Babygirl

Babygirl, which first drew applause and then sparked heated debate when it premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, boldly steps into territory Hollywood has largely avoided in recent years: the complexity of female sexuality, power dynamics, and the suppressed desires born from societal expectations. Dutch director Halina Reijn's follow-up to Bodies Bodies Bodies stakes a claim as one of the most ambitious films in the erotic thriller genre since Sharon Stone's unforgettable performance in Basic Instinct.

A Story Beyond Taboo

At the center of Babygirl is Romy (Nicole Kidman), the CEO of a successful technology company in New York. Her seemingly perfect life — a stable marriage to theater director Jacob (Antonio Banderas) and two young daughters — is upended when Samuel (Harris Dickinson), a new intern at her company, enters the picture. Samuel's self-assured, direct, and domineering manner triggers the sexual fantasies Romy has long suppressed. While the film depicts the evolution of their relationship through scenes that are anything but ordinary — and quite explicit — it simultaneously explores gender roles, power dynamics, and women's struggle to make peace with their own desires.

Reijn's screenplay carefully avoids telling a simple story of infidelity. Through the character of Romy, the film examines the inability of even successful, powerful women to freely express themselves in the bedroom, the pressure created by societal expectations, and the psychological dimensions of sexuality. The film is particularly skillful in portraying the contrast between Romy's authority in the office and her submissive inclinations in her private life — a duality that becomes a cinematic representation of the contradictions modern women face.

Kidman's Career-Defining Performance

At 57, Nicole Kidman delivers what may be the most courageous and layered performance of her career. Having won the Best Actress award at Venice for her role in Babygirl, Kidman conveys her character's internal conflicts, shame, and yearning for liberation through minimal facial expressions, glances, and body language. Watching her navigate the cycle of losing and reclaiming control — particularly in her scenes with Samuel — offers some of the finest examples of the art of acting. Kidman appears utterly vulnerable on camera while simultaneously putting on a masterclass in control.

Harris Dickinson, despite his young age, strikes a convincing balance between his character's mysterious allure and manipulative tendencies. He elevates Samuel beyond a one-dimensional role — sometimes tender, sometimes calculating, and always unreadable. Antonio Banderas's portrayal of a well-meaning husband oblivious to his wife's true desires adds significant emotional depth to the film.

Cinematographic Language and Atmosphere

Cinematographer Jasper Wolf gives Babygirl a cold, minimalist visual language. The contrast between the sterile office environments inside New York's glass skyscrapers and the turbulence of the characters' inner worlds is felt throughout the compositions. Reijn takes particular care to capture the subtlest shifts in her characters' faces through close-ups. The erotic scenes are shot with artistic and psychological depth, far removed from anything pornographic.

Cristobal Tapia de Veer's score, with its tones reminiscent of his tension-laden work on The White Lotus, contributes to the film's sinister atmosphere. The editing, as some critics have noted, becomes slightly scattered in the second half, but overall remains in keeping with the film's rhythm.

Behind-the-Scenes Notes

An interesting detail: Halina Reijn revealed that while writing the screenplay, she drew inspiration from her own suppressed fantasies and therapy sessions. An intimacy coordinator was present on set throughout filming, and every scene was planned in detail with the actors. Nicole Kidman, for her part, said she had lengthy conversations with her husband Keith Urban before accepting the role and that she had his full support.

The film's title, Babygirl — the way Samuel addresses Romy — carries critical significance within the story as a symbolic expression of the reversal of power dynamics. Kidman also notes that the scenes in which her character gives commands to her dog were deliberately crafted to illustrate Romy's obsession with control.

Social Reflections and Controversies

Babygirl has sparked debate, particularly in the post-MeToo era, for depicting a relationship rooted in a power imbalance. However, Reijn emphasizes that the film is about the suppression and liberation of female desire, and that it proceeds from a woman's experience rather than a male gaze. The film addresses age gaps, hierarchy, and consent in shades of gray, deliberately avoiding black-and-white judgments.

For Turkish audiences, Babygirl deals very openly with themes of female sexuality and infidelity that are still considered taboo in our society. Yet the film's true value lies in its use of these subjects not merely for provocation, but to explore the psychological depth of its characters. The inner worlds of successful women crushed beneath societal expectations resonate as a universal theme across every culture.

Conclusion: A Bold but Flawed Endeavor

Babygirl is an important film, even if not a perfect one. It commands attention through Reijn's direction, Kidman's performance, and the bold themes it tackles. While it has its flaws — some scenes run unnecessarily long, and the resolutions in the final act feel slightly rushed — there is no denying that it breathes fresh air into the erotic thriller genre. By allowing female characters to narrate their own sexuality in their own voices, the film offers an alternative to Hollywood's male-gaze-driven traditions. In this respect, Babygirl secures its place in cinema history as one of the boldest and most talked-about films of 2024.