Babygirl, Explained: Problematic or Empowering?

Babygirl, the new movie starring Nicole Kidman, has been getting a lot of awards buzz but also causing its own bit of controversy. Falling into the so-called ‘year of the MILF’ cannon and bringing back 90s-era erotic thriller vibes – the movie has gotten a lot of people talking, though… not everyone is sure what, exactly, the movie itself is trying to say. So, what is the actual point of Babygirl? (And what’s with the milk?!) Let’s take a closer look.

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CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:26 Romy's conundrum
01:18 Meeting Samuel & dangerous new possibilities
02:19 Exploring power dynamics
03:00 Romy vs herself
03:51 Age gaps tropes on screen
06:22 How Babygirl tries to level the playing field
06:54 What is the point of Babygirl?
08:32 The milk symbolism
08:54 Being unafraid of touchy subjects
09:17 Why the ending isn't what people expected
09:43 Is Babygirl worth seeing?


The Take was created by Debra Minoff & Susannah McCullough