Babygirl First Reviews – Critics Say Nicole Kidman Is “A Marvel” in New A24 Erotic Thriller

Nicole Kidman, Antonio Banderas, and Harris Dickinson star in Halina Reijn's new film, Babygirl, which debuted to rapturous praise from critics at the Venice Film Festival.

Kidman stars as Romy, a high-powered CEO who puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern, Samuel, played by Harris Dickinson.

Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson were spotted on set of the A24 erotic thriller in February, and the film (which Nicole Kidman was attacked by a dog on set for) currently boasts a score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes from 24 reviews, where critics are raving about Kidman's "ferociously good" performance.

Ali Benzekri of Awards Watch says, "Nicole Kidman is a marvel in Babygirl", and Ema Sasic of Next Best Picture says this is "one of the most genuinely raw performances of [Kidman's] career."

Flick Feast's Dallas King says, "Kidman and Dickinson have an undeniable, smouldering, palpable chemistry", and Tim Grierson of Screen International says the duo "are excellent as these carnal combatants, each of their characters jockeying for control."

However, there's some critique that the film doesn't burn as hot as people would've hoped.

Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson says, "one does maybe crave a bit more heat from a movie that is so willing to tackle intimate matters", and Xan Brooks at The Guardian says, "For all its excited carnality and seesawing power struggles, the film’s thrills feel machine-tooled and vacuum-packed."

These opinions are outliers in the high praise, however, and most people seem to feel that the Bodies Bodies Bodies director has another hit on her hands.

Babygirl Review Roundup

• The Playlist: That the Dutch director to craft some of the hottest sex scenes in a major film in years and without dropping the ball in pacing this satire on the era of the politically correct feels almost impossible.
• Time Out: A deliciously barbed, but wise and ultimately hopeful investigation of female sexual desire, marriage and modern power dynamics.
• BBC.com: Reijn's raw, jagged, indie-style film has all the scenes you would expect if Babygirl were a standard Hollywood neo-noir thriller but each time Reijn explores the undignified reality behind the glamour.
• Vulture: It's a self-love story, and part of that discovery is that it's okay to let yourself be small for a while.
• The Film Stage: There is wit, some stinging humor, and a lot of arousal baked into Babygirl, but it all works so well as an exciting, sexy (yes, let’s reclaim this word!) whole because the film pays attention to sex.