|
|
|
|
|
When actresses reach a certain age, they tend to transition from playing romantic leads to playing mothers and even grandmothers. But Nicole Kidman has clearly decided to break out of the typical Hollywood molds—and Babygirl finds her playing a woman in a relationship with a much-younger man for the second time this year.
Babygirl stars Nicole Kidman as Romy Mathis, the high-powered CEO of a warehouse automation company. Romy has everything she could ask for: a successful career, a beautiful home, a loving husband, and two teenage daughters. But then Samuel (Harris Dickinson) is hired to be one of the company’s new interns. From the moment they meet, he refuses to be intimidated by her—and she finds his confidence and strength irresistible. Despite the dangers involved, she’s willing to risk everything for this much-younger man who holds an unexpected power over her.
From the first time the two characters meet, there’s an obvious tension between them—and that tension builds as their relationship grows and shifts, challenging ideas of age and control along with the traditional power dynamics. The element of danger is strong in this steamy erotic thriller—not just the danger that someone will find out about their inappropriate relationship but also that Samuel could easily use the affair to take away everything that Romy has built for herself: her family, her business, the respect of other women in business.
Still, once the attraction between the two has been established—along with the risk that it brings—there’s not much more to the story. There’s a constant tension here as the two continue to work together and Samuel’s domination forces Romy to make excuses and cancel plans. The relationship is always in danger of being discovered. But that’s really all there is here. We know little about the characters—about their history, their motivation, or their feelings about much of anything. The film seems set on shocking audiences with this risky and unorthodox relationship—and this high-powered woman’s desire to be dominated. But once the shock value wears off, what’s left is surprisingly shallow. There’s so much this film could have said—so its lack of depth feels like a missed opportunity.
If you’re just interested in spicing up the holidays, Babygirl will do the trick. But if you want a story to go along with the steaminess, there’s not much to be found here. It’s certainly a stylish and seductive film—but there’s not much beneath the surface.
You can find Babygirl in theaters starting on December 25, 2024.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
|
|
|
|
