With films such as “Secretary,” “Saltburn” and even the infamous “Fifty Shades of Grey,” sex and the degeneration of people are always something that has intrigued audiences and has even become a big part of pop culture. The latest film in this aspect, “Babygirl,” has gained considerable attention in the small niche of film and on social media for its provocative plot, which revolves around the love affair between an older CEO and a young intern.
“Babygirl” was released on Christmas Day of 2024 and was directed by Halina Reijn, the same director of the film “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” which became quite known for its Gen Z take on horror films and a very outstanding comedy. The topics in “Babygirl” is not for the average individual, and especially not something to watch with family or many friends, and the director makes sure to create this sexual but strange environment throughout the film.
Romy Mathis, played by Nicole Kidman, is the CEO of a huge technology company with an intern-mentor program happening. In this program, interns are paired with any member of the company to follow closely and get advice regarding what they do. The intern who chooses Romy is Samuel, played by Harris Dickinson, who is not like the average intern you may see. His temper is a lot more stubborn and outspoken than most, standing up for himself on many occasions and even speaking back to the CEO of the company.
These two characters get into a sexual affair with each other, after Romy can’t be satisfied by her husband as her taste in intimacy is wilder and more out there than the normal “vanilla” performances by her husband. The themes of submission and domination are largely shown in this film, as Romy has a complete position of power over Samuel but in the more intimate aspects, she completely falls for the intern and shows vulnerability to this younger individual, with many scenes showing her bowing down to him and following everything he says.
The film quickly reminds me of “Saltburn,” a piece of media that got popular for how out there and crazy the plot and scenes were, with many TikToks and advertisements putting this as its main point.
While the performance by Kidman was pretty good, the movie hits quite flat and does not have anything that makes it an incredible movie. This does not take away from its goal of being an entertaining watch, as being a good movie and being a fun movie can be mutually exclusive terms. The almost cringey scenes between our main protagonists can make it a very awkward watch if taken at its core value, but for a fun watch with friends or to kill time with something that is not quite normal, it accomplishes its goal. The idea of there being any large commentary or trying to have a deep meaning is not quite palpable, and it should not be watched for anything like it.
Babygirl is now available on VOD and will arrive on Max this April 25. I lightly recommend it to anyone reading.
