Babygirl: Review and Summary | The Ecstasy Of Vulnerability and Risk

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General Information About Babygirl

Film Length	1 Hour 54 Minutes
Release Date	December 25, 2024
Initially Available On/Via	Theatrical
Advisory Rating	Rated R
Genre(s)	Drama
Distributor	A24
Director	Halina Reijn
Writer	Halina Reijn
Character Name	Actor
Romy	Nicole Kidman
Jacob	Antonio Banderas
Samuel	Harris Dickinson
Esme	Sophie Wilde

Plot Summary

Romy is the CEO of a tech automation company, with two kids, a husband, and the admiration of many who work in her office in Manhattan. But she is unsatisfied. Mainly, it seems with her partner Jacob, who might be a selfish lover, considering Romy has not orgasmed because of him in 19 years of marriage. But then enters Samuel, an intern who seemingly doesn’t understand boundaries or cares about what is appropriate. His challenge to the assumed power dynamics is intriguing.

In fact, it is so intriguing that when he pushes against her being a CEO, how valuable her time is, and more, it is like a seduction. One Romy might be willing to risk it all for.

Character Descriptions

Romy

Romy is a woman who came from a very curious background, filled with eccentric characters growing up, hence an unexpected name like Romy, and from Yale to showing investors she isn’t one to mess with, she became the CEO of a tech company focused on automation made to give people more time to do less repetitive tasks.

• The actor is also known for their role in “The Upside.”

Jacob

Jacob is Romy’s husband, a theater director, and the father of her two kids.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Life Itself.”

Samuel

Samuel is a young man who seems to skirt social norms. He isn’t trying to be a rebel or stir trouble, but he values mutual respect and trust and somewhat understands power dynamics. However, as Romy reminds us, he is young, so it seems he doesn’t have a full grip on things he is interested in or what he explores with Romy.

• The actor is also known for their role in “The Iron Claw.”

Esme

Esme appears to be either an executive assistant or a potential lead regarding the intern program at Tensile. She is ambitious and is introduced as someone seeking a conversation about a promotion. She seems to love Romy showing a woman can be a wife, mother, and CEO while still appearing human and approachable.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Everything Now: Season 1.”

Other Noteworthy Information

Where To Watch This:

• Movie Contains: Cursing, Nudity, Sexual Situations (Implied), Drinking, Smoking

Review

Our Rating (80/100): Positive (Worth Seeing)

When it comes to “Babygirl,” I would submit that the storyline delivers something better than the performances. Whether it is not caring much about who gets hurt in Romy’s affair or the eroticism feeling intentionally flat, the performances are good enough but not necessarily worth bookmarking in the career of any actor involved.

However, the story and complexities of how seductive and stimulating the give and take of power dynamics are, never mind how corporate, if not job culture in general, doesn’t change; it just gets influenced by new factors and, to some degree, evolves, that is what makes “Babygirl” interesting—pushing the idea that it is far less about who plays who and more about how each character was written.

Highlights

How Things For Romy Evolved Beyond Sex

Let me begin by saying that if you thought “Babygirl” would be hot, tilting, and a hard R, this isn’t that kind of movie. Watch “Love” or “Blue Is the Warmest Color” if you want quality stories, performances, and sexual content that you’d only want to watch alone or with a partner; when it comes to “Babygirl,” you see, as the movie goes on, it may not be about sex at all.

At first, it may seem like it is a gender swap between the powerful man and the vulnerable woman, if not the powerful man who gets off giving their power to someone else. However, as “Babygirl” goes on, it seems less about being yet another movie to show women can be exploitative and perverted as we often see and expect, at times, men to be. After a certain point, you realize what Romy is seeking, above all, is the same challenge and audacity it took to get to the position she is in.

I’d submit that her attraction to Samuel was more so an attraction to who she once was when she didn’t have to lower boundaries for her kids, be the dutiful wife, and live up to some impossible standard of a woman in tech who is approachable to even an intern yet confident enough to seem in control, forward-thinking, and reliable to directors, managers, and investors. Romy’s pursuit of sex, to me, is just a hook for a story about a woman rediscovering what it means not to be bashful about what she wants, how she wants it, and her standards.

Esme, And The Evolving Games Of Politics At Work

While #MeToo, #TimesUp, and DEI are phrases and acronyms that have influenced the cultures of many industries, they are the newest layer of business operations. They are more so inconvenient factors, often utilized for the look of being progressive than something truly committed to since that would require time, effort, and a consistent flow of money to change a culture that has benefited and/or grown comfortable in the way things were.

So with Esme, a bright young woman who I believe begins as an executive assistant, watching her play the game is something to watch. It is interesting that you see her try to play clean and do things by the book, under the expectation that with a female CEO, there are proper, non-exploitative ways to do things. You know, the assumption that if women are in control, things will be better, based on merit, and overall easier for other women.

However, as it becomes clear that she knows progress requires getting your hands dirty and not just having uncomfortable conversations, you really will find yourself taking note of her. Particularly, as Romy says (paraphrased), you see her ambitions get tacked into a slightly warped moral mandate.

On The Fence

You Don’t Give A Damn About Jacob Or His Feelings

From what it seems, Jacob isn’t a bad husband. He engages with his kids and is a bit absorbed in his work, but he does show up for Romy and treats her like he is attracted to her. In many ways, the marriage between Romy and Jacob fits the 80/20 rule: he gives her 80% of what she needs in a partner. But, as shown with any film featuring cheaters, that 20% can be difficult to live without.

For example, before Samuel is brought into the picture, Jacob is asked to fulfill Romy’s desires, but his wanting to stick to what he likes and what they have always done makes her seek out that 20%. While that isn’t enough to justify cheating, at the same time, I’d submit very little about Jacob gets you invested in the survival of the marriage to care about it being potentially threatened by the reveal of an affair.

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