A successful robotics company CEO risks everything when she begins a perilous affair with her much younger intern, forcing her to confront her own dark desires and the precarious balance between power and submission. A film by Halina Reijn, starring Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde, Esther McGregor, Victor Slezak, Leslie Silva, and Antonio Banderas.

In their New York City apartment, Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman), the CEO of a robotics automation company, lives with her husband, theater director Jacob (Antonio Banderas), and their two children, Isabel (Esther McGregor) and Nora (Vaughan Reilly). Despite her seemingly loving family, Romy struggles with unfulfilled sexual fantasies that have lingered since her adolescence. Dissatisfied with her sex life with Jacob, she fakes orgasms and later turns to online pornography to satisfy herself in private.

The next day, while walking to her office, Romy is startled when a loose dog sprints toward her, nearly attacking her. To her surprise, the dog suddenly stops at the sound of a whistle from a young man, who effortlessly calms the animal despite not being its owner. Intrigued, Romy finds herself drawn to the mysterious stranger.

At her office, Romy encounters the young man again when her assistant, Esme (Sophie Wilde), introduces a group of interns. Samuel (Harris Dickinson) is among them. However, their interaction is cut short when Samuel asks Romy if she truly believes in her statement that automation can lead to sustainability — or if it was just something she made up to make people like robots. Esme deems his question inappropriate and quickly escorts the interns out of Romy’s office.

During the interns’ orientation, they are informed about a company-wide mentorship program. Everyone will receive an email with a list of names, allowing them to choose a mentor. Esme emphasizes the program’s importance, strongly recommending it as a way to significantly enhance their experience at the company. Additionally, the interns are invited to the company’s holiday party that Friday.

At the holiday party, Romy is surprised when Samuel reveals that he has chosen her as his mentor. She tries to explain that she isn’t part of the program, but Samuel insists her name was on the list he received via the company email. Later, Romy learns from Esme that Hazel (Leslie Silva), one of the executives, believes it would be beneficial for Romy to participate in the mentorship program.

The morning after the party, Romy arrives at the office early while the cleaning staff is still at work. She spots Samuel’s necktie on the floor, dropped during his dancing with the others the night before. She picks it up and keeps it in her handbag. Alone in her office, she inhales his scent from the necktie and begins to fantasize about him.

During their first private meeting, a scheduled 10-minute introduction as part of the company’s mentorship program, Samuel asks Romy about the origins of her warehouse automation dream. The conversation takes an awkward turn when Samuel suggests that Romy likes to be told what to do. Uncomfortable, Romy decides to sign off and end the session. As she heads for the door, Samuel asks her to wait. In the tension that follows, Romy gives in to impulse and kisses him. However, she quickly comes to her senses, realizing the inappropriateness of her action. Flustered, she apologizes and rushes out of the room.

After the kissing incident, Romy tries to distance herself from Samuel, ignoring his emails about their next weekly meeting. Samuel, however, confronts her in person, insisting they must meet weekly as per the program’s requirements. Later, while having drinks with other company executives at a restaurant, Romy notices Samuel at the bar with a group of interns. She’s taken aback when a glass of milk is placed in front of her. Glancing at Samuel, she realizes he’s been watching her and deduces that he’s the one who ordered the milk. Intrigued, Romy drinks the entire glass while maintaining eye contact with Samuel.

The next evening, following a note Samuel left on her desk, the two secretly meet at a hotel. Romy initially attempts to confront him about his inappropriate behavior – the notes, phone calls, texts, and the milk incident. Confused and frustrated, she tries to leave but instead gives in to her desires and attempts to kiss him. Samuel pushes her away, stating that’s not what he wants from her. A struggle ensues on the floor as Samuel tries to calm her down. Their secret meeting evolves into their first dominant-submissive exchange, culminating in Romy experiencing an intense orgasm with Samuel in control.

Written and directed by Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn, “Babygirl” is an erotic drama centered on a female CEO of a robotics automation company who harbors secret sexual fantasies and begins an affair with a young male intern.

While Nicole Kidman delivers a striking performance in the leading role as Romy, the filmmaker chooses to focus solely on her perspective, revealing little about Harris Dickinson’s character Samuel, who remains an elusive young man with ambiguous motives throughout the film.

The film initially portrays Romy as exploiting her power as CEO, initiating a dynamic of submission and dominance with the young intern, Samuel. However, he proves to be far from innocent, seemingly understanding exactly what Romy desires and deliberately playing into the situation. While Samuel has little to lose from their affair, Romy risks everything – her loving family and successful career could crumble if their relationship comes to light.

The film, however, fails to generate any real tension as Romy and Samuel’s secret sexual encounters continue without detection or consequence. Their sexual meetings become repetitive and stagnant, doing little to advance the narrative. Even their conversations during these scenes offer no deeper insight into their psyches, instead adding layers of ambiguity and confusion rather than exploring the dangerous implications of their affair.

One of the most puzzling scenes occurs when Esme, Samuel’s love interest, confronts Romy about the affair. Despite Romy previously ignoring her promotion request, Esme surprisingly refuses to use this information to destroy Romy’s career. Esme’s role in the company remains unclear – she appears to be Romy’s personal assistant yet exercises unusual autonomy, such as showing up uninvited with Samuel at Romy’s daughter’s birthday party. While Samuel likely orchestrated this appearance, the film never explicitly confirms this.

The scene takes an odd turn when Esme simply asks Romy to end the affair and return to being the inspiring female leader she once admired. The resolution feels particularly contrived when Esme eventually receives her desired promotion and delivers a monologue about female empowerment – a speech that feels out of place given that she works at a robotics automation company, not a motivational coaching firm.

The film ultimately fails to deliver on its intriguing premise of power dynamics between a female executive and a young male intern. While the scenario should raise serious concerns about workplace sexual harassment, the film sidesteps these implications by emphasizing mutual consent. The resolution feels particularly convenient – Romy simply reconciles with her husband Jacob, while Samuel is neatly written out of the story with a vague explanation about moving to Japan.

Babygirl premiered at Biennale di Venezia on 30 August 2024. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 25 December, by A24.