Verdict: 4/5
The much-talked-about ‘Babygirl’ is an intense and erotic display that toes the line of sexuality and dominance.
I was drawn to see this movie through the Tiktoks I had seen about strange scenes – some involving milk – and I knew I had to go see it for myself.
‘Babygirl’ follows Romy Watts (Nicole Kidman), who is a CEO of a robotics company, a mother, and a wife who is portrayed to have it all. But Romy finds herself drawn into a tangled web of deception, lust and power as she starts a relationship with a new intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson).
This plot seems all well and good because it’s been done before; a torrid love affair between a company boss and an (usually a young intern) employee that is intense before it blows up. ‘Babygirl’ takes it a step further as it focuses on a woman’s deepest fantasies and an interesting dynamic between an older woman and a younger man.
One of the most intriguing aspects of ‘Babygirl’ is how these two characters interact. Samuel is the dominant party in the affair but at times can seem unsure and inexperienced and uses the power dynamic to keep the affair going. Romy is unsure of herself, which is starkly different from her role as CEO where she is strong and self-assured and has to learn to be submissive and let go when with Samuel.
And yes, milk plays a role in this film, which is not really what you expect from a steamy movie like this one. In one scene, Samuel sends Romy a glass of milk at after work drinks and indicates that he wants her to drink it, which she does in one go… unfortunately, that’s not where the milk ends.
Later, in a montage, which is set to ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ by INXS, Samuel pours milk onto a plate and Romy laps it up like a cat – I can’t say I’ve seen that in a movie before!
Writer and director Halina Reijn has spoken to the media about how parts of the film are an expression of her own life and how it almost felt embarrassing for her to have her darkest fantasies portrayed on screen so vividly. I do think the honesty and vulnerability with which the story was written comes across in the film. This movie, in my opinion, would not have been as good had it not been rooted in someone’s real life.
This is really a film about women and how they explore and express their sexuality; Romy as a CEO is dominant, self-assured and always in power but Romy as a person wants to be submissive and let go. This is something she struggles with over the course of the movie.
‘Babygirl’ is one you need to see to believe, but be prepared for 114 minutes of intense exploration of the characters deepest fantasies.
See this movie at Hoyts Penrith.
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.