Babylon [Blu-ray] (Bilingual) – 1920s Hollywood Drama, 3 Hours 8 Minutes

Set in 1920s Los Angeles, Babylon follows a group of characters through early Hollywood’s ambition and excess. Its historical setting gives the drama a vivid backdrop for a feature-length movie night.

Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva lead an ensemble cast that also includes Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li and Jean Smart. Their performances bring the film’s intersecting characters to the foreground.

This bilingual Blu-ray edition runs for 3 hours and 8 minutes. English audio is listed in Dolby Digital 5.1, making the disc a fit for viewers planning a longer, story-led watch.

Quick overview

Damien Chazelle’s Babylon looks at the rise and fall of several characters during an era of change and decadence in early Hollywood. Rather than following a single career, it weaves together multiple lives against the backdrop of the film industry in 1920s Los Angeles. That ensemble approach gives the story room to explore different ambitions and experiences within the same period.

The cast is a central draw, with Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva joined by Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li and Jean Smart. For viewers who enjoy films centred on a large cast and a specific historical setting, the combination offers more than a straightforward portrait of one star or one career. The Canadian home video rating is Ages 14 and over.

Best use cases

Choose this disc for a planned feature-length viewing when you want a dramatic story rooted in early Hollywood, with a broad ensemble and a mix of comedy and drama. Its 3-hour-and-8-minute runtime makes it better suited to setting aside time for the full film than to a quick viewing between other activities. The Blu-ray format also suits viewers who prefer a physical movie disc as part of their collection.

Compared with choosing a shorter film for a casual evening, Babylon offers a much longer look at several characters and their ambitions. That makes it a natural pick for viewers drawn to period settings, film-industry stories and ensemble casts. Buyers’ opinions reflect that variety: many appreciate the acting and historical context, while reactions to the story and overall entertainment value are mixed. Some viewers also report functionality concerns, so feedback on the disc experience is not uniform.

Practical tips

Set aside enough time to watch the full feature, and use a Blu-ray player suited to the disc’s NTSC format. English audio is specified as Dolby Digital 5.1. The edition is identified as bilingual, and the product’s language details also list French, Portuguese and Spanish, English is the language explicitly associated with the audio format.

If you are choosing the film for a shared movie night, its mix of comedy and drama and its depiction of early Hollywood give viewers more than one angle to discuss afterwards. The ensemble and the period setting can also appeal to people interested in the people and ambitions behind a changing film industry.

Questions before you buy

What is Babylon about? Set in 1920s Los Angeles, the film follows several characters through the rise and fall of their ambitions during an era of excess in early Hollywood.

How long is the film? The runtime is 3 hours and 8 minutes, so plan for a full-length viewing.

What audio information is listed? English audio is specified in Dolby Digital 5.1. The edition is marked bilingual, with French, Portuguese and Spanish also named in its language details.

Buying verdict

Babylon suits viewers looking for an extended, ensemble-led drama set in early Hollywood, rather than a brief or narrowly focused story. Its period backdrop, cast and blend of comedy and drama give the feature a clear identity, while the Blu-ray edition offers a physical format for a planned movie night or a film collection.