TMS Movie Review: Babygirl

(2AM / A24)

Between Christy Hall’s Daddio earlier this year and Halina Reijn’s Babygirl out this month, I feel like I missed something between the post-#metoo movement and Hollywood’s return to passion and eroticism in filmmaking. After such deep conversations about sexism, sexuality and power imbalances, one would assume female writers and directors would be fully embracing the female gaze and making use of the step forward in the cultural narrative. But Daddio and now Babygirl make me feel like the opposite is happening, and women behind the camera are enabling the male gaze instead. And not even in much of a satirical or commentary way either, but more of an acceptance, strangely enough.

Twenty-five years following Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Nicole Kidman returns to erotic dramas with Babygirl as protagonist Romy Mathis, the CEO of a major tech-based corporation in contemporary New York City. At work and at home, she’s a successful and dedicated businesswoman, wife and mother. But in private, she wishes that she could fulfill her sexual desires. When one of the new interns, confident and attractive Samuel (Harris Dickinson), shows an interest in Romy, she thinks he might be able to understand her needs in bed in ways her husband, playwright Jacob (Antonio Banderas), doesn’t. Esther-Rose McGregor and Vaughan Reilly play Romy’s young daughters, and Sophie Wilde co-stars as her dedicated colleague.

(2AM / A24)

While promoting Babygirl, I was surprised Reijn didn’t seem to name Jane Campion or Sofia Coppola as directors who have influenced her work, and mostly listed the more infamous male filmmakers of the 1980s erotic thriller genre, like Paul Verhoeven, Brian De Palma and Adrian Lyne. But after watching Babygirl, it makes sense. There is virtually no message or theme to the film other than “giving into your immoral temptations might lead to consequences.” None of the characters are interesting or likeable enough to follow for two hours, let alone deserve being redeemed by the end. Decisions by the characters are overly convenient to move the thin plot along, and the lack of male nudity compared to the graphic female nudity is distracting, especially from a film being marketed as erotica “for women.” It feels mostly like Reijn just enjoys shooting provocative sequences and not much else. The smut isn’t even that sexy or shocking. Like how I felt with Daddio, I’m left wondering: what’s the point? Some people can’t help being horny? You could just go back and watch Campion’s The Piano (1993), Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct (1992) or Lawrence Kasdan’s Body Heat (1981) again if you want effective, well-executed eroticism in cinema. Most disappointing to me is the two leads of Babygirl, both generally talented and mesmerizing, have been better in other films. I felt Banderas was also wasted and underwritten as the perplexed, devoted husband as well.

Ultimately, Babygirl has a semi-intriguing plot and good cast, but nothing much to say or show unfortunately.