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Babylon (2022)
Babylon (2022) poster

Babylon (2022)

Drama, Comedy • 3h 9m

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cast: Diego Calva, Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Jovan Adepo, Jean Smart, J.C. Currais, Jimmy Ortega, Marcos A. Ferraez, Shane Powers, Phoebe Tonkin, Troy Metcalf, Hansford Prince, Telvin Griffin, Cutty Cuthbert, Albert Hammond Jr., Flea, Olivia Wilde, Bregje Heinen, Tal Seder, Dana Marcolina, Robert Morgan, Nana Ghana, E.E. Bell, Joe Dallesandro, Solomon Shiv, Karina Fontes, Circus-Szalewski, Lukas Haas, Li Jun Li, Kaia Gerber, Patrick Fugit, Eric Roberts, Cici Lau, David Lau, Tyler Seiple, Zack Newick, Rory Scovel, Olivia Hamilton, P.J. Byrne, Alexandre Chen, Bob Clendenin, Miraj Grbić, Johnny Hoops, James Wellington, Carlos Nunez, Max Minghella, Laura Steinel, Danny Jolles, James Vincent, Richard Clarke Larsen, Samara Weaving, Jeff Garlin, Anthony Burkhalter, Terry Walters, Trisha Simmons, Ariel Flores, Karolina Szymczak, Sean O'Bryan, David Ury, Katia Gomez, Vanessa Bednar, Carson Higgins, Armando Cosio, Frederick Koehler, Spencer Morgan, Ric Sarabia, Jim Allen Jackson, Katherine Waterston, Yissendy Trinidad, Cyrus Hobbi, Anton Hedayat, Hayley Huntley, John Mariano, Christopher Allen, Arely Vianet, Jeremy Roberts, Alex Reznik, Chloe Fineman, Pat Skipper, John Kerry, Sarah Ramos, Jennifer Grant, Julian Lefevre, Taylor Nichols, Bryan Scott Johnson, Kelly Meyer, Brenna Power, David Abed, Kevin Symons, Jonathan Thomson, Jim O'Brien, Chris Doubek, Dorian Martin, Todd Giebenhain, Mather Zickel, Ireland Sexton, Andrew Hawtrey, Mike Fletcher, Jonathan Ohye, James Crittenden, Pete Ploszek, Robert Beitzel, Ethan Suplee, Tobey Maguire, Walker Hare, Douglas Fruchey, Taylor Hill, Marc Platt, Noah Reilly, Stephen Thomas, John Macey, Kenajuan Bentley, Karen Bethzabe, Sophia Magaña, Oscar Balderrama, Aurielle Simmons, Eamon Hunt, Jeremy Lappitt, Robert Verdi, Kenneth Foerch, Sean Franz, Jonathan Stehney, Andrew Leonard, Richard Dobeck, Alex Budman, Jacob Scesney, Frank Fontaine, Anibal Seminario, Scott Mayo, Dan Kaneyuki, Alex Sadnik, Gerald Dixon, Rickey D. Woodard, Jonathan James Thompson, Francis C. Edemobi, Larry O. Williams, Aaron Shaw, Micah Wright, Rayner Fernandez, Glen Turner, Roy Wiegand, Bryce Schmidt, Sean Billings, Aaron O. Smith, Justin Gilmore, Johnny Britt, Keith Beyer, Luis Gonzalez, Francisco Torres, Gary Hickman, Steve Suminski, Wendell Kelly, Byron Sleugh, Ryan Porter, Jeffery Miller, Mykail McDade, William Roper, Philip Keen, Erm Navarro, Alvin Starks, Robert Murray, John Polite, Errol Rhoden III, Kyle Richter, Sidney Hopson, Ronald Bruner, Dramane Kone, Lyndon Rochelle, Joey de Leon, Dayramir Gonzàlez, Greg Sadler, Michael Naishtut, Joseph Small, Avery Baylin, Jalen Harvey, Lara Wickes, Andrew Lederman, Karen Han, Justin Smith, Mateo Pollock, Hamed Santigui Camara, Brandon Owens, John Fluker, Jordan Seigel, Ralph Nader, Kevin Toney, Eric Reed, John Proulx, Michael Bustamante, Darrell Alston, Evan Greer, Gregory Poree, Joshua Alfaro, Brent Tyler, Ian Wurfl, Keelan Tobia, Justin Hargrove, Greg Webster, Luis Vadel, Benjamin Jacobson, Dean Anderson, Joel Pargman, Steve Huber, Eric Boulanger, Fernando Arroyo Lascurain, Lora'nd Lokustza, Michael Freed, Robert Miskey, Robin Olson, Aaron Oltman, Peter Hatch, Phillip Triggs, Rodney Wirtz, Zach Dellinger, Benjamin Hoffman, Benjamin Penzner, Alex Mansour, Evgeny Tonkha, Michael Kaufman, Steve Velez, Raymond Newell, Del Atkins, Edwin Livingston, Miguel Norwood, Frank Abraham, Richard Simon, Marlon Martinez, Spike Jonze, Lewis Tan, Manny Liotta, Freya Parker, Anna Chazelle, Mike C. Manning, Anna Dahl, Jennifer Mariela Bermeo, Azizi Donnelly, Masha Ko, Ana Bergman, Edwin Taylor, Kevin Kaouthomn

