Star Cast: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, and Sophie Wilde.
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Director: Halina Reijn
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What’s Bad: The film lacks any sort of meaningful catharsis, and even when some of the last lines of dialogue try to paint a transformation, it doesn’t feel satisfying; it feels forced.
Loo Break: The intimate scenes are there to shock some audience members, but they get repetitive at one point, so there’s your break.
Watch or Not?: Watch Babygirl only if you’re a huge Nicole Kidman fan. Other than that, this is a pass.
Language: English (with subtitles).
Available On: Theaters, VOD
Runtime: 115 Minutes.
User Rating:
Mainstream erotic films have been in decline for the last couple of decades, and with good reason. There are many other places where people can get their dose of sexiness, and the theater is not one of them, so it is no surprise that Babygirl, the new film starring Nicole Kidman, didn’t really shake the box office in any way. Yet, it is still a compelling idea that should be explored but sadly, the film forgets that it is supposed to be a character study piece and instead chooses just to be another movie from the pile.
Babygirl is one of those films that could be interesting thanks to its wonderful premise, but the execution side of things fails the idea and leaves it as wasted potential. The idea itself, one that tries to explore the s*xuality of a woman who has never been able to have an org*sm with her husband, is interesting, and it could lead to many wonderful scenes and conversations where the subjects are developed, explored, and exposed to people who might be suffering from the same angst.
However, while the idea of exploring such a character and how her repressed fantasies come to the surface sounds impressive on paper, director Halina Reijn doesn’t feel like doing all that work could be worth it, and instead, we are left with a couple of intimate scenes where the characters recreate their fantasies in reality and then, one of them, have to deal with some consequences, nothing else. It feels hollow as an execution and could have been so much more.
The story also has trouble finding its footing in the second act, and no great developments occur until way past the third act’s runtime. So, the second act feels like filler at times, one that could have been avoided if we could have gotten more inside the characters’ minds and explored those dark places within and outside their intimate encounters. Because pacing is such an important element, the film feels longer than it is.
The dialogue is fine, but it could have been so much more because as the characters start their s**ual exploration, the film decides to maintain these encounters in a primarily silent setting, with the characters never revealing completely to each other. While it could be that the reason is to go into a more show-not-tell direction, what it shows doesn’t feel enough to really know the characters in the end, especially the character of Samuel, one of the main protagonists.
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The script and the dialogue might not be the best of the best, but thankfully, the film has a great cast that elevates the weaker elements of the script to a new level of quality, and the movie is so much better for it. We are in front of great professionals, and Nicole Kidman continues to be exceptional in everything she does. Kidman has become a pretty fearless actress the more she gets older, and there is definitely something to appreciate there as she breaks the conventions of what an actress her age should be doing.
The rest of the cast does well; Harris Dickinson is always a welcome presence, and while the script fails his character, he takes it seriously enough that you get interested in him even when there is nothing there. However, it is the young Esther-Rose McGregor who shines brightly with just one scene towards the end and makes herself a performer worth keeping an eye on.
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Direction-wise, the film is very solid. There are many moments where the mix of visuals, sound, and blocking is just so well done that you can feel in your head that you are watching something great; you can recognize it very easily. In other moments, the film defaults to classic shots, especially when the dialogue occurs. However, it is a very cool choice to have the camera running around most of the time as if it were another person watching inside the rooms.
Cristóbal Tapia de Veer composes the score for the film, and his landscapes are very ethereal, a choice that fits very well with the intimate moments, but the score can also go into darker places, and it does as the story itself starts becoming more and more like a classic erotic thriller. It isn’t the most inspiring score, but it does its job very well. A few needle drops here and there also help create the proper atmosphere.
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Babygirl disappoints because the idea is great, the performers are amazing, and the direction is solid but the execution of the idea only goes so deep, and when the film ends, it feels like not having the climax that the movie tells you it has itself. You are left to witness someone else’s pleasure, which could work for some but will definitely not work for many, and yet, the film still proves that Kidman is one of the greats, and she has so much more to give.
Babygirl released on 21st February,2025.
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