Baby girl, you must be ladylike.

“Liberation”, the word writer-director Halina Reijn said that best describes her new film,”Babygirl”, and did she make a point. Produced by A24 and having premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in September, come Christmas we will be able to watch Nicole Kidman in her most vulnerable role to date.

Following a high-powered CEO who falls victim to a scandalous affair with one of her junior interns, Reijn deep-dives into the exploration of sexuality and desire through the eyes of a woman. A refreshing twist on the erotic genre that often uses female characters as props to play out a male protagonist’s wants and needs. But Reijn is normalising the concept that women can want these things too… shocking I know.

Power and women are two words that historically haven’t been all too familiar with one another, and when a woman is put in a position of power, she is expected to be faultless, stern, conservative and, under no circumstances, sexually curious. Take any blockbuster, and you’ll struggle not to find one without the male lead involved in addiction or adultery. Despite this he won’t be shamed for it, he’ll have his high-flying career, and as a viewer, if we’re honest, we wouldn’t be too shocked or judgemental. If a woman wants to be at the top, she must be careful; men are allowed to be reckless, and women must be ladylike.

With “Babygirl”, Reijn aims to triumph in the telling of women’s stories from the position of real-like and truthful experiences, and is unafraid of judgment. Starting as an actress herself, she states that it was Nicole Kidman’s fearlessness in her movies that she would try to embody before a performance and that whilst writing “Babygirl”, it was Kidman that Reijn had in mind.

With Kidman regarding her relationship with Reijn as one like a sister or best friend, both women were able to create a space where they could be vulnerable and honest about their experiences and desires, allowing the filming to be ‘delicate, intimate and very deep’ according to Kidman in an interview with The Guardian. A strong actor-director relationship for a film this exposing is fundamental, creating an investment from Kidman that caused her to rarely come out of the role, setting high expectations for the film’s release.

What’s exciting about this movie is that it was made with a purpose far greater than to excite and entertain people, but to give an insight into the workings of a woman. Being a big fan of films such as “Basic Instinct” and “Indecent Proposal”, both by male directors, Reijn wanted to create something from her own experiences so women could be ‘more at ease with the beast within’. The topics she focuses on in “Babygirl”are parts of herself she still battles with, things women universally relate to. This level of purpose behind the film can only act as a catalyst for creating an erotic piece of cinema that leaves women more understood than judged.

Watch the trailer of “Babygirl” here.