movies & tv
Share icon

Share

Published

Featured image

Homemovies & tv

Get our Pub Quizzes and latest news straight to you by clicking here »

While it did not fare well at the box office, the film has garnered a devoted legion of fans.

Our TV movie pick for tonight (Saturday, 25 April) is Babylon, the epic historical comedy-drama from Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash).

Set during the decadent days of early Hollywood, the film centres around Manny Torres (Diego Calva, The Night Manager), a Mexican immigrant who dreams of making it in Tinseltown. As such, he works his way up through the behind-the-scenes side of the business.

Babylon's efforts to capture the hedonism of the era caused a slight bit of controversy upon release. In Ireland, the movie was handed a rare 18 rating.

This emphasis on depicting drug use and sex, along with the film's whopping 189-minute running time, was no doubt a factor in its divided reception.

The movie appeared to earn both scorn and praise from critics in equal measure. Indeed, it currently holds a 57% Rotten Tomatoes score.

That said, elements of the film were also singled out for praise. These include the scenes detailing how older films were made, Chazelle's vivid and immersive direction, Justin Hurwitz's energetic and Oscar-nominated score, Robbie's fearless performance, and Tobey Maguire's memorable supporting turn as a menacing gangster to whom Manny and Nellie wind up in debt.

Despite earning three Oscar nominations, Babylon only grossed $64.9 million at the box office on a reported $78-80 million budget.

In the years since its release, however, the movie has grown to be seen as a new cult classic in some quarters.

Babylon is airing on TV tonight on Channel 4 at 11pm. It is also available to rent on Apple TV, Curzon, Google Play, Prime Video and the Sky Store.

Here are the other movies on TV tonight:

Armageddon - Comedy Central - 9pm

Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck are blue-collar deep-core drillers sent by NASA to stop a gigantic asteroid on a collision course with Earth in this hugely entertaining sci-fi disaster flick.

Living - Channel 4 - 9pm

Bill Nighy earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his lead role in this 2022 drama about a bureaucrat in 1950s London who learns he has a fatal illness.

Daredevil - Film4 - 9pm

The Ben Affleck-led take on the superhero, who you can now watch on the small screen.

Wanted - Legend - 9pm

Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy play assassins who can bend bullets in this bonkers action thriller based on a comic book.

USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage - Legend Xtra - 9pm

Nicolas Cage headlines this World War II-set disaster film based on true events.

Taxi Driver - TG4 - 10.15pm

"You talkin' to me?"

Best Men - Virgin Media Three - 11pm

A poorly reviewed '90s crime comedy with Drew Barrymore about a group of groomsmen who become involved in a bank robbery on the way to a wedding.

Gold Run - BBC Four - 11pm

A 2022 Norwegian World War II thriller based on true events.

Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin - Film4 - 11.05pm

The decent found footage horror sequel that we recommended recently.

The Quiet American - RTÉ One - 11.15pm

Brendan Fraser and Michael Caine star in this excellent drama set in 1950s Vietnam that is based on a Graham Greene novel.

Sabotage - Legend - 11.20pm

Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in this 2014 thriller as the leader of a crack team of drug enforcement agents who start getting picked off one by one after stealing a lot of money.

Candyman - BBC One - 12.10am

The stylish 2021 sequel to the classic '90s horror.

Titane - Film4 - 1am

This unforgettable 2021 body horror psychological drama from France follows a murderous model (Agathe Rousselle), fascinated with automobiles, who forms an unconventional relationship with a grieving father (Vincent Lindon)

The Guest - Legend - 1.35am

In this brilliant thriller, Dan Stevens plays a US soldier who unexpectedly visits a grieving couple, introducing himself as a friend of their son who died in combat.

Taken in by the family, the couple's daughter (Maika Monroe) begins to suspect there is more to the soldier than meets the eye.