LOS ANGELES, Dec. 22 (UPI) — Babygirl, which opens Wednesday in theaters, is the kind of erotic drama that was made in the ’80s and ’90s. As such, it’s refreshing in 2024, though perhaps more derived from its predecessors in the genre.
When Tensile begins a mentorship program for interns, Samuel (Harris Dickinson) pushes Romy’s buttons to get one-on-one time with her. His power plays unlock Romy’s repressed sexual desires and they begin an affair.
However, Babygirl doesn’t play Romy as the cliché of a tough business woman who enjoys being submissive in bed and feeling the adrenaline rush of the threat of exposure.
This matter does not endanger Romy’s success either, it may only be if Samuel denounces her. He also begins to blur the lines of submission personally and in the office, but he doesn’t let that interfere with business decisions.
The love scenes between Kidman and Dickinson are revealing, but not gratuitous. They are vulnerable and uncomfortable than exciting.
Writer-director Halina Reijn’s technique for giving consent is engaging and realistic. Samuel insists on consent before continuing, which is a description of how to obtain verbal consent, even if the terms of Romy’s consent remain confusing.
Romy makes it clear that Samuel’s power games make her uncomfortable. Agreeing to continue while feeling uncomfortable seems like it adds a level of duress.
It’s 80 minutes into the movie before Samuel and Romy talk about the use of a word, which would give either party, but especially Romy, a way to end a query at their discretion. However, it is credible because Romy and Samuel are amateurs in this field, so they are in the process of finding it.
It turns out that Samuel is imitating what he thinks a Casanova would do, but every time Romy goes off script, Samuel is speechless. It’s not anything natural for him either, even if he thinks of clever games in the office that make Romy play.
He also watched 9½ Weeks, or more likely just read the Wikipedia summary.
Jacob is a loving husband who just can’t turn Romy on. Romy tries to teach him to play games in bed, but Jacob doesn’t like to experiment. The thing is that a user whose career is artistic lacks creativity with his partner, however, he also has the right to have classic desires.
Lack of monogamy is quite a betrayal, as even submissive relationships respect loyalty unless they have argued and agreed to have an open relationship. In the end, the film explores how a couple navigates compatibility, but Romy will first have to own hers.
So, even if a viewer disagrees with part of the journey, the film makes its case for the value of those experiences. That makes it an engaging, provocative film.
Fred Topel, who studied film at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Learn more about his work in the entertainment industry.