Best English-friendly & video release

Updated 1 year ago


UHD tiers

Excellent
Paramount

About the film

A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, tracing the rise and fall of multiple characters in an era of unbridled decadence and depravity during Hollywood's transition from silent films to sound films in the late 1920s.

More from Damien Chazelle

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Director: Damien Chazelle

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Upcoming Release:

US Lionsgate Limited 4K Blu-ray re-release announced with Dolby Vision, a new exclusive bonus, and the previously retailer pre-order bonus-exclusive/Hong Kong-exclusive bonus interviews in HD

Video Notes:

Italy Eagle Pictures has DV, better encode, and no brightness shifts compared to Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray for the original Dolby Atmos mix

Additional Info:

Hong Kong Panorama 4K Blu-ray has two interviews available in HD that are SD everywhere else and only included as retailer-exclusive pre-order bonus DVDs with the US Blu-ray

Director: Damien Chazelle

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Director: Damien Chazelle

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

IMAX scenes are reference quality, everything else is solid

More from Paramount

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Director: Robert Zemeckis

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray

Director: Martin Scorsese

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow UK 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Arrow UK 4K Blu-ray > Paramount US and Capelight DE, same black crush on all three but the Arrow is encoded by FiM and has very good new supplements, the Capelight looks slightly low-passed, but in motion it probably looks about the same as the Paramount, see caps comparison for all three.

Audio Notes:

Arrow and Paramount basically sound the same, the Arrow has a slightly higher bitrate. Capelight is probably the same too but for now it's TBA.

Additional Info:

Paramount US 4K Blu-ray has FEL Dolby Vision 

Arrow UK 4K Blu-ray and Capelight DE 4K Blu-ray have MEL Dolby Vision

Director: Steven Spielberg

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray Purist choice: Blu-ray

Sources: YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray new improved master with color grading and slight issues. Blu-ray is old master with original color grading

Best Audio:

Blu-ray 5.1

Additional Info:

The Paramount 4K Blu-ray has a much better new scan that removes the original extremely dated color grading. This is an improvement on one hand but a definite revisionist change on the other. There is the expected grain management and slight HDR issues in addition to encoding quirks from Paramount. It is a giant improvement over the original Blu-ray but the color change and other issues means that the Blu-ray is one to keep for purists to have the as-is original iteration of the film's presentation. Audio wise the film has been remixed into Atmos but it merely seems like a slightly tweaked and frankly tamed version of the original 5.1. Of the two I prefer the Blu-ray 5.1. The original Blu-ray was Dolby TrueHD and the reissue Blu-ray in the four film Blu-ray collection boxset was DTS-HDMA.

DFIC extensive review: https://youtu.be/evsrJOTIjdA?si=wtdWGxZBfhPYTIeW

Director: Alex Proyas

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray (30th anniv.)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Best English-Friendly & Video:

US Paramount Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray Dec 15th

Video Notes:

US Paramount Blu-ray > International WB Blu-ray

Director: Tony Scott

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

70mm 6-track mix in 5.1: Paramount THX LaserDisc

Dolby Stereo mix in 2.0: Paramount THX LaserDisc

Additional Info:

The 70mm 6-track mix has a higher bitrate on the Paramount 1998 DVD, but is more limited than on the THX LaserDisc The Paramount 1998 DVD also has open matte versions in fullscreen 1.33:1 and widescreen 2.00:1 instead of the theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1, but the 2.00:1 widescreen presentation is non-anamorphic. The THX LaserDisc is available in both fullscreen 1.33:1 and widescreen 2.00:1 variants.

