Babygirl review

BABYGIRL: 

HEARTBREAK FEELS GOOD WITH AN EROTIC THRILLER LIKE THIS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

A24

Nicole Kidman in Babygirl

 

DISCLAIMER

The following review is a parody of Nicole Kidman’s AMC Theatres promo for comedic purposes only and is not affiliated with Nicole Kidman or AMC Theatres in any way! 

 

            We come to Babygirl for magic, we come to this new erotic thriller from Halina Reijn (Instinct, Bodies Bodies Bodies) to f*ck, to grope, to manipulate because we need that, all of us. That indescribable feeling we get when the lights begin to dim and we go somewhere we’ve never been before (Got me there, Ms. Kidman!). 

            Dazzling sex scenes on a huge, silver screen, kinky sounds that I can feel, somehow heartbreak feels good with a film like this. Our heroes, specifically the mentally disturbed ones feel like the best part of us while lusting over each other and the story feels perfect and powerful especially during really awkward sexy milk drinking scenes. 

            Because here… it is. Babygirl, it makes movies better! 

            The film follows Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman-Eyes Wide Shut, Moulin Rouge!, The Northman), the CEO of a tech company in New York City who is dissatisfied with her sex life with her theater director husband, Jacob (Antonio Banderas-Desperado, The Mask of Zorro, Shrek franchise). However, when she meets her much younger intern named Samuel (Harris Dickinson-See How They Run, Triangle of Sadness, The Iron Claw), Romy begins a sizzling affair with the intern thus putting her career and family on the line. 

            The film also stars Sophie Wilde (You Don’t Know Me, Tom Jones, Talk to Me) as Esme, Gaite Jansen (Sonny Boy, Peaky Blinders, Krazy House) as Hedda Scarlett, Victor Slezak (Law & Order, The Bridges of Madison County, The Cat’s Meow) as Mr. Missel, Anoop Desai (American Idol, What We Do in the Shadows, The Adults) as Robert, and Leslie Silva (Odyssey 5, Shades of Blue, Vox Lux) as Hazel. 

            Seriously though, I had a blast with Babygirl and found it incredibly entertaining especially in a theater with a crowd laughing and reacting to what’s happening onscreen. If you can experience the film with an audience, it’s totally worth it. 

            I am however very disappointed in AMC Theatres for having the audacity of removing Nicole Kidman’s AMC promo in front of the movie, the audience I was with was quite upset about it and it felt somewhat empty without it preceding it. Well, if AMC isn’t going to do it then I will! 

            Anyway, Nicole Kidman is great here and what makes the film work as this normal-ish but clearly unstable CEO who’s not satisfied with her sex life and the lengths she’ll go to satisfy it. She plays this type of character extremely well and even has excellent chemistry with Harris Dickinson’s Samuel. 

            I will admit, the resolution feels a bit rushed and takes the easy way out and perhaps the film might have been a little stronger if it had more of an impact in the end. But it’s still a very smartly-written, sexy, and entertaining time at the movies and can even count as a Christmas movie given the trees and decorations throughout the film so, make it a double-feature with Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut if you must. 

            Babygirl was a pleasant surprise and out of the erotic thrillers/dramas I’ve seen (Which actually aren’t that many), this is easily among the best. It has an interesting story, great performances, and keeps your interest in-between the sex, Christian Grey wishes he could be this steamy.