Margot Robbie has opened up about her bewilderment over the poor box office performance of Babylon, admitting she still doesn’t understand why audiences “hated” the film. Despite its star-studded cast and ambitious vision, the 2022 release failed to make a mark, leaving both its creators and supporters puzzled.
A film with great expectations
Directed by Damien Chazelle, Babylon was set in the glitzy yet chaotic world of 1920s Hollywood, an era before the enforcement of the Hays Code, which censored profanity, nudity, drug use, and other controversial themes on screen. The film featured a heavyweight cast, including Brad Pitt, Tobey Maguire, Olivia Wilde, and Robbie herself, and boasted an $80 million budget.
However, the film garnered a disappointing $64.9 million at the global box office, a performance far below expectations. Speaking on The Talking Pictures podcast, Robbie, 34, expressed her frustration and disbelief.
“I don’t get it either,” she said. “I know I’m biased because I’m so close to the project and believe in it, but I still can’t figure out why people hated it. I wonder if in 20 years, people will say, ‘Wait, Babylon didn’t do well at the time?’ Like when you find out The Shawshank Redemption was a failure initially and think, ‘How is that possible?’”
The story of babylon
The film explored themes of ambition and decadence through the rise and fall of multiple characters in Hollywood’s early years. Robbie portrayed Nellie LaRoy, an overnight star whose journey through the industry was marred by drug use, wild parties, and a series of destructive choices. Brad Pitt played Jack Conrad, a celebrated actor whose hedonistic lifestyle led to multiple failed marriages and scandals.
Diego Calva starred as Manny Torres, a young dreamer entering Hollywood’s elite circles and becoming captivated by Nellie. The film opened with an extravagant, debauched party filled with excesses of every kind—a sequence Robbie described as a “party-slash-orgy.”
Despite its bold vision and detailed craftsmanship, Babylon polarised critics and audiences.
Divided reception
On the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, Babylon holds an approval rating of 57%, based on 363 reviews. The critics’ consensus reads, “Babylon’s overwhelming muchness is exhausting, but much like the industry it honours, its well-acted, well-crafted glitz and glamour can often be an effective distraction.”
Viewer feedback, however, was far harsher. One critic wrote, “Surely there came a point in this extravaganza when the director, the producers, the actors, and the catering team began to feel it had all gone wrong.” Another remarked, “So bad it’s shocking. Such a waste of acting talent. This is what happens when Hollywood calls someone a genius and lets them create without ever thinking twice about their decisions.”
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A hope for redemption
Robbie remains optimistic that Babylon may eventually find its audience. She compared the film’s reception to that of The Shawshank Redemption, which initially underperformed but later achieved classic status.
“It’s a film I’m incredibly proud of,” Robbie said. “I think there’s something beautiful about creating art that stirs conversation, even if it’s divisive. Sometimes, films need time to resonate with people.”
The challenges of ambition
The mixed reactions to Babylon highlight the risks involved in ambitious filmmaking. While its depiction of unbridled ambition and excess mirrored the chaos of the era it portrayed, audiences struggled to connect with the film’s sprawling narrative and provocative content.
For now, Babylon remains a divisive chapter in modern cinema—celebrated by some for its daring approach and dismissed by others as an overindulgent misfire. Whether it eventually gains the recognition Robbie hopes for remains to be seen, but the actress’s passion for the project remains unwavering.
As Hollywood continues to explore bold and unconventional stories, Babylon serves as a reminder of the thin line between triumph and disaster in the pursuit of cinematic greatness.
