Babel (2006)
If you want to be understood... listen.
Tragedy strikes a married couple vacationing in the Moroccan desert, which jumpstarts an interlocking story involving four different families.
Rent on Prime Video $3.99 (opens in a new tab) Buy on Prime Video $4.99 (opens in a new tab)
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 26 October 2006 |
| Genre | Drama |
| Director | Alejandro G. Iñárritu |
| Starring | Brad Pitt, Rinko Kikuchi and Adriana Barraza |
| Runtime | 143 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 6.8/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 69% · Metacritic 69/100 · TMDB users 7.2/10 |
| Budget | $25 million |
Where to watch Babel
Babel is streaming on Paramount+ ($13.99 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Paramount+ is $13.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 28 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
You can rent Babel on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and JustWatch TV Store. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Babel in 1 other country
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Canada | Paramount+ |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Babel is a 2006 drama directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu. It runs 143 minutes, a length that feels like a long wait for a train that might not come. The film weaves together four distinct family stories, triggered by a single tragedy in the Moroccan desert. Brad Pitt, Rinko Kikuchi, and Adriana Barraza anchor the narrative. The hook is not the violence, but the silence that follows it. It is a study in how hard it is to be heard, even when you are screaming.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes holds the film at 69% as of November 2022. That translates to an average user rating of 6.8 out of 10, a figure reported in October 2021. Metacritic lands on 69 out of 100, which its scale defines as generally favorable. The critical consensus notes that the film has no villains, only victims of fate. Roger Ebert included it in his Great Movies list, praising the editing for its logical and emotional clarity. It finds Iñárritu in full command of his technique.
How it did with audiences
The film cost $25 million. It earned $34.3 million in North America and $101 million elsewhere, totaling $135.3 million worldwide. That return makes Babel the highest-grossing entry in González Iñárritu’s Death Trilogy, ahead of Amores perros and 21 Grams. On TMDB, users give it a 7.2 out of 10.
What came next for the cast
Cate Blanchett moved from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, a sequence that suggests a certain sustained commitment to elves. She also landed Thor: Ragnarok. Brad Pitt went from Fight Club to Inglourious Basterds, then to World War Z. The credits list the titles; they do not explain the pivot. Sometimes a career is just a series of interesting doors.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Babel.
Sources
- Babel on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q191074 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Babel (2006 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
Watch it without paying for the whole year
Binge Boss tracks the movie you are on and tells you which services you need this month, and which you can cancel.
Add Babel to your list