There are few movie stars who have been as prolific as Nicole Kidman.

In fact, the Australian star of “Babygirl” – the slick erotic thriller by Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn now in theaters – has been so busy in recent years (23 films in the last decade, and that’s not even counting her television work or her gig as celebrity spokesmodel for the AMC Theater chain) that it’s become a running gag in the popular conversation. It even emerged as a punch line for Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser earlier this month.

Make no mistake, though, there’s a reason for her continued presence as one of Hollywood’s most valuable players, and “Babygirl,” which pushes her to exhibit the kind of vulnerability rarely even expected of performers half her age, is ample proof of that.

In the film, Kidman stars as Romy Mathis, the CEO of a New York tech company – an Amazon-style purchasing hub where order fulfillment is handled exclusively via robotics – whose marriage to a renowned theater director (Antonio Banderas) works everywhere but in the bedroom. When Samuel (Harris Dickinson), a much-younger new male intern at the company to whom she is already attracted, requests her as his mentor as part of a company leadership program, she finds herself drawn into an affair, fueled by the Dom/sub sexual dynamic of her fantasies, which compromises her position of power in the company almost as much as it satisfies the unmet needs of her personal life. It’s a self-described thriller, so needless to say, things start to spin out of control when Samuel shows up unannounced at her home in the middle of a family gathering – but the increasing danger only serves to draw her deeper into a situation which, by any conventional standard, represents a highly inappropriate breach of conduct, at best.

Influenced noticeably by films from the pre-“MeToo”-era dealing with the blending of sexual and professional power dynamics (both “Indecent Proposal” and “Basic Instinct” have been cited by Reijn as inspiration) and marked by an aloof, almost documentarian perspective that contrasts with the boundary-pushing provocation of its intimate scenes in a way that distances us from the ethical quandaries of its central relationship, it’s a movie that both invites us and challenges us. Investing us in the experience of a woman who has beaten the odds to find success while resigning herself to an unsatisfactory sex life with an otherwise perfectly matched husband, it asks us to empathize and even root for Romy as she negotiates the thorny path toward an erotic self-actualization that matches her professional one, despite the strong societal current that would brand every decision she makes along the way as toxic. It’s this conflict between what’s “right” and what serves our deepest instinctual needs that gives “Babygirl” its edgy power, far more than its scenes of fetish-driven intimacy – which, while they crackle with the kind of sexual tension that’s often lacking in the scenes of “socially endorsed” intimacy presented in mainstream cinema, are undeniably tame compared with what can be found in the more transgressive milieu of underground cinema – and rattles our sense of (for lack of a better word) “decency.”

This said, the scenes in which Kidman – who fearlessly embraces the challenge of being an A-list superstar (of a “certain age”) in a role that hinges not just on her sexual viability, but the willingness with which she allows her body to be presented for scrutiny – surrenders herself to the irresistible draw of her forbidden young lover are nevertheless searing examples of raw cinematic expression. This is certainly a function of her full commitment to the role, and her ability to find the right blend of self-awareness and self-abandon that convinces us of their authenticity. But it’s equally due to the smouldering charisma and adroitly balanced persona of Dickinson’s Samuel, who overcomes the natural distrust that inherently accompanies his role (as a male subordinate seemingly exploiting his female superior’s vulnerability) to win a palpable measure of respect – if not our full sympathies – through an almost preternatural sense of self-confidence and a kind of dark sincerity that renders the mutually exploitative nature of their relationship almost irrelevant in our visceral response to it.

Before anyone questions the weight with which we consider the movie’s sex scenes, it’s important to convey that “Babygirl” is most decidedly a film about sexual politics, and, despite the complimentary juxtaposition it provides with workplace culture, it is there where it hits its deepest and most resonant chords in our collective psyche. The forced strictures of our societal roles take a back seat to the raw and untamed urgency of our most intimate desires, and even the sacrosanct bond of marital commitment is fair game when it comes to fulfilling the fantasies that somehow make us feel more wholly ourselves, regardless – and indeed, often because of – any taboos that might otherwise discourage us from exploring them. 

In an era when the “rules” around sex somehow feel both less and more stringent than ever, such an approach feels particularly transgressive. Indeed, the implication than an illicit office affair might be anything other than an HR nightmare might well seem like a radical notion even to those with a more-or-less permissive stance on matters of personal morality, in any era. Yet “Babygirl” negotiates those dangerous curves with wickedly seductive finesse, offering up a steamy portrait of illicit-yet-irresistible sexual adventure that ultimately feels less like a cautionary tale – despite the inevitable personal and professional consequences that threaten to shatter Romy’s idealized “Girl Boss” life as her affair with Samuel grows more and more out of her control – than a taboo-smashing story of personal liberation and growth beyond conventional mores.

Delivered without overt judgment through Reijn’s observational treatment, it’s a movie that successfully conveys the allure of “kinky” sexual roleplay far more convincingly than “Fifty Shades of Gray” – thanks in no small part to Dickinson, whose breathtakingly opaque performance renders Samuel with equal parts searing charisma and chilling menace, and whose May/September chemistry with Kidman is not only convincing but undeniably hot.

It’s her film, however, and it’s her performance, which captures an emotional nakedness far more courageous than that required by baring her perfect-for-any-age body, that gives “Babygirl” the depth that makes it more than just a topical tale of sexual politics in the workplace. Indeed, the office intrigue that surrounds the affair seems almost an afterthought, a convenient “McGuffin” to draw us into a story that is really about something much more interesting.

While the movie doesn’t always land perfectly – particularly in its treatment of Romy’s marriage, which feels vaguely perfunctory and leaves Banderas with little room to explore the nuances that might make his character more than a cipher – it’s still a deliciously provocative, visually stylish piece of boldly countercultural filmmaking, that dares to suggest that the path to personal growth sometimes lies through kinky, forbidden sex.

You have to admit, it’s a very appealing suggestion.

The 40th annual Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather competition was held on Sunday, Jan. 12 at the Hyatt Regency Washington. The event was one of the highlights of 2025 Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend. Eight competitors vied for the title of Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 2025, with Jason Elliott named the winner. 

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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