Love it or hate it, and there seems to be quite a sizable population in both camps, there’s no denying that Babylon is chiefly here to send a dazzlingly bright, stupendously loud, and ultimately surreal message about being just that. Indeed, from what we’ve seen of Damien Chazelle‘s latest venture, we can’t fathom something more evocative.
And what we’ve seen of Babylon has grown a touch wider since earlier today, when we got a peek at the second trailer for the depraved spectacle.
It doesn’t shoot for the moon in as quite deranged a fashion as the first trailer did, but it more than offers up a glimpse of what we’re in for; that being a healthy overdose of some star-studded debauchery, complete with all the drugs, sex, and near-death experiences that 1920s Hollywood no doubt built a foundation out of. Perhaps the most intriguing bit of this new trailer is a closer look at Tobey Maguire’s character of James McKay, a fictionalized version of the real-life director who’s giving off more than his fair share of ominous vibes; think Jim Parsons’ take on Henry Wilson in the Netflix series Hollywood, except with less attention to dental hygiene and more stimulating narcotics.
Perhaps more perilous than the plights faced by Babylon‘s characters will be the film’s battle at the box office; early opinions are currently all over the spectrum, and there’s no telling at the moment whether Babylon will go down in history as one of the 21st century greats, or fade into obscurity with a bang that only this film’s ambition could do.
Babylon will release to theaters in the United States on Dec. 23.