A One Mann’s Movies review of “Babygirl” (2025).
The tales of sexual domination and submission have cropped up in movies many times over the years. Some that come to mind are 1986’s 9 1/2 Weeks (with Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke); 1994’s Disclosure (with Demi Moore and Michael Douglas); 2002’s “Secretary” (with Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader); and 2015’s “Fifty Shades of Grey” (with Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan). Now we have “Babygirl” which, like “Fifty Shades of Grey”, is female-directed. But, for me, it was a big disappointment.
Note: As this is a film about sex, the review will contain NSFW sexual content and discussion.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
“Babygirl” Plot Summary:
Romy (Nicole Kidman) seems to have everything. She is a successful CEO with a lovely house, two lovely teenage children and a loving husband, Jacob (Antonio Banderas)! But she is sexually unsatisfied, claiming to never have had an orgasm with her long-term husband. After sex, she scurries off to the lounge to watch porn and masturbate to orgasm. But when young intern Samuel (Harris Dickinson) shows a dominating interest in her, Romy puts her whole way of life at risk.
Certification:
UK: 18; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong sex”.)
Talent:
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, Sophie Wilde, Esther McGregor, Vaughan Reilly.
Directed by: Halina Reijn.
Written by: Halina Reijn.
Running Time: 1h 54m.
“Babygirl” Summary:
Positives:
- Sophie Wilde has a great screen presence.
- It highlights the importance of communication between couples about sex.
Negatives:
- Unbelievable characters in unbelievable situations.
- The story is very shallow and goes nowhere in particular.
- I found it impossible to like anyone in the story. Bleak and depressing.
Review of “Babygirl”:
A Shallow story.
The story didn’t feel like anything more than: a) mismatched couple have an illicit bonk; b) other half finds out about the illicit bonk; c) bonking couple part and marriage resumes. There seemed to be no particular interesting character arc in any of this.
Unbelievable stuff.
I’m afraid none of the story really rang true for me. I could quote multiple proof points:
- I know that sexual obsession will make people do irrational things. But would Romy REALLY put EVERYTHING at risk in this utterly risky way? It doesn’t ring true.
- Assuming she was telling the truth, could Romy really have been faking her orgasms throughout her 19 years of marriage and not be challenged on that by Jacob? Are any such men so ego-centric to assume that every time results in a simultaneous orgasm for their woman?!
- As it seems to be a regular event, wouldn’t Jacob have occasionally stirred after sex and discovered Romy masturbating in the living room watching porn?
- Would Romy, as a powerful CEO, be SO POOR at communicating her sexual needs to Jacob? When she asks “to be fucked” ‘anonymously’ with a pillow over her head, and Jacob removes the pillow, she doesn’t insist on continuing… she just submits to normal missionary sex. And then, when she does ask for something kinky with a sheet over her head, Jacob says “Pardon?” and Romy goes “Oh… nothing”. It all feels so weak and out of character.
- There’s a point, surprisingly late in the story, where Romy is forced to strip in front of Samuel. This is seen to be a ‘big deal’ as she stands there protectively part-covering her breasts and ‘lady parts’. As if he hasn’t seen all of this before? Why is she embarrassed about that now? It didn’t make sense to me.
Overall, for such a powerful woman, and one who says she has been brought up in a bohemian cult-ish environment, she seems utterly childish and spineless when it comes to sex and sexual communication.
What should grown-ups do?
What there IS in here is an interesting topic for consideration: that many marital infidelities could be avoided if the sex life of couples was better. With that better communication between married couples about their wants, needs and – yes – kinks, would expand the sexual buffet to the potential satisfaction of all parties. In this case, the fact that Romy needs sexual gratification outside of her marriage might have been accomodated if their marriage had been opened up and Samuel joined them in the bedroom! Of course, Jacob might have been totally afronted by that discussion… but that would have been a better and more open argument to have rather than the lying and cheating that was so destructive in this story.
As it was, (SPOILER!) the final scene (Jacob enacting the same sex act that made Romy cum with Samuel) suggests that they HAVE now opened up this communication channel and that their marriage is better as a result.
If there is a message to be taken from this film, it is surely this…. that better communication about sex is a good thing. This is the sort of film that we British (who, in general, are more open about sex than Americans) would politely accept but which Scandinavians (who will talk about ANYTHING sexual in front of their kids – case in point a scene about anal sex in the recent “Sex“) would still find hilariously juvenile!
Unlikable characters.
Overall, I found it impossible to like any of the characters.
- Romy is so weak and immature (my daughter Jenn thought it was ridiculous that she would have sex with weedy little Samuel when she had Antonio Banderas waiting at home!)
- Jacob seems to have no sexual empathy/awareness with his wife.
- Samuel seems to have virtually nothing to lose but ploughs on without a conscience in the damaging pursuit of this married woman.
- Romy’s assistant Esme (Sophie Wilde) resorts to blatant blackmail to get her own agenda at work implemented.
- Even Isabel (Esther McGregor), Romy and Jacob’s lesbian daughter, is two-timing the ‘love of her life’ by canoodling in the pool with the girl next door.
You see what I mean?
The acting.
Overall, the acting of Kidman, Dickinson and Banderas is workmanlike and Kidman is ‘brave’ in her performance (but an unworthy challenger to Florence Pugh for my informal “orgasm of the year” award!). She seems to be getting some awards attention, but I don’t think it’s one of her best performances.
It is Sophie Wilde that I really enjoyed seeing on the big screen again, playing Esme, the personal assistant to Romy. It was bugging me all through the film about where I knew her from. She was of course the breakout star of “Talk to Me“, the excellent low-budget Australian horror film from last year. Wilde really carried that film with style and it’s great to see her back in an A-list film to extend her CV. She really does have terrific screen presence.
Summary Thoughts on “Babygirl”
It’s nice to find a proper sex-based movie on the big screen again. Because sex, in all its multifarious forms, is a fascinating subject: how, on the one hand, it is such a basic and animalistic function and, on the other, it drives otherwise intelligent and well-balanced individuals to do irrational and risky actions. Sadly, this, for me, is not a good example of the genre. It asked some interesting questions but without really giving satisfactory answers.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Babygirl”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8Sx6U6Ou0Q.
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