At this point, most of us have heard about Nicole Kidman‘s upcoming erotic film. But there is a difference between hearing about it, and seeing it.
A24’s Babygirl depicts the power struggle between CEO Romy (Kidman), and her much younger intern Samuel (Harris Dickinson). While Hollywood has toyed with storylines depicting power dynamics before, director Halina Reijn brings more nuance to the eroticism therein. In a recently released trailer, viewers witness how out of control Romy’s life gets when she allows herself to give in to temptation.
The trailer opens with what most would suspect. After meeting Samuel in a chance encounter outside the office, Romy shows attraction for the younger man. Her experience in life and in business makes it seem as though she would be the dominant person in the relationship, as she says in the trailer.
“You’re very young. I don’t want to hurt you,” she tells Samuel in an elevator. This dynamic is quickly subverted in the following scenes. Perhaps what is most telling about Babygirl is that people who hold such power want what they can’t have. They want to lose it. That is certainly what this drama is communicating.
Romy appears to have the perfect life. Married with children to the loving Jacob (Antonio Banderas), she should have no reason to seek an extramarital affair. But when Romy is introduced to the electric Samuel, part of the reason she strays is specifically because it is forbidden. Not only is she married and there is the age gap to consider, but her role as his employer makes everything taboo. Samuel makes the first move by picking Romy as his mentor.
“I’m not a part of that program,” Romy tells him.
“Oh no, you are. You’re on the list,” he insists.
Romy has perhaps never been challenged by a man like Samuel before, which is what makes things get so out of hand. Their relationship quickly becomes inappropriate, veering into the sexual. When Samuel tells her to get on her knees, she automatically refuses. Instead of the typical dominant-submissive dynamic shown in Hollywood movies that portray the utmost seriousness, Samuel laughs. Not at her expense, but at the situation. He understands that while her instinct may be to deny obeying someone else, it is a secret desire of hers.
“Is that what you want?” he asks.
This question haunts the entirety of the trailer, and by extension, the film. Samuel gives Romy something she could never have in any other situation, and that is captivating. The scenes grow more intense until Romy says what this has all been leading up to.
“I will do whatever you tell me to do.”
Babygirl promises not just to be an exploration of sexual fantasy, but emotional as well.
Is Nicole Kidman angling for an Academy nomination?
Kidman has been in the entertainment industry for the past four decades and amassed many accolades and nominations. She has been nominated for five Academy Awards in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories. She nabbed the win for Best Actress in 2002 for The Hours. Babygirl would be her sixth Oscar nomination.
She shows no signs of slowing down too, pushing the envelope in a film that is sure to grab attention. Just in time for a holiday release, Babygirl boasts to be something the actor has never done before. There is more to the film than just fantasy, as director Halina Reijn told The Hollywood Reporter.
“With Babygirl, the question was: “How can I love all parts of myself?” Because I like the parts of myself that are accepted by society, but I detest parts of myself, am embarrassed by parts that aren’t. I wanted to make a movie to tell myself that sex is something that we can celebrate and enjoy. Instead of thinking: ‘Oh, my God, why do I have all these taboo, forbidden fantasies?’ This is really the story of a woman who liberates herself.”
This element Reijn speaks of is often lacking in erotic thrillers that inspired the film. While Reijn points to Indecent Proposal as an inspiration, she also acknowledges that these films didn’t show the female perspective as well as they should. Babygirl will support the female perspective and not judge it either. Viewers can catch Babygirl in theaters, premiering Dec. 25, just five days shy of the Motion Picture Academy’s deadline for a film to be entered for Oscar consideration, so we’ll see what comes of that.
