The problem with consistently winning universal acclaim, securing box office glory, and cementing it with awards season success is that unlimited creative freedom often has a way of veering into outright self-indulgence. Looking at the first reactions to Damien Chazelle’s latest Babylon, it’s clear that a lot of people feel the filmmaker has let his excesses get the better of him.
A prime December 23 release date indicates that we’ve got another potential Oscars heavy hitter on the cards from the man behind Whiplash, La La Land, and First Man, but the wildly polarizing and incredibly divisive wave of maiden responses to have made their way online hints that it may not be quite as straightforward.
In fact, the word “cocaine” is mentioned so much that it’s almost concerning, although we strongly encourage you don’t alter your state of mind simply to get on the same wavelength as a film that’s shaping up to be one of the year’s most polarizing.
To be fair, the official synopsis for Babylon explicitly mentions “decadence, depravity, and outrageous excess“, so everyone knew exactly what they were getting into had they checked out the logline beforehand. That being said, lines have been drawn in the sand already, and it sounds as though just as many people are going to loathe the 1920s-set tale as love it.
It’s virtually guaranteed at least a couple of technical nods at the Oscars, though, because Chazelle is truly a master of his craft, but it remains to be seen if it can take a big enough bite out of the box office to justify the reported $80 million budget, especially when it clocks in at a butt-numbing three hours and change.