Review: Babygirl

Babygirl arrives with all the hallmark sleek visuals and curated menace of an A24 drama — but let's be honest... it should have been hornier. Directed by Halina Reijn, it stars Nicole Kidman as Romy Mathis, a powerful robotics CEO whose seemingly perfect life unravels when she enters a dominant–submissive affair with her much younger intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson). The setup promises steamy intensity, and indeed received a lot of hype online, but the result feels disappointingly shallow. And boring.

Romy’s motivations feel half‑baked. Her internal journey (shame, desire, trauma) is hinted at but never deeply explored. Scenes of her therapy and beauty rituals suggest something darker, yet those threads evaporate before they gain traction. Samuel functions as a projection of her fantasies: an attractive but emotionally flat dom who lacks depth or real agency beyond serving her needs. You don’t much buy into their chemistry; the performances feel disconnected, emitting little heat. The affair scenes are awkward rather than arousing, suggesting power without danger, and make their exchanges feel forced rather than fluid.

Kidman is absolutely watchable; she leans into the role with her usual fearless energy and commanding presence, making her the film’s only truly magnetic force . Dickinson does well within the limits of his material, but the screenplay doesn’t give his character enough inner life to justify Romy’s surrender to him.

The production design and cinematography skate by without grounding the story — office settings, snowy cityscapes, hotel rooms — yet fail to elevate or contextualise it meaningfully. The soundtrack is jarring — INXS, George Michael, needle drops, lounge instrumentals — but more dissonant than immersive.

Still, Babygirl has its quirks that made it watchable enough for a Sunday afternoon. A few playful flourishes, romance tropes, and a good scene with frozen peas. Ultimately though, the film feels flat. Go to see Kidman going the full nine-yards, but don’t expect a bold erotic thrill.

Plus — having anyone cheat on Antonio Banderas is, of course, a ridiculous premise.