Halina Reijn’s Babygirl is a riveting erotic thriller that follows Romy (Nicole Kidman), a high-powered CEO whose tightly controlled life begins to unravel when she embarks on an affair with a 25-year-old intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson).
Beneath her polished corporate exterior lies a repressed, yearning self, shaped by her upbringing in communes and cults. Samuel’s boyish charm and defiance awaken desires Romy has buried for years, plunging her into a world of personal and professional chaos.
Nicole Kidman’s physicality and nuanced performance anchor the film, perfectly capturing Romy’s struggle as she slips between control and surrender. Reijn’s sharp script delves into the complexity of power dynamics and self-discovery, while Jasper Wolf’s cinematography and Cristobal Tapia de Veer’s evocative score underscore Romy’s internal conflict.
The handheld, tilted shots mirror her growing instability, contrasting with the smooth steadiness of her corporate image.
Baby Girl isn’t just about kink—it’s a profoundly human story of desire, risk, and the cost of reclaiming hidden parts of oneself.
In my review, I discuss why Reijn’s film is brilliantly crafted, how Kidman excels in this role, and how the story becomes relatable to anyone who desires to live authentically.
Letter Grade: B+