To the outside world she has the perfect life. She is CEO of her own company that is going places. She has a doting theatre director husband, Jacob (Antonio Banderas) and two daughters, Isabel (Esther McGregor) and Nora (Vaughan Reilly). But she has a metaphorical itch that has long needed scratching. And in the most unlikely of circumstances, it indeed is. At the same time, doing so puts in peril all she has worked so diligently to attain.
I speak of Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman), who is fashionable and highly regarded. Her successful warehouse automation business engages several new interns, one of whom immediately catches her eye. Earlier, on the street, she witnessed him calming a ferocious dog, who was in attack mode. Samuel (Harrison Dickinson) is not backward in coming forward. He knows what he wants and goes for it. He chooses Romy as his reluctant mentor and the tension in the air is palpable.
It is clear that physical intimacy between them is just a matter of time. It is he who will call the shots, he who will turn up unexpectedly and she who will succumb to the thrill and the danger. Romy – who has a decided kink (as does Samuel) – is used to vanilla sex, but this is anything but that. The age difference between them is no impediment. Both continue to push the boundaries. Unsurprisingly, matters will inevitably come to a head. It is merely a question of when.
Babygirl is about power and control. It is also about women climbing the corporate ladder and I don’t just speak here about Romy, but also of her personal assistant, Esme (Sophie Wilde). Esme has long sought a promotion and even though Romy has an equal opportunity firm and praises Esme’s work, Romy has been prevaricating.
Babygirl is in the same sexually charged milieu as Fatal Attraction (1987) and Basic Instinct (1992). Writer and director Halina Reijn (Instinct) draws us into a web of deceit, where the risk of exposure remains an ever-present threat. A further sexual element in the story is Romy’s eldest daughter Isabel’s interest in the same gender. The movie is tense throughout, with the music and sound effects (think heavy breathing) helping to drive the narrative.
Nicole Kidman throws caution to the wind in another fearless performance, in which she gives herself over to the risque storyline. She is a force to be reckoned with, whether wielding power or displaying vulnerability, which the role calls for. While there are elements of nudity in the film, the path chosen is largely one of eroticism.
I can’t say Harrison Dickinson is entirely likeable as the bolshie lead. Still, that makes him eminently watchable. Truth be told, he is the bad boy of the piece and this is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that women are drawn to bad boys. Antonio Banderas plays a largely thankless part as the straitlaced husband. Sophie Wilde makes her mark as the executive assistant who learns how to step up. Esther McGregor has a meaty role as the daughter unafraid of spreading her wings.
Babygirl certainly attracts attention – let’s face it, sex sells, and it always has and will – although I can’t say I was totally sold on what I saw as a convenient ending. Regardless, there is no doubting that this is Nicole Kidman’s vehicle and one where she deserves the accolades.
Score: 7.5-8/10
Alex First
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Here are Greg King’s thoughts about the film:
This provocative erotic thriller deals with sexuality, power dynamics, control, corporate politics, gender roles and female empowerment. The film has been written and directed by veteran Dutch actress turned filmmaker Halina Rein (responsible for the 2022 horror thriller Bodies Bodies Bodies) who is interested in female sexuality and exploring the shame that women of a certain age feel about their bodies. Rather than a risible exercise in exploitation, along the lines of Fifty Shades Of Grey, Babygirl seems inspired by the erotic thrillers of the 80s and 90s, but seen from a female perspective. Rein has drawn inspiration from the films of Adrian Lyne and Paul Verhoeven, and films such as Disclosure and 9 1/2 Weeks.
Babygirl is a handsome looking production with glossy production values. Regular cinematographer Jasper Wolf gives the material a sheen, but also a darker edge when required. Stephen Carter’s production design is superb.
Kidman is strong as the tightly wound Romy, a CEO thriving in a male dominated world, but she also reveals her vulnerabilities and uncertainty. It is a brave and revealing performance that may remind audiences of her role in Kubrick’s rather staid and boring erotic drama Eyes Wide Shut. Dickinson and Kidman share a strong chemistry. Australian actor Sophie Wilde is also good as Esme, Romy’s ambitious personal assistant who is eager to advance in the company.
With its frank sex scenes, Babygirl is sure to be provocative, challenging, disturbing and one of the more controversial films of the year, but it is also problematic in its attitudes towards sexuality and male/female roles.
Score: 5/10

Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.