Movie Review: Babygirl (2024)

Genre: Erotic Drama  

Director: Halina Reign  
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Antonio Banderas, Harris Dickinson  
Running Time: 115 minutes  

Synopsis: Romy (Nicole Kidman) is the CEO of a robotics company. She is interested in being sexually submissive but is not satisfied by husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas). Romy spots cocky new intern Samuel (Harris Dickinson) at her company, and he selects her as his mentor. Soon they are engaged in a steamy affair despite the risk of negative consequences for both.

What Works Well: Nicole Kidman throws herself into the role, and her sex scenes with Harris Dickinson embellish eroticism with a welcome level of hesitant awkwardness. 

What Does Not Work As Well: Older woman can own their sexuality without being painfully dumb. Director Halina Reign's clunky script is littered with foundational cracks, starting with Romy's inability to think on her feet or articulate any non-scripted thought. In the real word her skills would barely qualify her for a janitorial job, let alone a CEO position. And in any functioning office, Samuel's preening toy boy would have been thrown out on his ear before the lunch hour of his first day. Elsewhere, much of Romy's quest for kinky sexual fulfilment gets bogged down in meandering repetitive scenes before escaping into an implausible faux triumphal ending. 

Key Quote:

Samuel (to Romy): I think I have power over you. Cos I could make one phone call and you would lose everything. Does that turn you on when I say that?

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