We all crave power in some way or another – it is hardwired into our nature to desire some kind of dominance, even if it is only to a very small degree. The philosophical reasons for having such impulses are inconclusive. Still, it is certain to be the result of shifting dynamics of power, and how society is structured into tiers that are more powerful than others, which leads us to equate being powerful with being successful, which is not always the case. In her ambitious third directorial outing, Halina Reijn investigates this very subject, which is delivered in the form of Babygirl, a film that follows the trials and tribulations of Romy Mathis, a very successful businesswoman who currently works as the CEO of a large robotics company, which gives her and her family a comfortable suburban life where they can luxuriate in her success. However, when an enigmatic and forceful intern steps into Romy’s life by chance, she finds herself growing extremely confused, especially since he manoeuvres his way into her life, making it very clear that he is seeking to assert power over her, but rather than dismissing him for insubordination, the protagonist realizes that he represents the salvation from a relatively dull existence she has been waiting for, leading to the pair starting a torrid love affair that starts as an exciting break from convention, but eventually starts to produce unexpected consequences that threaten to derail both her personal and professional life, proving that succumbing to your urges can cause immense difficult for those not prepared for the potential challenges that come with taking such risks. A new addition to the canon of erotic thrillers that take a more artistic approach to exploring human sexuality and the parameters of desire, Babygirl is a fascinating work in terms of both themes and execution and while it doesn’t quite reach the dizzying heights that seemed entirely plausible, it does still contain value, even if it doesn’t do enough to separate itself from the legions of similarly-themed works from the past few years that explore the same themes in vivid detail.

While it may not have been developed as such, Babygirl was quite clearly crafted as a film based around Nicole Kidman, acting as a starring vehicle for someone who has continued to pursue collaborations with exciting auteurs, and who consistently shows herself to be willing to push the limits of her skills to the point where they are at their most tensile and flexible. Kidman has worked actively to prevent being typecast, and while the character of Romy does bear some resemblance to many characters she has played recently (insofar as she is someone who has to reconcile both her domestic responsibilities and her career when unexpected obstacles begin to emerge), but is unique enough to stand on its own. Her performance in Babygirl is quite strong, even if she doesn’t veer too far from what she has grown accustomed to playing, creating an odd combination of ideas that inform so much of the film and what it represents. Having one of the most engaging and compelling screen presences as its lead gives the film a considerable boost, and Kidman is wholeheartedly committed to this character’s journey, even if she feels quite dour at certain moments, the lack of humour or genuine human emotion being a character choice that is understandable but not quite enough to justify some of the choices made with the role. Harris Dickinson has been steadily amassing his own impressive body of work over the years, and he seems poised to make a breakthrough, quietly seeking the right project. Babygirl may not be the one that will make him a household name, but it gives him quite a boost in terms of visibility, especially since he is playing quite an unconventional villain, a man driven by his lust, but who allows it to fester in such a way that even attempting to bring down the woman with whom he had been having an affair will result in his descent into madness. Antonio Banderas and Sophie Wilde round out the main cast, bringing much-needed doses of humanity to a film that would have otherwise been too cold without their presence, especially since both Kidman and Dickinson are playing such harsh, complex characters that would be impossible to embrace without the rest of the cast.

Many provocative themes are littered throughout Babygirl, which is most definitely a film with a strong thematic foundation, using its actors as vessels for the director’s curiosities around certain subjects, which has proven to be the impetus behind many of her works. Reijn is fascinated by contemporary life and how everyone is essentially leading dual lives, using this simple premise to guide many of her stories and show how everyone is guilty of some degree of duplicity, even if it is mostly unintentional. In the case of this film, we find the director leaping into the subject of sexuality, focusing on the budding relationship and eventual fallout that occurs when a high-ranking businesswoman allows herself to be taken advantage of by an alluring young employee, who proves to be both her escape from reality and the ultimate root of her eventual downfall, both factoring into her decision to engage in this scandalous affair. Arguably, Babygirl does use lust as a fundamental theme, with the use of sexuality being a prominent element that makes the film quite an intriguing investigation into human desire and how we crave the opportunity to step outside of our humdrum lives and experience the adrenaline and fear that comes with taking such an enormous risk, as well as the potential consequences that will certainly emerge the moment we allow ourselves to surrender to those urges. From a contemporary perspective, a film about sexuality and how it factors into modern dynamics of power may seem outdated, and it is certainly true that Reijn does have quite a challenge ahead of her when crafting this film – but yet its still frequently able to make astute and perhaps even revelatory discoveries with this narrative, proving that it is far from a one-dimensional story, but rather one with a firm foundation within reality, enough to compensate for some of its deficiencies that we begin to see emerging in the latter portions where the film needs to tie up its loose ends, something that it does struggle to do at certain points throughout.

It is certainly easy to view Babygirl as just a film about sexuality, as seen through the relationship between the protagonist and her enticing beau – but there is more to Babygirl than initially meets the eye, and Reijn is persistent in her desire for the audience to see exactly what she does with this material, crafting an earnest and deeply captivating portrait of femininity and how women are expected to achieve perfection if they want to make an impression in their industry or even just hold onto whatever success they have achieved by this point. The most compelling moments of this film are not the sexually charged games of cat-and-mouse (which are some of the weakest in the film), but rather the scenes that exist around the margins, such as the glimpses we get into Romy’s domestic life and relationship with her children and husband, or the frequent treatments that she undergoes not solely for the sake of her vanity, but also to maintain her image of near-perfection, changing herself physically to fit into the mould of an ideal female leader, which is defined as being a statuesque figure that has erased any sense of emotion or imperfection from both her body and soul, allowing her to fit into the strict confines of what those in power believe she is the ideal model of feminine leadership. These moments are quite brief and are mainly there for exposition, but they prove to be the most captivating aspects of the film, and the primary reason Babygirl manages to be so profoundly fascinating, since it presents a dual portrait of this woman as she navigates a hostile world, doing whatever she can to hold onto her position, not only for the sake of providing for her family, but also for her pride, which is put to the test once her partner in infidelity begins to become something of a threat to both her job security and the pleasant domestic life she was more than willing to abandon, but now holds onto with every bit of strength she can muster. The collision of power and desire set the foundation for this film and proves to be the source of some of its most effective setpieces, making it quite an impressive endeavour in terms of both styles and how it approaches these themes without any sense of inauthenticity.

Babygirl is far from a perfect film, and we find ourselves somewhat bewildered by several of the choices made throughout this film. Primarily, we don’t quite understand the character motivations – some moments feel too convenient and polished to be entirely authentic, and everything seems to fall into place without any rhyme or reason, which is more an issue with the filmmaking than the performances, which are only as good as the direction that surrounds them. It is also difficult to feel much sympathy for these characters and their plight, which proves to become even worse as time progresses. Yet, Reijn seemed to be aware of these elements, since the film gradually and methodically develops into quite an intense character study in which we are asked to find the space to understand these characters, since while they may be hedonists with good lives and very few legitimate worries until they choose to engage in this dangerous affair out of their volition, but do still have various existential quandaries, which many of us can relate to, whether its how we struggle to define ourselves in terms of our identity, or quite simply our burning desire for power and influence, something that is innate to us all. Babygirl doesn’t always hit the mark, but on the few occasions where it does, it feels genuinely effective. Its imperfections are clear but not enough to derail our experience, which becomes far more enthralling than we may have initially expected, becoming the basis for a strange but hypnotic addition to the canon of strong erotic thrillers, drawing from many past works while still endeavouring to be entirely original on its own merits.