Halina Reijn’s Babygirl aims to be a smart sexy erotic drama. The film succeeds in making its leads look sexy but fails to be the erotic thriller of the season the film so strongly shoots for. It’s a shame because, after Reijn’s brutally funny Bodies Bodies Bodies, Babygirl fails to deliver what that film had in spades. Fun.

Nicole Kidman delivers one of her best performances in years and the film is oozing with tension. But that tension unfortunately never goes anywhere interesting and the film ends up being less of a role reversal, and more of a series of bad decisions. The two leads certainly have chemistry and look great on screen. This may be enough to sell audiences but it’s not enough to deliver a fantastic film.

Babyboy

Babygirl begins by turning the sex power dynamics so often shown in corporate America on its ear. Nicole Kidman plays Romy Mathis, a tech CEO who is married to the strikingly handsome Antonio Banderas and has two teenage daughters. She’s presented as the woman who has it all, except for a satisfying sex life.

Harris Dickinson plays Samuel, the quintessential grubby f***boy intern. The man seems to only wear suits that are two sizes too big and never leaves home unless adorned in a cheap silver chain. The two smoke cigarettes and playfully flirt until finally Romy gives in and becomes the sub to Samuel’s clearly inexperienced dom.

Sub and Sub-text

The theme of power and submission is clear here, with Romy holding so much power and craving the opportunity to be controlled. These sex scenes play out in dirty motels, five-star hotels, and sweaty dance clubs. All showing Romy letting loose and experiencing pure pleasure for the first time in years.

It’s an interesting power move but one that may glamourize the power swap a bit too sincerely. Romy is portrayed as a hero and badass but the film would never be able to pull off this portrayal if the roles were reversed. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t really deal with these questionable morals and only slightly admonishes the philandering power holding Romy.

Bad Boy

The film gets away with this by portraying Dickinson’s Samuel as the absolute worst. He’s whiney, aloof, and cries wolf the second Romy tries to break it off. He’s an utterly annoying character played to perfection by Dickinson. But the result of this perfect portrayal is that it becomes harder and harder to see his appeal.

After Samuel has his third or so temper tantrum, we are all left wondering what the gorgeous Nicole Kidman is still doing with him. Especially with Antonio Banderas at home. Harris Dickinson quickly loses his appeal as a man and it becomes harder and harder to imagine Kidman would risk everything for a few moments of bliss with this kid.

Role Reversal

Throughout the film, it’s impossible to not imagine what the movie would look like had the roles been reversed. It’s not necessarily the film’s fault that men in power have been doing awful things like this for years. But it is hard to have fun when the roles get reversed and our predator becomes a hero.

Romy Mathis has all the characteristics of a real-world villain. She’s sleeping with an intern, cheating on her husband, and betraying her children. The film even has the audacity to make her a forward-facing tech CEO. It’s impossible not to see the similarities between her and other inauguration-attending villains. But because Kidman is gorgeous and beloved, she gets away with it. It’s an interesting idea for sure, but the fact the film never really betrays Kidman and always paints her in the most forgiving light, is an odd choice.

Successful Sub

Ultimately Babygirl is a film about power. Just how successful this film is at making a stance on power is hard to determine. Kidman never gets her comeuppance, never suffers for her actions, and ends the movie better than she started. It’s an odd choice that paints Kidman as both a villain and a hero. But a character we root for regardless.

This trend of role-reversing power dynamics has had a moment in 2024 cinema. But like Zoe Kravitz’s Blink Twice, the message gets messy when it praises women for acting as badly as men. If Babygirl had had just a touch more tongue-in-cheek humor, maybe it would have resonated more. But as it stands the film is a little too serious for me to not take it seriously. It’s still one of Nichole Kidmans best performances in years, just not in one of her best movies.