Director: Terrence Malick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Lovely underlying remaster by Criterion and Resillion but encode is sadly low-pass filtered by Pixelogic, and even then, the encode is still less than ideal. Still easily obliterates any prior disc release, but certainly wouldn't hurt to have a UK or German label take a crack at this same master.

Best Audio:

1999 Paramount DVD

Director: Peter Faiman

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Australia Cut: Australia Fox DVD

International Cut: Paramount Blu-ray

Encore Cut: Germany Winkler Film 4K Blu-ray, censored but good encoding

Sources: movie-censorship.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

US Paramount 4K Blu-ray, is the International US Cut and not the Encore Cut

Best Audio:

Australia Cut: Laserdisc

Additional Info:

The film exists in three versions:
- the original Australian cut (~104 minutes at 24fps/~100 minutes at 25fps);
- the American/international version (~98 minutes at 24fps/~94 minutes at 25fps) trimming some exposition in the Outback first half of the film and some shorter extensions of a few seconds in the New York section, altering some of the dialogue – including censoring a "fuck" to "screw" – but featuring one additional dialogue extension not in the Australian version (a comparison of the two cuts can be found at Movie Censorship);
- the Australian Encore Cut (~95 minutes at 24fps/~91 minutes at 25fps) which uses the international version source so it already has those alterations but also removes approximately three minutes consisting of parts of two scenes featuring Mick grabbing the crotch of a cross-dressing prostitute and a later sequence when he does the same thing at a party to a woman with a deep voice (a comparison of the international version and the Encore Cut can be found at Movie Censorship).

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2D version: Paramount Blu-ray

3D version: Paramount 3D Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray on October 26 2026

Director: Billy Wilder

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray or Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray. See caps
HDR/grading: nice, but some blown out
Encoding: inconsistent, smeared motion
DNR: inconsistent, frozen
Old Paramount Blu-ray is arguably a solid alternative choice

Best Audio:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray mono

Audio Notes:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray mono is different version of the Blu-ray mono from the same old 2000 DVD transfer.

Additional Info:

The 5.1 remix on the 4K Blu-ray is an appalling remix done by going wild with artificially generated stems from Park Road Post who were given the surviving mono to separate. The experience is jarring and fidelity to original mix in terms of level balance, directionality and impact is nonexistent. Not only does this sound painfully weird, but the Paramount mixers then did whatever they wanted in terms of LFE, sound pans and effect changes.
The original mono mix was not restored and still needs it badly. The 4K master is filled with frozen grain examples coming and going plus some HDR issues in addition to the usual Paramount problems. It is simultaneously better and worse than the Blu-ray master.

More Drama on Blu-ray

Director: Robert Altman

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Vinegar Syndrome Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Cinematrographe's HDR grading is overcooked, which is a known VinSyn tendency. Additionally, their booklet mis-credits the encode to FiM.

YMMV, but for some, the included BD encoded by Marcus Johnson—ironically may make for a more pleasing experience.

Director: Roman Polanski

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

UK 4K teased by 88 Films https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?p=24252379

Video Notes:

Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray > Vinegar Syndrome 4K Blu-ray (better encode on Carlotta without any low-pass filtering, more extras and English subtitles on Vinegar Syndrome)

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Best English-Friendly & Video:

MGM Blu-ray

Director: Steve Gordon

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Director: John Woo

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray or Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Plaion Germany 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow has a different grade and a better encode than the Shout! Factory, though the difference in either is not major. Imprint release, which leaves Shout! Factory's master and subtitles as is, is encoded by FiM. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24473097&postcount=56

Best Audio:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Audio Notes:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray (similar to Criterion LaserDisc, but less distorted)

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Arrow used the alternate mix, but with extra filtering and lowered dynamic range. The alternate mix has much better fidelity.

Imprint presumably used the Shout! Factory original mix and left it as is, though no official confirmation.

Additional Info:

Arrow has a much better translation.

Arrow LE has the Taiwan Extended Cut which will not be present on the standard edition. However, Imprint is FiM and has its own archival extras not present on the Arrow.

Director: Richard Brooks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Vincent Sherman

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Jonathan Demme

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Criterion Blu-ray has exclusive extras

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vanshady

· last reviewed 1 year ago

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