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Dutch actress-turned-director Halina Reijn burst onto the scene two years ago with Bodies Bodies Bodies, a comedic slasher that showcased some of the best young talent the industry has to offer. While the A24-produced horror comedy made waves (much in part due to Rachel Sennott’s hilarious line deliveries), it felt as if Reijn’s direction was far stronger than the screenplay at hand. Now, with Babygirl, her English-language film debut as both writer and director, Halina Reijn is able to flaunt just how much she has to offer.
Babygirl follows high-powered CEO Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman), who seemingly has it all: a loving family, lavish homes in both the big city and the suburbs, and a robotics empire at her fingertips. While no one leads a perfect existence, it seems as though the predictable and routine-like sex life Romy shares with her husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas), a committed theatre director, is where things truly fall flat. Romy often turns to porn to finish the job, which is nothing to be ashamed of, but in the context of continuously faking enjoyment and evading communication, she plays just as big of a part in this unfulfilling pattern as her partner.
Romy doesn’t begin to vivaciously yearn for change until she meets Samuel (Harris Dickinson), a significantly younger intern at her tech company whose boyish nature exudes from his mysterious aura and noticeably creased baby blue dress shirt. Samuel’s remarkable ability to see right through the facade Romy constructed as a byproduct of being a high-ranking female CEO in a male-dominated industry impulsively draws her towards him. She knows exactly how this forbidden romance will end for them both, so Romy hesitates to concede to his allure, but that only heats things up. Their back and forth in the office soon leads to an infatuating crush, where just the swiftest glimpse is enough to send intoxicating amounts of adrenaline pumping through Romy’s veins.
Romy’s committed assistant, Esme (Sophie Wilde of Talk to Me fame), discreetly enrolls her in an internal scheme where Samuel has already chosen Romy as his mentor, so she can no longer avoid one-on-one time with the young man. Instinctually, Romy pushes back against Samuel’s unprofessional advances — but she wants to give in. Eventually, she does, and there starts a sultry, frenzied affair. Though we don’t learn as much about Samuel, the magnetic draw that the pair share suggests they are both clinging to each other in a time of dire emotional need. Brick by brick, the young intern tears down Romy’s walls and makes her feel seen, consequently teaching her about the power of confidence. He is everything that her marriage lacks and everything that her lust demands.
Coming off her 2024 hot streak of starring in Expats, A Family Affair, and The Perfect Couple, Nicole Kidman is simply outstanding in Babygirl and continues to demonstrate a fearless dedication to her craft as an actor. Her performance is a riveting display of raw vulnerability that breathes life into this modern woman with palpable facets. You can easily drift into her eyes, just like how Romy’s mind often strays away from reality and into fantasy. Similarly, Harris Dickinson (The Iron Claw, Triangle of Sadness) once again verifies why he is one of the industry’s most talked about young stars. His interpretation of Samuel is intentionally steadfast and assured, acting as a foil to the quiet chaos of Romy’s journey toward gaining that conviction in her private life.
Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson’s chemistry is both unrelenting and equally calculated in Babygirl. The effortless, impassioned tension shared between them can be cut with a knife but always remains easily distinguishable as pure sexual desire rather than actual partnership. Female pleasure can often be put on the back burner, whether that be in on-screen relationships or reality. Even when it does get focused on, women’s sexuality can be depicted in a demure manner that lacks authenticity and empathy. Babygirl explores the disarray and befuddlement that result from the journey a woman goes on when defining her own sexual needs. In crafting this plot of love and lust, writer-director Halina Reijn displays an unwavering dedication to honesty that is nothing short of valiant. Romy’s decisions don’t always make sense, but that makes this story feel all the more human.
Babygirl isn’t your average “age gap” or “secret office romance” tale. Additionally, it’s more than your average erotic thriller. The power dynamics shift and evolve repeatedly, raising the stakes and making it hard to discern how drastically different the lives of every character will be as a result of this singular, torrid affair when the credits begin to roll.
The White Lotus composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer elevates the movie with a score reminiscent of his signature quirky sound yet unique in its primal breathiness. The score plays a key role in amping up the restlessness evoked by the script’s tension from start to finish. All these meticulously crafted aspects of Babygirl are combined with pitch-perfect pacing, making for a refined, sensual, and candid psychological exploration. Filmmaker Halina Reijn is unabashed in her study of the taboo and what it means to be complexly imperfect.