Nicole Kidman Says She 'Still Blushes' Over Orgasm Scenes In 'Babygirl'
'Married CEO has perilous affair with much younger intern' might sound like a tale you've heard one too many times. But, in upcoming 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. Ahead of its release, here's everything you need to know about Babygirl.
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What's the plot of 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.
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 The Sun 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 The Hollywood Reporter. '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?
There's not too long to wait. Babygirl will be released in UK cinemas on 10 January 2025. See you at the cinema.
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