Babygirl movie review: Halina Reijn’s Babygirl is a daring and provocative film that delves deep into the complexities of desire, power dynamics, and the tangled emotions that govern relationships in modern society. In her first American film since the satirical slasher Bodies Bodies Bodies, Reijn takes on a more mature subject matter, crafting a story that is as uncomfortable as it is fascinating.
Starring Nicole Kidman as Romy, a successful 50-something CEO, Babygirl explores the intricacies of a dominant-submissive relationship between Romy and Samuel, her young intern played by Harris Dickinson. The film touches on themes of sexual empowerment, consent, and generational conflicts, all while maintaining a narrative that asks viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about modern sexual ethics and societal expectations.
Babygirl movie review
At the heart of Babygirl is Nicole Kidman’s fearless portrayal of Romy, a high-powered CEO who appears to have everything under control: wealth, status, and a successful career. However, beneath the polished exterior lies a woman caught between competing desires and societal pressures. Kidman brings a depth and vulnerability to Romy, portraying a woman who is as much a product of her environment as she is a powerful force within it.
Romy’s character is fascinatingly complex. She is the head of a company that produces robots designed to replace human workers, a business that she justifies as helping people gain more time in their lives. However, her company’s mission is anything but altruistic—Romy’s cold and calculating nature is evident as she relentlessly pursues profit at the expense of others. The film’s opening moments feature Romy in a meeting where she dismisses the labor shortage issue, calling it an “employment problem” rather than a human crisis. This sets the tone for the character: a woman who views herself as above the typical struggles of everyday life.
Yet Romy’s vulnerability is made clear in her personal life, which she often sacrifices in pursuit of career success. Her teenage children mock her for her obsession with maintaining her youth, and her husband, played by Antonio Banderas, remains deeply attracted to her, despite the growing emotional distance between them. Kidman’s performance allows us to see the inner conflict within Romy as she struggles with her role as a mother, wife, and CEO. Her character’s journey is one of self-awareness, where she slowly reveals her deepest desires and vulnerabilities, especially in her sexual relationship with Samuel. Kidman’s portrayal is brave, as she allows Romy to embrace her contradictions—someone who is simultaneously powerful and fragile, confident and insecure.
While Kidman’s Romy is the film’s central figure, Harris Dickinson’s portrayal of Samuel provides a necessary counterbalance, adding depth to the narrative. Samuel is introduced as Romy’s intern, a young man who is eager to learn but is also perceptive enough to realize that his boss wants something from him beyond a professional relationship. The attraction between the two characters is based not just on physical desire but on a psychological understanding. Samuel, with his raw physicality and quiet confidence, has a way of disarming Romy. He doesn’t seek to dominate her in the traditional sense, but rather, he challenges her carefully constructed persona, forcing her to confront her own vulnerability.
Dickinson’s portrayal of Samuel is nuanced and layered, making him a character whose motivations are not entirely clear. He is not simply a submissive partner; he is someone who has lived through hardships and who understands the power of control, even if he isn’t always sure how to use it. His performance is magnetic, as he is able to command the screen with his presence without needing to utter much. The mystery surrounding Samuel’s past adds to his allure—he wears the same blue button-down throughout the film, a deliberate costume choice that speaks to his modest origins. This stark contrast between Romy’s high-society life and Samuel’s rougher, more grounded background is one of the film’s most compelling dynamics.
Reijn’s direction in Babygirl is both daring and subtle. The film tackles themes of sexual empowerment and submission without resorting to clichés or exploitation. The erotic scenes between Romy and Samuel are not designed for mere titillation but serve to explore the complex emotional layers of their relationship. The film does not shy away from the uncomfortable aspects of their connection, particularly the awkwardness that arises when two people try to navigate unspoken desires.
One of the standout scenes features Romy and Samuel attempting to role-play a dominant-submissive scenario that quickly falls apart, forcing them to start over. The scene is uncomfortable, awkward, and imperfect—but it’s also real. In this moment, the film reinforces that consent, rather than a power struggle, is the foundation of their relationship.
Reijn is not interested in painting Romy and Samuel as either heroes or villains. Instead, the film allows both characters to exist within morally gray areas, offering a more honest portrayal of human complexity. The film’s key question is not whether their relationship is right or wrong, but whether they both consent to it. This focus on consent is a refreshing departure from the moralizing often found in films that deal with BDSM or power dynamics. The relationship is messy, awkward, and sometimes frustrating, but it is based on mutual respect and understanding, even if that respect is sometimes hard to see.
Babygirl also serves as a sharp commentary on generational differences, particularly in the realm of work and sexual politics. Romy, a woman in her 50s, is portrayed as someone who came to power in a world that demanded toughness and emotional detachment. Her millennial employees, on the other hand, lecture her on the importance of vulnerability and emotional openness. The film often highlights the tension between these two generational viewpoints, with Romy’s corporate ethos clashing with the younger generation’s values. This conflict is underscored by the fact that Romy’s business revolves around replacing human workers with robots, symbolizing her own disconnection from the people she is supposed to serve.
The film also explores the cultural shift brought on by the #MeToo movement. Romy and Samuel’s relationship unfolds in a cultural minefield where the traditional lines between right and wrong are increasingly blurred. The film asks viewers to consider whether a relationship that is consensual and mutually satisfying can still be considered problematic in a world that is increasingly attuned to issues of power, control, and sexual harassment. By focusing on the ambiguity of their relationship, Babygirl challenges the binary thinking that often dominates these conversations.
Summary
Babygirl is a film that doesn’t shy away from exploring uncomfortable subjects. It’s a film that asks difficult questions about power, desire, and the complexities of human relationships. Nicole Kidman delivers one of her most compelling performances as Romy, a character whose journey is as much about self-discovery as it is about the way we navigate sexual ethics in the modern world. Harris Dickinson provides an equally strong performance as Samuel, a character whose own history and motivations remain a mystery throughout the film.
At its core, Babygirl is about consent—about acknowledging the complexities of human desire and accepting that no relationship is perfect, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth pursuing. The film’s refusal to offer easy answers or moral judgments makes it a standout in the landscape of contemporary cinema. It’s a film that challenges its audience to think critically about the boundaries of power, intimacy, and consent in a world that is increasingly focused on moral accountability.
Ultimately, Babygirl is a thought-provoking, well-acted, and deeply unsettling exploration of what it means to be human in a world where desire is often complicated by social expectations, personal insecurities, and cultural shifts. It’s a film that lingers long after the credits roll, leaving viewers with more questions than answers—and perhaps, that’s exactly the point.
Top 2 Rotten Tomatoes Reviews
What makes “Babygirl” so good is its complexity, not so much in the story but in the performances, which elevate the film – Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
This concise, unforgiving film arrives exactly when it’s most needed. At times, it plays mechanically, but it’s undeniably human – Maxwell Rabb, Chicago Reader
Top Movie Ratings
| Rotten Tomatoes | 79% |
| IMDb | 6/10 |
| Metacritic | 80% |
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