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'Married CEO has perilous affair with much younger intern' might sound like a tale you've heard one too many times. But, in erotic thriller Babygirl, starring Nicole Kidman, it's the rich and powerful woman having the illicit age-gap relationship.
The gender inversion is just one of the reasons we can't stop thinking about this intriguing film, which has been hitting headlines for its steamy sex scenes and, of course, that sensual dance to George Michael's Father Figure.
Now that it's finally out in cinemas — and proliferating on social media — here's everything you need to know about Babygirl.
What's The Plot Babygirl?
From director Halina Reijn, Babygirl follows Romy (Kidman), who has a thriving career at a robotics company, as well as two daughters and a committed husband (Antonio Banderas). Yearning for something beyond the norm, Romy embarks on a secret affair with a handsome, confident younger intern Samuel (Harris Dickinson), exploring BDSM, sexual power dynamics and kinks.
Reijn recently opened up about the age-gap relationship dynamic within the film. 'If we see a movie where the male actor is the same age as the female actor, we find that odd. Which is insane,' she said. 'It should completely be normalised that the age gaps switch and that women have different relationships.'
'We’re not trapped in a box anymore. We internalise the male gaze, we internalise patriarchy, and we need to free ourselves from it. It’s really hard.'
Why Is Everyone Talking About Babygirl?
Babygirl has been hitting headlines for months, mostly because of its sexually charged atmosphere and kink-filled sex scenes – which, most critics concede, are masterfully conceived by Reijn and embodied by Kidman. In October 2024, Kidman told a publication that she had to pause filming during some scenes because of their intense, highly intimate nature.
'There were times when we were shooting where I was like, "I don't want to orgasm any more. Don’t come near me. I hate doing this. I don't care if I am never touched again in my life! I’m over it,"' she said. 'It was so present all the time for me that it was almost like a burnout.'
More recently, Kidman commented on the film's sexual nature once again, when asked how she felt about portraying 'different kinds of orgasms' in an interview with a publication. 'I blush, still!' she said. 'That’s insane. But that’s a good thing, I suppose. I’m very interested in exploring those things, but I’m not that extroverted. I was so in character. To pull the curtain back on all of it, it’s too sacred.'
As well as the nuances of female pleasure and transgressive sexual relationships, the plot doesn't shy away from the less glamorous elements of the 'torrid affair' at its centre. Viewers see Romy getting Botox, grappling with a too-tight dress and exclaiming that she's 'gonna pee' during a particularly intense encounter.
Overall, Babygirl looks set to be a darkly sexy example of the inverted age-gap narratives that have proliferated in 2024, starting with Miranda July's novel All Fours, with its visceral, arresting account of midlife sexual awakening and maternal self-discovery. Within the more PG confines of the romcom, there was The Idea of You, with Anne Hathaway as a 40-year-old single mother and Nicholas Galitzine as a boyband heartthrob, and A Family Affair, in which a shallow movie star played by Zac Efron falls for his assistant's widowed mother (also played by Kidman).
Who's In The Cast?
Alongside Kidman and Dickinson, Antonio Banderas plays Romy's theatre director husband Jacob. It also features Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me), who plays Kidman's assistant.
Is There A Babygirl Trailer?
Yes. And it sent the internet into something of a frenzy when it first dropped, hinting at a seductive cat-and-mouse affair between Kidman and Dickinson's characters.
When Will Babygirl Be Released?
After a long wait, Babygirl was finally released in UK cinemas on January 10, 2025. Although A24 has yet to announce an official streaming date for Babygirl, the film is expected to stream on Max in 2025, given A24's streaming partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a publication. Past A24 films, like The Iron Claw and Uncut Gems, have also landed on the platform.
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Read the original article in ELLE UK.