The erotic thriller that depicts an older woman having an illicit affair with a young man has been done effectively in the past. “Notes on a Scandal” and the Hulu series “A Teacher” come to mind. And more recently, Todd Haynes’ “May December.” However, with the upcoming film “Babygirl,” there’s a new, more contemporary approach, as promised by Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera.

Continue reading ‘Babygirl’ Trailer: Nicole Kidman’s Acclaimed New A24 Erotic Thriller Arrives In Theaters December 20 at The Playlist.

To the uninformed bystander, Romy (Nicole Kidman) leads a perfect life. She is a beautiful CEO living in a lavish New York townhouse with two loving teenage daughters and a doting husband who still desires her after two decades of marriage. Still, in these twenty years, theatre director Jacob (Antonio Banderas) never managed to give his wife an orgasm. And boy, does Romy need one. When a dashing new intern walks into her office, it is as if all these years of suppressed fantasies come bubbling up within the woman, who finds in Samuel (Harris Dickinson) the opportunity to do what she never could with her husband: ask for what she wants.

Continue reading ‘Babygirl’ Review: Nicole Kidman & Harris Dickinson Sizzle in Halina Reijn’s Erotic Drama [Venice] at The Playlist.

Dutch actress/director Halina Reijn made a big splash for her English-language feature debut last year with A24’s anti-slasher “Bodies Bodies Bodies.” Not everyone loved the movie (this writer didn’t), but once A24 becomes interested in an artist, loads of moviegoers also become interested. So, what’s next for Reijn? It’s an erotic thriller for A24 called “Babygirl,” about a career woman in her 40s who gets sexually involved with a 21-year-old intern.  

Continue reading ‘Babygirl’: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas & More To Star In ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ Director’s A24 Erotic Thriller at The Playlist.

She may not yet be a household name in the United States, but in her native Netherlands, “Bodies Bodies Bodies” director Halina Reijn is a well-established figure in film, TV, and theater. She’s worked with renowned Belgian theater director Ivo van Hove on international stage productions. The production company she started with fellow Dutch actress (and “Game of Thrones” alum) Carice van Houten, Man Up, developed “Red Light,” an award-winning Dutch/Belgian TV series, which Reijn created, co-wrote, and starred in.

Continue reading ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ Director Halina Reijn On Shifting Cultures, Gen Z Lingo & Filming In The Dark [Interview] at The Playlist.

“You’re such a dick.” This oft-repeated line from “Bodies Bodies Bodies” could describe almost every character in Halina Reijn’s terrific new horror-comedy. Set in a remote mansion during a coke-fueled hurricane party gone awry, the film follows a group of wealthy friends with lots of baggage over one fateful, deadly night. Economically shot and brilliantly cast, the film is a scathing critique of feigned friendships and the vapid excess of bored rich kids. 

Continue reading ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ Review: A Terrific Horror Comedy Evisceration Of TikTok-Era Entitlement & Rich, Gen-Z Privilege [SXSW] at The Playlist.