside . A new film by , , starring Robbie and , is set for a May 2025 release, returning her to the big screen after dominating theaters in the summer of 2023 with Barbie. Koganada, director of , is a gifted, artful visionary, making him a perfect fit for Robbie, who has based her career off aligning herself with creative swings by auteurs.

Even after taking a bath with Babylon, , who, despite everyone’s fears of directorial imprisonment, is set to direct his next feature with the studio. However, Chazelle, speaking to TCM’s Talking Pictures podcast, as he understands the harsh consequences of directing a flop in the studio system. While the hindrance to creative freedom is disheartening, Chazelle working on a condensed budget wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. After all, his breakout film, Whiplash, was an independent production and a defining film of the 2010s. He told Vanity Fair in a 10-year retrospective of Whiplash that he is Similar to Robbie’s position, whatever project Chazelle attaches himself to is sure to be an event, as Babylon fans and critics will be desperate for a triumphant follow-up or a much-needed rebound, respectively. Even if everything on the screen is a mess, there is no denying the sheer cinematic talent of the 40-year-old director.

Babylon is available to watch on Prime Video in the U.S.

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