Hollywood has recently released multiple films about relationships between older women and younger men: Lonely Planet, The Idea of You and A Family Affair. But the movie I’ve been obsessing about is Babygirl.
An erotic thriller about a CEO named Romy (Nicole Kidman) who has a sizzling affair with her young intern Samuel (Harris Dickinson), the movie is inspired by classics like 9½ Weeks and Fatal Attraction. But unlike characters in those pictures, Romy is not a pathetic or pathological femme fatale, nor is her sexual hunger woven into a cautionary tale about women who transgress normative social roles.
Instead, Babygirl is a nuanced exploration of sexual power as a portal of self-discovery for Romy and Samuel. Described by the film’s writer and producer Halina Reijn as a “fairy tale,” the film infuses society’s taken-for-granted institutions like the office, marriage and family with unexpected sensual tension. In doing so, Reijn is challenging mainstream depictions of gender, power and sexuality, given the film’s focus on BDSM, a term used to describe sex that involves dominance, submission and control.
