Damien Chazelle, the youngest director ever to win an Oscar for Best Director, might have thought he had a blank check for life after Whiplash and La La Land. But after two consecutive underperformers, he recently admitted on The Big Picture podcast that getting back into the big leagues is tough. Now, he's working on a prison drama with Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig. Meanwhile, his last two ambitious projects are finding new life on streaming.
One of those is the unconventional biopic First Man, starring Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong. It grossed about $100 million worldwide on a $70 million budget. But the real head-scratcher is Chazelle's follow-up: Babylon, a three-hour love letter to 1920s Hollywood told through three characters—an aspiring starlet (Margot Robbie), a fading legend (Brad Pitt), and a wide-eyed newcomer (Diego Calva). The film also features Tobey Maguire, Samara Weaving, Jovan Adepo, and Jean Smart.
When Babylon hit theaters, it was a massive flop. With a reported budget of $80 million, it earned only $65 million worldwide—just $15 million in North America. Paramount reportedly lost nearly $90 million on the project. Critics were divided, giving it a 57% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus called it “overwhelming” but admitted its “well-acted, well-crafted glitz and glamour can often be an effective distraction.”
Despite the initial reception, a passionate fanbase—dubbed the “Babylon Hive”—has championed the film ever since. It's well on its way to cult status, and streaming has helped. You can currently watch Babylon on Netflix, but only until June 7, 2026. After that, it's gone from the platform.
If you're looking for other cult favorites leaving Netflix soon, check out Harrison Ford's underrated Cold War thriller K-19: The Widowmaker and the dark war epic The Deer Hunter. And for something new, Netflix's The Boroughs is a grown-up sci-fi replacement for Stranger Things.
Whether you love it or hate it, Babylon is a spectacle worth seeing—especially if you're a fan of Chazelle's maximalist style. Don't miss your chance to stream it before it disappears.
