It is award season which means we are getting a plethora of character driven stories from prestigious directors hit the big screen. From Maria to the upcoming A Complete Unknown there appears to be plenty of stories surrounding iconic figures but originality is still there and stories like We Live in Time and The Brutalist prove that. Joining the ranks of those films is Babygirl, an intense erotic thriller with some powerhouse performances from the likes of Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde and Antonio Banderas. Babygirl hails from Bodies Bodies Bodies filmmaker Halina Reijn who also wrote the script, and she has crafted a truly unforgettable film.
Babygirl is a film that centres around Romy, played with pure glee from Nicole Kidman, who happens to be a CEO of a tech company in the heart of New York City. Romy has a happy relationship with her husband played by Antonio Banderas with two lovely children but she is sexually frustrated, even if she won’t admit it. When a new intern Samuel, played by Harris Dickinson, joins the company he chooses Romy to be his mentor and soon a spark is ignited in her and the two of them explore a sultry affair as she explores her pleasures and taboos.
Babygirl is a film all about passion and sex, which is the sole drive of the film. Exploring kinks and taboos, the idea of the film is to open up these kinds of relationships to audiences. Power dynamics within a workplace is a tricky subject to work around, but it does happen a lot in different businesses. The difference with this dynamic is the woman is in a higher position of power and the man is the one in control, a refreshing twist on the formula often presented in films. Luckily the script, written by Reijn, is stuffed with heat and intensity, and this comes across as very palpable within the sexual scenes of the film. The dynamic is continuously shifting, when Romy attempts to take back control you soon see Samuel taking charge again by telling her just what she wants to hear. From start to finish you never know how the relationship will change or evolve and it is that tension that drives the narrative.
Kidman and Dickinson are the main draws here, as is the sexual nature of the film. There is a lot of modern influences on the film though, from the 2002 film Secretary to the Fifty Shades trilogy. The film does at a few points risk getting stale and also potentially imitates what has come before it but the characters and drawn out enough to the point where they feel raw, natural and grounded enough to keep you invested in the story. I can see the screenplay and performances involved in the film being a big draw come awards season which it quite rightly deserves, but will it stand the test of time? It feels new and modern enough to be a fun and interesting watch with your loved ones, but maybe not with family members.
★★★★☆
4/5
Final Verdict:
Babygirl is a sensual experience, with the heat and passion completely exuding off the screen with thanks to two rather remarkable performances from Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson. Antonio Banderas is equally as remarkable and intense with his role as Romy’s husband, as is Sophie Wilde’s character, Esme, as Romy’s assistant. The script elevates the performances and heightens the sexual chemistry between the two lead characters. The end result is a film with a pulse-pounding soundtrack and a story that sucks you in until you yourself are sweating from the on-screen passion. Luckily it doesn’t hold back too much but just enough for you to enjoy the story unfold in a natural way.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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