Honestly, walking into a theater for a movie like this feels a bit like a dare. You’ve seen the headlines. You’ve heard the whispers about the "raunchy" scenes. But the Nicole Kidman Babygirl movie isn't just some glossy, late-night cable throwback. It’s actually a pretty jarring, sometimes funny, and deeply uncomfortable look at what happens when a powerful woman decides to blow up her own life just to feel something.
Why the Nicole Kidman Babygirl Movie Isn't Your Typical Thriller
Most people expect an erotic thriller to follow a very specific, almost tired blueprint. You know the one: someone has an affair, things get "steamy," a body ends up in a pool, and everyone learns a moral lesson about why cheating is bad. Boring.
Halina Reijn, the director who gave us the chaotic Gen-Z slasher Bodies Bodies Bodies, isn't interested in that. In Babygirl, she takes the power-suit-wearing Romy—a high-level tech CEO played by Kidman—and throws her into a psychological cage match with a 21-year-old intern named Samuel (Harris Dickinson).
It's messy.
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There are scenes where Romy is literally hiding in another room from her husband, Jacob (Antonio Banderas), just so she can watch porn and finish what he couldn't. It’s a blunt, honest opening that sets the tone. This isn't a movie about a perfect woman; it's about a woman who is "automated," much like the robotics company she runs.
The Power Flip That Makes It Work
What’s wild is how the power shifts. On paper, Romy has everything. She has the money, the corner office, and the seniority. But Samuel sees through the corporate armor. He realizes she wants to be told what to do. The movie leans into this idea of "submitting" as a form of escape from the crushing weight of being "in charge" of everyone else's lives.
Kidman is incredible here. She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for a reason. She manages to look both terrifyingly competent and completely fragile in the same breath. Dickinson, meanwhile, plays Samuel with a sort of casual, "I-don't-care" confidence that makes the 28-year age gap feel even more lopsided, but maybe not in the direction you’d expect.
Real Talk About Those "Raunchy" Scenes
Let's be real: people are talking about the sex. But it’s not the "perfect" Hollywood sex we’re used to. Reijn intentionally directed the actors to embrace the awkwardness. There’s fumbling. There’s laughter. There’s a scene involving INXS’s "Never Tear Us Apart" that almost didn't happen because A24 struggled with the music rights. Reijn tried other songs, but nothing clicked like the 1988 classic. It’s that specific vibe—part 80s nostalgia, part modern corporate coldness—that makes the film feel so unique.
The production itself was a bit of a rollercoaster. They originally planned to shoot a summer movie in the Hamptons. Then the 2023 strikes hit. Suddenly, the schedule shifted to a winter shoot in New York City. Reijn had to rewrite the whole script to fit a Christmas setting. Honestly? It worked out. The holiday backdrop adds this weird, lonely irony to Romy’s spiral.
A Cast That Actually Delivers
- Nicole Kidman (Romy): The CEO who is secretly falling apart.
- Harris Dickinson (Samuel): The intern who knows exactly how to push her buttons.
- Antonio Banderas (Jacob): The theater director husband who is oblivious but not unkind.
- Sophie Wilde (Esmée): Romy’s assistant, who provides a dry, critical lens on the whole workplace dynamic.
By the way, none of these leads are American. Kidman and Wilde are Australian, Dickinson is British, and Banderas is Spanish. Yet, they nail this very specific, high-stress American corporate culture.
What This Movie Is Actually Trying to Say
A lot of critics are arguing over whether this is a feminist victory or a "bad girl" cautionary tale. Reijn has basically said it’s both. She calls it a story about accepting your "inner beast." If you suppress the darker, weirder parts of your desire, they’re going to come out eventually—and they probably won't be polite when they do.
The title Babygirl is meant to be ironic. Romy is the "boss," but in her private life, she’s searching for a different identity. It's an existential crisis wrapped in a $20 million A24 budget.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Watch
If you’re planning to catch this on VOD or streaming (it hit Max in April 2025), keep these things in mind:
- Look for the "Performance": Notice how Romy changes her voice and posture depending on who she’s with. The movie is obsessed with the idea that we’re all just "performing" our roles.
- Watch the Lighting: The cinematography by Jasper Wolf uses the cold, sterile New York office lights to contrast with the warmer, more chaotic shadows of the hotel rooms.
- The "One Time" Rule: The word "babygirl" is only used once in the entire movie. Listen for when it happens—it’s the moment the power dynamic fully solidifies.
The Nicole Kidman Babygirl movie isn't a comfortable watch, and it shouldn't be. It’s meant to make you squirm a little. It’s a reminder that even at the top of the food chain, people are still just fumbling around trying to feel human.
To get the most out of your viewing, try watching Halina Reijn’s previous film Instinct first. It deals with similar themes of power and desire but in a much more clinical setting. Comparing the two will give you a way better handle on what Reijn is trying to do with the "erotic thriller" genre in 2026.