Babylon (1980) | Little White Lies

Babylon (1980)

07 Mar 2019

Words by David Jenkins

Directed by Franco Rosso

Starring Archie Pool, Brinsley Forde, and Karl Howman

Man with dreadlocks wearing a navy blue coat with red and yellow stripes on the arms, standing in front of a building.
Man with dreadlocks wearing a navy blue coat with red and yellow stripes on the arms, standing in front of a building.
4

Anticipation.

Considered one of the great London movies. Does it live up to its rep?

5

Enjoyment.

Yes, big time. A film which treasures authenticity in its search for emotional body blows.

5

In Retrospect.

Fuck Thatcher.

Brooklyn’s BAM hosts the first ever US screenings of Franco Rosso’s reggae classic.

Babylon opens at BAM on 7 March before touring select cities. For more info visit bam​.org

You might like

Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey in Jurassic World: Rebirth
Review

Jurassic World: Rebirth review – struggles to find a justification for its existence

by David Jenkins

There’s just too much that’s wrong and sil­ly and deriv­a­tive about this tired, tired run-out.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Two men standing amongst concrete construction materials and metal posts on grass with modern glass building in background.
Review

The Shrouds review – precision filmmaking of the highest stripe

by David Jenkins

David Cronenberg’s melan­choly explo­ration of how we retain our con­nec­tion with the dead makes for one of his most beau­ti­ful love stories.

4
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Two people sitting on a railing, a man in a suit and a woman in overalls holding a container.
Review

Chicken Town review – how do you make a granddad selling weed boring?

by Thomas Boyd

Two schoolfriends join forces with an old man who accidentally started growing weed on his allotment in Richard Bracewell’s painfully unfunny comedy.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
M3gan in a beige outfit standing in dimly lit room with lamps.
Review

M3gan 2.0 review – a silly sequel shooting for action grandeur

by Kambole Campbell

The bot is back in this winking AI-themed caper movie which goes all out to expand the lore of the M3GAN universe. 

2
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Two people with the Sudanese flag painted on their face at a night-time event, with colourful lights and a crowd visible in the background.
Review

Sudan, Remember Us review – extremely powerful stuff

by Leila Latif

Hind Meddeb’s documentary poignantly captures the activist spirit of post-revolution Sudan.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Three people walking through a dense, overgrown landscape surrounded by tangled branches and foliage.
Review

28 Years Later review – Danny Boyle is finally back

by David Jenkins

Danny Boyle kickstarts a new zombie trilogy with this genuinely anarchic exploration of isolationism with superb turns from Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor Johnson.

2
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect