Babygirl
2024

Opening 30 Jan 2025

Directed by: Halina Reijn
Writing credits: Halina Reijn
Principal actors: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, Sophie Wilde, Esther McGregor

Halina Reijn’s Babygirl is an uncomfortable watch, mainly due to the exploration of sexual dynamics between a high-powered tech CEO, Romy (Kidman), and her much younger intern, Samuel (Dickinson). Her character is both commanding and vulnerable, and she’s juggling a demanding career and a stable but uninspiring marriage to her playwright husband, Jacob (Banderas).

While Kidman’s portrayal of a woman caught between her professional persona and private longings offers moments of vulnerability, her character’s emotional arc feels underdeveloped, unable to evoke the depth the story seems to aim for. Rather than delving into the messy intricacies of desire and power, the interactions between Romy and Samuel often feel more contrived than genuinely charged. Dickinson’s portrayal, in particular, comes off as more of a symbol of Gen Z arrogance than a fully realized character.

While Babygirl attempts to critique gender dynamics and the limitations of female desire, its fragmented storytelling prevents the film from fully unpacking these themes. (Erin Huebscher)

Second Opinion

Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman) is married to Jacob (Antonio Banderas). They have two daughters, Isabel and Nora. Romy is the successful CEO of a robotic industry; Jacob is a successful theater director. All are happy, living in New York City. However, Romy has a problem: she can never experience an orgasm during sex with Jacob. She creates this feeling independently with her finger, after their personal sex is complete. (Never thought I’d write this in a review!) The problem is solved when she begins an affair with Samuel (Harris Dickinson), a young apprentice in her company; she feels “important to him as his director.” Samuel said he “choses Romy as his mentor.” Samuel also dates Esme (Sophie Wilde), who also works for Romy; he shows up with Esme at the family’s birthday party for Isabel. He also visits Jacob’s theater, slowly integrating himself into their family. Samuel gains influence by being in a situation where he can blackmail (extort) Romy to the point of her possibly losing her job, as well as her family.

The film opens with Romy and Jacob, having sex and the first sentence is, “I love you.” This is just the introduction to a film in which sex plays a major role, although dogs also have certain roles, and Samuel enjoys feeding them cookies. Perhaps not every viewer is interested in ongoing kissing and sex, but we can all definitely enjoy and appreciate the excellent performance of Nicole Kidman and all the other excellent actors. Kidman won best actress at Babygirl’s premiere at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. The film takes place in NYC, and I am still wondering why the title is Babygirl. Babyboy, i.e., Samuel who is probably about nineteen years old, would have been logical. Guess what: 1,840,000 ping pong balls can fit into one of the film’s rooms. (Becky Tan)