"Babylon is at its strongest when diving into how films were made during the silent era, large-scale sets and all, but falls flat when pivoting to narratives that end up being cliché-ridden. Everything from the over-the-top production design to the costumes and mesmerizing cinematography is masterful. Chazelle’s frequent collaborator Justin Hurwitz continues to stun with an incredible score that samples from and expands upon his work on La La Land and perfectly underscores the unhinged events that unfold."

Read more of Jihane Bousfiha's review here

"Campion’s austere command over the (in)visible reveals itself in the specter of time as we watch the gradual disintegration of a repressed soul. Through the folds of sunlight and shadow a mountain ridge yields, we see all of Phil, yet, we know nothing. The darkness lies in Cumberbatch’s snarl, under the suffocation of his vacant gaze; yet the sun of his charm persists. His wickedness is a puzzle: the world feels beneath him, his formidable wit surrounded by asinine bozos, something only mollified by well-placed insults."

Read more of Dylan Foley's review here

"It is a shame, then, that a figure as inspiring as Pauli Murray is rendered with such uninspiring filmmaking. The documentary is simply not cinematic enough. It is bogged down by lengthy on-screen text — quotes, love letters, bills, newspaper cuttings, doctors’ reports, legal documents, you name it — that, coupled with the overreliance on slow pans across archive photographs, stunts the film’s rhythm and makes it visually flat. Devices that are initially effective, such as tension-building split screens that show Murray facing off with powerful, sometimes ideologically opposed figures, grow tired through excessive use."

Read more of Yasmin Omar's review here