The corporate world is a place of power, politics and positioning. But the bedroom can also be as well.
Babygirl tells the story of Romy (Nicole Kidman), a high-powered CEO that runs her coporation with authority and confidence. Married to a loving husband with a daughter of her own, Romy has wealth, power and yet feels like she’s missing something. Things change, however, when Samuel (Harris Dickinson) arrives. Applying to the company’s intern program, Samuel immediately catches Romy’s attention and sparks fly between them. As the two begin a torrid affair, Romy begins to question whether unleashing her unbridled sexual needs is worth sacrificing her family and professional career for in the process.
Directed by Halina Reijn, Babygirl is a steamy thriller that grips the viewer but also threatens to undercut its own advances. Without question, the biggest strength to the film is the incredible tension between Dickenson and Kidman. Together, the two absolutely set the screen ablaze with carnal heat. As Samuel, Dickenson’s steely glare stares through Kidman into her soul, calling her to push herself sexually. Samuel is a man who demands what he wants and Romy cannot help but want to give it to him.
But Dickinson’s raw sensuality could only be surpassed by some stellar work from Kidman. Although Kidman is no stranger to sexual thrillers, her performance as Romy is simply stunning. In every scene, the legendary actress feels present and focused. Romy is a particularly complicated role to play. Blurring the lines sexually, she requires strength and raw emotional brokenness simultaneously but Kidman gives herself over to the moment. (In fact, one could easily be convinced that Babygirl is some sort of a pseudo-sequel to the sexually-frustrated housewife that Kidman played in Eyes Wide Shut.)
Even so, Babygirl does tread into territory that can make the viewer uneasy. Certainly, this is a film that is sexually graphic. But it’s worth noting that this is a story that brings the viewer into the world of dominance relationships as Romy gives up her power as a CEO in order to submit to Samuel’s sexual demands. Scenes where Romy is told to eat a ‘treat’ out of Samuel’s hands or crawl around on the floor are bound to make viewers at least a little uncomfortable. (And that’s not even addressing Kidman’s onscreen orgasm.) These sorts of relationships are rarely shown onscreen, let alone as a healthy expression of sexuality.
“Sex has changed,” Samuel suggests.
In many ways, the film feels like a throw-back to the sexual thrillers of the 80s and 90s. (In fact, Reijn even includes needle drops that echo the era, such as INXS’s Never Tear Us Apart and George Michael’s Father Figure) During that time, films like Disclosure, Basic Instinct and Body Heat dealt with the trappings of unhinged lust and the damage that it could cause to the family unit. But, more than this, they were stories about gender and power as they usually dealt with a powerful male figure whose ego causes them to lose their way. Now, in Babygirl, Reijn appears to reverse the trend by placing Kidman in the role of CEO and Dickenson takes on the role of lowly intern.
Or… does it?
The bigger question here is the question of consent. In Babygirl, Romy and Samuel embrace the darkside of their relationship with fiery passion… but one can’t help but wonder if Romy had truly done so freely. Despite his age, Samuel seems to be fully in control from the outset. In several moments, Romy denies his advances but he denies her denial. In this way, Babygirl walks a very fine line. Is this a fully consensual relationship? Or is Samual exerting his masculine power over her? (Without being specific, even their ‘safe word’ suggests that there’s a part of her clamouring to exit the relationship.) It’s these moments where the film’s subversion of 80s sexual thrillers almost appears to revert back to the sorts of abusive power dynamics that defined them. What’s more, if that’s the case, much of the positive advancement made by placing Kidman in the CEO role would be undermined.
To be fair, Reijn also sparks conversations regarding the fact that power can corrupt anyone, regardless of gender. In consideration of those sexual thrillers of old, this would usually invoke themes of toxic masculinity and the way that men use their power to dominate and control. But placing Romy in that position as CEO does alter those expectations. Despite all that she’s achieved, Romy still seems willing to sacrifice her position for the sake of meeting her emotional needs. What she has gained still isn’t enough to fill the void in her soul. As such, Reijn’s reversal of gender serves as a reminder that all people of position have the potential to abuse it.
In the end, Babygirl becomes somewhat of a mixed bag. Built upon incredibly strong performances, Reijn has created a spirited thriller that works hard to challenge our assumptions about gender and power. However, at the same time, Babygirl still struggles to push the genre forward in its conversations about consent and, potentially, threatens to push it backwards instead.
Babygirl is available in theatres on Wednesday, December 25th, 2024
