Movie review
December 22, 2022 · 189 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Babylon follows the chaotic rise and fall of ambitious figures in late-1920s Hollywood amid the wild transition from silent films to sound. The story centers on a Mexican immigrant climbing the studio ranks, a reckless new starlet, and a fading silent-film icon amid nonstop parties, drugs, and excess. It includes visible LGBTQ elements through an on-screen lesbian romance and firing tied to the character’s identity, plus recurring racial assimilation and prejudice subplots.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Babylon.
Woke representation / casting
Visible lesbian romance between lead character Nellie and supporting lesbian character Lady Fay Zhu with explicit kiss and chemistry; diverse POC cast in prominent supporting roles.
Woke political dialogue
Occasional lines referencing prejudice but no sustained activist monologues or lectures.
Identity-driven story themes
Recurring subplots on Mexican assimilation, Black character facing racial humiliation, and lesbian character fired for her identity.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Depicts Hollywood’s shift to stricter morality as directly harming the lesbian character and pressuring the Black musician; shows industry racism and homophobia in period context.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
Production
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Minimal woke-specific backlash; controversy centered on vulgarity and excess rather than identity politics.
Creator track record context
No relevant prior work cited
