
Halina Reijn’s “Babygirl” centers on an illicit BDSM affair between high-strung CEO Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman) and her much younger intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson). Though he tells her exactly what to do—even what to drink—the film is, first and foremost, about a woman’s self-exploration.
While “Babygirl” takes its cues from erotic thrillers of the ’90s, its wry wit and surprising plot turns set it apart. It’s Reijn’s way of reckoning with how female characters—some of whom she’s played onstage—have been written throughout history. The common denominator? They’re all hemmed in by a distinctly male understanding of womanhood and desire.
When she was writing the script, Reijn found herself swimming against the tide of these gendered stereotypes. Here, the filmmaker discusses how she brings her theater background into her writing process and what the term “female gaze” means to her.
How did you go about bringing “Babygirl” to life as you were working on the script?
When I write, I act everything out. I have to feel the rhythm of the language, like: Does it work? Can you even act this? Then I add another layer and start to cut things. And once we cast—with maybe some of the best actors in the world—they added their talent and their biographies and stories to it, and it grew from there.
Sometimes the actors say things privately and I’m intrigued, and I ask if I can use it in the script. For instance, Harris said to me after the second rehearsal day, “You shouldn’t drink so much coffee.” I was like, “What? You’re telling me what to do?” And I thought that would be an excellent thing to add to the movie.
Halina Reijn and Kidman on the set of “Babygirl” Credit: Niko Tavernise
As a woman writing female characters in a world where so much of our understanding has been shaped by men, do you find yourself having to push back against those influences?
Oh, yes, completely. I feel that I’m haunted by Shakespeare, Eugene O’Neill, and Henrik Ibsen; their characters have taken possession over me. It’s like I’m writing with Hedda Gabler, Mary Stuart, and Ophelia sitting on my writing table.
In a way, “Babygirl” is an exorcism of those worlds. All of the characters I’ve played in my life were looking for freedom; they all tried to liberate themselves, but all of them killed themselves or became psychotic. There was no version of a woman actually liberating herself and being happy.
I had to really find my own [version of] the female gaze. What does that even mean? I’ve internalized patriarchy in such a way that I cultivate being a muse to these very strong male directors. And so, now, who am I? As a woman, what is the female gaze? I had a lot of fun—and also a little bit of pain—exploring that.
“Babygirl” is as much about the space between the dialogue as the words themselves. How did you go about directing those nonverbal moments?
A lot of my movie is sexual, but it’s never explicitly sexual. There’s only one moment where we [portray] penetrative sex, and the rest is suggestion. For instance, when Samuel orders Romy to drink the glass of milk, to me, that is a sex scene even though they are physically incredibly far apart. You have to describe that in detail in the script, because then the actors who read it are able to feel what you mean. You have to draw them into your world and seduce them so they really feel the physical actions they have to perform.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
This story originally appeared in the Jan. 23 issue of Backstage Magazine.