The first thing that I noticed as Director Halina Reijn’s new feature ‘Babygirl’ unfurled before me was how different it felt from some of the erotic thrillers that came before. Particularly seperate from another voyeuristic feature of the year ‘The Substance’ notably also directed by a woman. The nudity in ‘Babygirl’ feels gentler and calmer than the intensity of the camera’s lecherous treatment of Margaret Qualley in ‘The Substance’. Both are viable options that work in the separate features. And while some complain that ‘Babygirl’ lacks risk I contend that the choice to steer away from De Palmaesque cinematography grounds the movie to the tale of infidelity that it succeeds at being.

There’s plenty of taboo on screen right from the jump as CEO Romy Mathis proceeds to get off by watching porn shortly after having sex with her husband (Antonio Banderas). Romy likes being told what to do, having power stripped from her and not making decisions. It at first seems ironic that such a strong independent woman would want to be put into a position of subservience. But as the movie illustrates early on, the job of the CEO is not to make the decisions, but to listen to the people that are actually doing the work.

Even when she is at her most dominating in the boardroom she is rarely shown leading the troops in any tactile way. And as she is introduced to Samuel (Harris Dickinson), she craves to have less and less power over him, and over her own life. Samuel asks early on how she got this job, and she provides what feels like a run of the mill response that any CEO would give. She knew someone after grad school who helped her get a job at a start up. She never really made any decisions for herself or her life. Like most CEOs she never really did any real work. The most work we see her doing is giving a press briefing where she is told how to look, what to wear, and what to say.

This craven masochistic behavior is mirrored in her relationship with Samuel who immediately picks up on her desire to be told what to do. He is confident, he seems like someone who has clawed for every inch he’s ever gained, coming into a meeting with a chip on his shoulder and Romy is immediately attracted to his dominant presence. While she might be in a position of power over him professionally, he holds all the cards over her sexually. She gives into his confident presence because that’s what upper management does.

Their tryst begins at first with a kiss, and eventually evolves into meeting in a seedy hotel where Samuel can make her crawl on all fours drinking milk out of a saucer. She jeopordizes her marriage and her career in chasing this lustful affair, partially out of selfishness and partially out of need. While I certainly read a lot of this as condemnation of the haves and the have nots, there’s plenty of commentary on female sexual desire baked into the plot from Director Reijn. As things spiral out of her control Romy is forced to figure out how to balance what she wants, what is best for her family, and her employees as she is taught lesson after steamy lesson by Samuel the intern.

4/5