Babygirl, an American erotic psychological drama set to be released in 2024, has Halina Reijn serving as the director and A24 as the production company, which is known for its unconventional films that challenge viewers. The film promises to ŽexamineŽ the characters’ exploration of desire, surrender, and raw emotional exposure through a captivating narrative and a Nicole Kidman led cast. Not simply a romance or a thriller, Babygirl naively positions itself as a bold character exploration set in the backdrop of a contemporary style of love, power, and self-discovery.
Synopsis
Located in New York city, Babygirl traces the steps of Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman), the deceptively elegant, poised, and powerful tech CEO of an RPA company. As a performer, she is at the height of her career but her marriage to Jacob (Antonio Banderas), a theater director, has turned emotionally stagnant, unfulfilling, and disconnected.
Romy’s well-structured existence starts to come loose at the seams with the entrance of Samuel (Harris Dickinson), an uncharacteristically attractive and self-assured intern. Their budding professional dynamic quickly takes a romantic turn, degenerating into an affair. As much as he offers to Samuel’s youthful exterior, bursting with untamed zeal, unlocks dormant pieces buried within Romy. She becomes desperate for emotional danger, physical intensity, and personal liberation.
Their relationship does not in any way conform to the norm. It is complicated with power dynamics, age gaps, and manipulative behaviors. In her private life, submissive role-play is something Romy dabbles in with Samuel, an intern who fills meetings with her male peers at the executive’s table. A complex emotional and physical reality that gives and takes away her identity occurs as a result.
Romy further loses her sense of reality as the affair becomes more entrenched. She enters a state of volatile internal chaos as a mother, maintains the image of a dutiful wife, manages a multi-million dollar enterprise, and has an all-consuming desire to break free from the prison of her social identity and professional duties. The film captures the toll this dual existence has on her life across all facets, be it personal, public, or career.
When the affair is on the brink of public knowledge, Romy faces a heartbreaking decision: to maintain her social standing and embrace a life of numb monotony, or to embrace her truth and face condemnation and consequences.
Around the World in 80 Days cast & crew
Rattatouing cast and crew
Romy Mathis
Romy Mathis features a high profile executive who starts to come apart mentally and emotionally when she rediscovers long forgotten aspects of her identity.
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman has crowned her career playing a high powered executive.
Few people know that the intern has filled Samuel’s positions which lead him to become deeply immersed and entangled, both romantically and psychologically, with сybernetically подсовывающее computers тихая элегия emerging technologies.
Harris Dickinson
Antonio Banderas as Jacob – Romy’s reserved husband who is emotionally distant and contributes to her inner emptiness.
Sophie Wilde as Esme – A family friend who starts to realize and notice something feels ‘off’.
Esther-Rose McGregor as Isabel – the teenage Romy. Her character raises the emotional stakes of the film while simultaneously adding a maternal complexity.
Vaughan Reilly as Nora – Romy’s dedicated assistant and confidante.
Crew:
Director & Writer: Halina Reijn
Producers: Halina Reijn, David Hinojosa, Julia Oh
Cinematographer: Jasper Wolf
Editor: Matthew Hannam
Composer: Cristobal Tapia de Veer
Production Companies: A24, 2AM, Man Up Films
Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes
Language: English
Halina Reijn’s direction is both tender and audacious. Jasper Wolf’s cinematography adds cool, atmospheric elegance, with contrasting color palettes highlighting the duality of Romy’s public image and private life. Known for her interest in psychological complexity and gender dynamics, she builds a film that does not shy away from the discomfort at the emotional core.
Reception
Babygirl debuted at the 81st Venice International Film Festival where Nicole Kidman won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress due to her audacious and multifaceted performance. The film was released in theaters in December 2024 to be viewed during award season while simultaneously sparking debates about gender politics and the limits of cinema.
Critics also praised Kidman’s performance in Babygirl for its striking woman-centric themes and its sophisticated execution. Nicole Kidman’s portrayal of Romy was singled out as one of her most fearless roles in recent years. Her performance, which oscillated between frigid strength and unrestrained tenderness, further accentuated the woman’s sympathetic appeal that the audience would struggle to relate with.
Harris Dickinson received praise for his portrayal of Samuel—a character who could easily have become a trope, but instead exudes charisma, control, and moments of surprising emotional insight. Nickson infused romance to Samuel’s character, which blended seamlessly with Kidman’s performing Kidman, creating characters with undeniable chemistry.
While many critics lauded the film for its stunning cinematography, masterful editing, and captivating performances, a few pointed out the screenplay was at times overly dramatic – especially in the movie’s final act. Still, the lack of easy answers is definitely thought-provoking.
From a commercial perspective, Babygirl’s performance was satisfactory, achieving over $60 million in revenue worldwide against a modest production budget. The film also attracted controversy for its unapologetic representation of female longing and the lingering double standards that exist in contemporary society.
As noted above, debate around the movie focused on the sheer gap between what is acceptable discourse in the public domain and what is shown in popular media as entertainment.
Synopsis And Summary
The desire is the primary conflict of any story. Babygirl is not simply an account about an extramarital affair, but rather an exploration of the struggle with self power, femininity, and authenticity in a world filled with scrutiny riddled with affects.
As noted above the film is reflective of the more harmful contemporary societal themes that exist today coexisting alongside the affair. This is especially highlighted through the cleavage of oppositional power dynamics that stick onto the performance paradox.
Romy lives in the professional world as a powerful woman—and in a private world as a dominated woman-succumbs. Her vulnerability submits to her more traditionally masculine professional identity. As mentioned with other themes, imbalance between younger women with older male counterparts and vice versa is explored.
This theme is accompanied by identity fragmentation as well. Romy is confined within what society describes as a doting figure. A mother, a wife, a boss, and a lover, all intertwined with a singular identity that contradicts the notion of allowance to exist simultaneously without judgment.
The psychological conflict in Babygirl also relates to self deception. Romy tries to convince herself that she can maintain her emotional and physical life detached, but with the deepening of her bond with Samuel, this ruse shatters. She comes face to face not only with the question of what other people think about her but also what she thinks about herself.
Conclusion
The film Babygirl is visually striking for its courage in approaching sensitive topics. It does so through an unrestrained examination of gender expectations, desire, and self-identity. Nicole Kidman gives yet another terrifying performance, cementing again her status as someone who takes roles without concerns for their implications, or abusive scrutiny from the public and critics alike.
While few people may appreciate the lack of shallow comfort or effortless entertainment, Babygirl confronts the audience with essential discourses on women’s emotional realities, the societal confines surrounding them, and the repercussions of crossing those boundaries.
For those seeking depth in the character development of the film, this feature is bound to entice viewers as it elegantly tackles social, gender related, and identity issues considered as taboos—the film Babygirl is essential viewing.
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