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Drama

Babel (2006): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch

Babel (2006) movie poster

Babel is a 2006 drama directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, starring Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt. It runs 2 hours 23 minutes and earned $135.3 million worldwide. It won 1 Oscar, including Music (Original Score), and 5 awards in all. Critics gave it 68% on Rotten Tomatoes and 69 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.5/10. Stream it on Hoopla and Kanopy, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.

IMDb rating
7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes
68%
worldwide gross
$135.3M
Oscar won
1
Where to watch Watch the trailer
Babel (2006) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 23m (143 min)
Director
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Genre
Drama
Original language
Arabic
Studio
Paramount Vantage
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Babel About?

The premise of Babel without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A single gunshot in Morocco sets off a chain of events that connect the lives of four families spanning continents. An American couple faces a dangerous situation, while two young boys in Morocco commit an unintentional crime. A nanny undertakes a challenging journey with two American children, and in Japan, a teenager struggles against societal expectations and parental control. Each family's story is deeply affected by the others, highlighting the complexities of communication and connection in a fractured world.

Babel Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • deaf girl
  • cultural difference
  • language barrier
  • original story
  • 4 stories
  • multiple perspectives
  • female rear nudity
  • female full frontal nudity
  • public nudity
  • upskirt
  • female nudity
  • schoolgirl uniform
+38 more
  • japanese teenage girl
  • rifle
  • goat
  • american
  • jackal
  • sids
  • tokyo japan
  • japanese schoolgirl
  • goatherd
  • border security
  • voyeur
  • voyeurism
  • tragic event
  • pregnancy
  • peeping tom
  • destiny
  • tazarine morocco
  • pregnant bride
  • sex scene
  • teenage girl
  • sign language
  • seduction
  • prostitute
  • muslim
  • masturbation
  • immigrant
  • dysfunctional marriage
  • nonlinear timeline
  • deafness
  • nanny
  • girl's locker room
  • incest
  • scantily clad female
  • undressing
  • vagina
  • child uses a gun
  • child with a gun
  • child
Where to watch

Where to Watch Babel

Stream it on Hoopla and Kanopy, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.

Stream 4

Rent or buy 6

Streaming availability in the US, powered by JustWatch logo

Cast & crew

Babel Cast

Cate Blanchett leads the cast, with Brad Pitt. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.

Ratings

Babel Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Babel 68% on Rotten Tomatoes and 69 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.5/10.

Plot

Babel Plot Summary

What happens in Babel from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

A Moroccan Arab sells a shotgun to a goat herder, who plans to use it against the jackals threatening his herd. He hands the rifle to his sons, who practice shooting at various targets during their herding. In a reckless move, the youngest takes aim at a passing tour bus and fires a shot, causing the bus to halt abruptly.

Full summary

The whole story of Babel, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Babel Box Office

Babel grossed $135.3 million worldwide. $34.3 million came from the US and Canada and $101 million (75%) from the rest of the world.

2006 box office

Worldwide gross

$135.3M

US & Canada
$34.3M
International
$101M
US & Canada 25% Rest of the world 75%
Awards

Babel Awards & Nominations

Babel won 1 Oscar, including Music (Original Score), and 5 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Golden Globes 2007, with 3 wins from 6 nominations.

5 wins28 nominations6 ceremonies

Show all 6 ceremonies
Videos

Babel Trailers & Videos

2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 teaser.

Babel [ Trailer 2006 ] [ ENG ] - 1080p
  • Teaser Babel - Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Babel?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What drives the Moroccan businessman to equip the goat herder with rifles?
Cars

Cars in Babel

22 cars on screen, including the 1988 Chrysler New Yorker and the Mercedes-Benz Unknown.

All 22 cars
  • 1988 Chrysler New Yorker in Babel 1988 Chrysler New Yorker Main role
  • Mercedes-Benz Unknown in Babel Mercedes-Benz Unknown Main role
  • 1997 GMC Yukon in Babel 1997 GMC Yukon Important role
  • 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Klasse W220 in Babel 2000 Mercedes-Benz S-Klasse W220 Important role
Details

Babel Also Known As

16 alternative titles, including “火線交錯” and “巴别塔”.

Also known as
  • 火線交錯
  • 巴别塔
  • Вавилон
  • 바벨
  • バベル
  • بابل
  • 通天塔
  • Babil
  • Bábel
  • בבל
  • Βαβέλ
  • Bābele
+4 more
  • Babelis
  • Tháp Babel
  • 巴別塔, ბაბილონი
  • อาชญากรรม / ความหวัง / การสูญเสีย

Seen Babel?
More like this

Movies Like Babel

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Marocco, Birth and Tabu.

From the blog

Articles About Babel

3 articles about Babel. The latest: “The Power of International Co-Productions in Cinema”.

FAQ

Babel FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office

Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and awards of Babel, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Babel?

Babel runs 2 hours 23 minutes (143 minutes).

When was Babel released?

Babel was released on October 27, 2006.

Who directed Babel?

Babel was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.

More films by Alejandro González Iñárritu

Who is in the cast of Babel?

Babel stars Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt.

Where can I watch Babel?

In the US, Babel is streaming on Hoopla, Kanopy and Paramount Plus Essential and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).

How much did Babel make at the box office?

Babel grossed $135.3 million worldwide ($34.3 million domestic, $101 million international).

How is Babel rated?

Babel has 7.5/10 on IMDb, 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, 69 on Metacritic and 72% on TMDB.

What awards did Babel win?

Babel won 5 awards from 28 nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes 2007.

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