A scandalous, risky and thrilling affair… without the scandal, risk or thrill…
SPOILERS
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Certification: 18
Genres: Erotic, Thriller, Drama
With Babygirl, Halina Reijn takes on power, temptation and desire against the backdrop of a corporate empire with a head who is teetering on the edge. On paper, it sounds like a steamy, high-stakes psychological drama. You expect tension, manipulation, the kind of dangerous seduction that glues your eyes to the screen. And yet… it never quite gets there.
For a film that should be dripping with danger, Babygirl feels strangely low on jeopardy. Kidman’s character, Romy Mathis, is an icy, all-powerful businesswoman who, within days, finds herself entangled with Samuel, a charming but ultimately unremarkable intern. But every time the film teases real consequences—whether in the office, Romy’s marriage, or her own psyche—it quickly smooths them over. There’s no drawn-out tension, no real sense that anything bad could happen, even when Esme (Sophie Wilde), or even her husband (Antonio Banderas), confront Romy about the affair. Things escalate, sure, but just as quickly, they resolve. In fact, the entire movie unfolds in what seems like a few chaotic weeks around Christmas all the way up to New Year’s, making this affair more like a dramatic holiday fling than an all-consuming, life-altering scandal.
Despite this, Kidman and Dickinson deliver solid performances for the majority of the movie, and Kidman especially excels when some cracks start to form in her icy exterior. Though, when Kidman and Dickinson were in the throes of some intimate scenes, I felt they hadn’t entirely leaned into the moments or performed them with ease. I understand the script calls for them to both be somewhat uncomfortable or inexperienced in the BDSM space, but I couldn’t shake this feeling throughout that perhaps they were unable to convey the nuances (power, dubious consent, BDSM) alongside the intimacy. Having said that, considering Babygirl’s central themes are eroticism, kinks and affairs, I would have expected Reijn to ensure the scenes feel more lived-in rather than performed.
Babygirl is elevated by a sharp, well-curated soundtrack that not only enhances key moments but also adds depth to the affair, with tracks like George Michael’s Father Figure and INXS’s Never Tear Us Apart setting the tone. Special shoutout to the club scene—perfectly placed, brilliantly acted, and easily the film’s standout moment. Definitely blasted CRUSH on the way home!
Babygirl is polished, well-acted, and undeniably stylish. But for a film that promises power struggles and forbidden desire, it plays things surprisingly safe. For those expecting something daring as the trailer suggests, Babygirl might leave you wanting more. But as a well-crafted character study of a woman momentarily losing control? It does just enough to keep you watching.
Rushes. 
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