Prior to Babylon, Chazelle had received acclaim for films like Whiplash, which won three Oscars and several other awards, and the six-time Oscar winner La La Land. So, it came as a surprise when Babylon received bad reviews. The film currently has a 57 percent critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, the release of the star-studded Babylon was met with mixed reviews and a disappointing box office, and Margot Robbie is still confused as to why audiences hated the film. Babylon depicts the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.