Damien Chazelle's Babylon looks to be a colorful, exuberant and outrageously entertaining period piece. Set to release on Christmas 2022, the film features a huge amount of talent all wrapped in one ensemble cast.
With Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tobey Maguire, Olivia Wilde, and more, Babylon will revisit Hollywood in the roaring 1920s as a young Mexican-American actor named Manny Torres attempts to pursue a career against the backdrop of wild shenanigans occurring in the iconic city. With the film releasing soon, there's no better time than now to revisit other Hollywood-set films!
Once Upon A Time ... In Hollywood (2019)
Stream On Starz
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From the modern master of cinema, Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon A Time ... In Hollywood details the relationship between friends, actor Rick Dalton and stuntman, Cliff Booth. While the film tells the underdog story of Dalton as he attempts to revive his film career in '60s Hollywood, Once Upon A Time ... In Hollywood also features many real-life people from the era.
Behind all the pretty colors and iconography of the '60s Hollywood aesthetic lies a darker story featuring Charles Manson's cult as they plan the 1969 Tate Massacre. While not the main focus of the film, it offers an interesting contrast to the fun plotline of Dalton and Booth.
The Disaster Artist (2017)
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Starring in the film and behind the director's chair, The Disaster Artist is quite possibly James Franco's best work. Starring alongside his brother, Dave, The Disaster Artist tells the real-life true story behind the making of Tommy Wiseau's infamous cult classic, The Room.
Based on the memoir of Wiseau's The Room co-star, Greg Sestero, the film chronicles Sestero's journey as an actor in Hollywood and meeting Wiseau to working on the ill-fated production of The Room. Set in the '90s, the film also features a large cast of familiar faces from the comedy world, such as Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Zac Efron, Bob Odenkirk, and more.
La La Land (2017)
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Given Damien Chazelle's love for music and film, it's no surprise he made a musical for his sophomore film outing. La La Land tells the story of Emma Stone's Mia as she tries to navigate a career in Hollywood while also falling in love with Ryan Gosling's Sebastian, who seeks a career in music.
The film is as funny as it is heartbreaking, but it includes brilliant cinematography, gorgeous visuals and amazing acting. Not only a highlight of film from the 2010s, La La Land will go down in history as one of the best films of the 21st century. Before seeing Babylon, La La Land is the perfect film to watch to get a taste of Chazelle's style.
The Majestic (2001)
Stream On Kanopy
Most likely a lesser-known film on this list, The Majestic is a criminally underrated film. Directed by Frank Darabont, the brilliant director behind The Shawshank Redemption and The Walking Dead, the film is about an up-and-coming screenwriter in '50s Hollywood played by Jim Carrey, who awakens from a car crash with amnesia and is mistaken for a missing World War II soldier.
The Majestic has a very nostalgic feel to it with its aesthetic and overall tone. Sadly, the film was overlooked in theaters due to competition from bigger films such as Ocean's Eleven, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Even after releasing on home media, the film has mostly faded into obscurity. With a great performance from lead Jim Carrey, The Majestic is certainly worth a watch.
Hail, Caesar! (2016)
Stream On Netflix
Directed by the Coen Brothers and including a talented ensemble cast, Hail, Caesar! deals with the fear of communism growing in the States during the Cold War.
While the film has a general storyline, it's juxtaposed with fun vignettes of the outrageous things that occurred in Hollywood during the '50s. The film also had Solo's Alden Ehrenreich in his breakout role as young Southern actor Hobie Doyle in what is one of the funniest scenes from the film, alongside Ralph Fiennes.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Stream On Disney+
Mixing the zany aesthetic of classic Disney films and Looney Tunes with classical Hollywood, Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a groundbreaking film that cleverly mixed live-action film with animation in a way that was never really done before in a feature-length film.
Initially given a budget of $50 million, the film is rumored to have gone over budget at $70 million due to a longer shooting schedule and all the work that went into post-production, which took 14 months, as described in James B. Stewart's DisneyWar. The film is a perfect example of brilliant craftsmanship and movie magic.
Hollywoodland (2006)
Stream On Starz
Based on the life of actor George Reeves, best known for playing Superman in Adventures of Superman in the '50s, Hollywoodland delves into the mystery surrounding his death. Ben Affleck stars as Reeves and even wears the iconic Superman costume, which is ironic considering he would go on to play Batman in Batman V Superman.
Originally set to be titled Truth, Justice and the American Way in reference to Superman's catchphrase, rights issues with DC forced Miramax to retitle the film to Hollywoodland. The film does an excellent job of evoking '50s Hollywood while also telling a very compelling mystery.
L.A. Confidential (1997)
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Set against the backdrop of '50s Hollywood, L.A. Confidential is about the intersection between police corruption and Hollywood celebrity. Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe star as two policemen who seek to stop the corruption as one of their fellow officers, played by Kevin Spacey, feeds vital confidential information to tabloids.
Spacey's character is also involved in trying to create a scandal for the paper due to his connections with city officials and Hollywood. The film is extremely exciting and thrilling, while also having the fun, recognizable aesthetic of the '50s. L.A. Confidential is undoubtedly one of the greatest film noir movies.
Tropic Thunder (2008)
Rent On Amazon & Apple TV
The ultimate satire of Hollywood, Tropic Thunder managed to assemble one of the greatest casts of all time. Directed by and starring Ben Stiller, Tropic Thunder pokes fun at every little thing in Hollywood from its lack of originality and the extreme measures method actors take to the over-the-top personalities of some celebrities.
Released at the perfect time, Tropic Thunder united so many with its great action and genius humor. It is a great watch and knows exactly what it's trying to be.
Ed Wood (1994)
Rent On Amazon & Apple TV
Similar in tone to The Disaster Artist, Ed Wood also features an eccentric filmmaker who thinks out of the box and must fight to get his work made. Not only does the film feature one of Johnny Depp's best performances, but it's also easily one of Tim Burton's best and most overlooked works.
The film was also ahead of its time, as it dealt with themes relating to gender identity. Shot in black-and-white, Ed Wood does a brilliant job at evoking the feel of classic black-and-white films, from its lighting to its shot selection.