Critics hailed Babygirl as one of the best movies of 2024. The erotic psychological thriller follows Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman), a successful CEO, wife, and mother who has a seemingly perfect life but feels her sexual needs aren’t being met. When she falls for a young intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson), the two begin an electric but dangerous relationship as power dynamics come into play.
Kidman gives one of the best performances of her career in her bold and daring portrayal of Romy. The film has also earned praise for its complex exploration of sexuality and power. Viewers can use our guide to find more provocative and thrilling movies like Babygirl on platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and more.
A Simple Favor (2018)
A Simple Favor isn’t erotic, but like Babygirl, it’s a psychological thriller that delves into women’s desires. The film follows Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), a widowed mother and mommy vlogger who gets pulled into a wild mystery when her best friend, successful businesswoman Emily Nelson (Blake Lively), disappears.
A Simple Favor is twisty and thrilling while exploring power imbalances and what happens when women feel trapped by gender roles or deny their desires for too long. The film feels like a cross between White Lotus (2021) and Knives Out (2019) with its central mystery, unpredictable twists, and cast of lively, eccentric characters. If you love mystery with a good dose of humor and female-centered noir, A Simple Favor is an excellent choice for you.
Elle (2016)
Viewers who enjoyed Babygirl’s daring nature will also enjoy Elle. The psychological thriller follows successful CEO Michèle LeBlanc (Isabelle Huppert) as she tries to track down the man who assaulted her. The film isn’t afraid to touch on sensitive subjects in an honest attempt to capture the female experience when it comes to violence, sex, and freedom.
While Elle delves into darker territory than Babygirl, it does so with delicacy and precision, wrapping its story in mystery and dark humor and offering an exceedingly complex protagonist. It’s as provocative as Babygirl, but as profound as Promising Young Woman (2020), and is a must-see for viewers seeking a complex, feminist revenge thriller.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Eye Wide Shut is an erotic psychological thriller by director Stanley Kubrick. The movie centers on Dr. Bill Hartford (Tom Cruise), a man who, perturbed by his wife Alice’s (Kidman) sexual fantasies, sets out to find a sexual encounter of his own with disastrous results. Not only does the film share Kidman with Babygirl, but it’s a similar deep dive into the human psyche, marriage, and attitudes toward sex.
Both movies explore how people come to terms with the reality of their relationships while also probing ideas of power imbalances and corruption. However, Eyes Wide Shut leans more into surrealism, boasting a dream-like atmosphere similar to Mulholland Drive (2001). It’s an excellent choice for viewers seeking a movie with similar subject matter as Babygirl, but with a little more absurdity and surrealism.
Femme Fatale (2002)
Femme Fatale is a twisty erotic thriller about two look-alikes, Lily and Laure (Rebecca Romijn), who become entangled in a web of thievery, body doubles, and lies. Like Baygirl, it can get a bit far-fetched and campy, but Romijn’s performances, the thrills, and the tantalizing look into human desire and weaknesses make it quite the watch. It’s a very stylish film and boasts director Brian De Palma’s signature psychological thrills and suspense.
Femme Fatale also closely parallels Eyes Wide Shut with its surrealism, though it goes even further into absurd territory with a plot that makes very little logical sense. Fans of Blue Velvet (1986), Lost Highway (1997), and other noir films with a femme fatale will enjoy this one.
Fresh (2022)
Fresh is a horror thriller that follows Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a young woman who discovers her new boyfriend, Steve (Sebastian Stan), is involved in a gruesome human flesh trade. Fresh takes Babygirl’s attempt to capture the female experience to another level with a no-holds-barred and satirical tale of cannibalism and sex.
Through dark humor, a wild, horror-filled ride, and a female lens, Fresh poignantly tackles themes of toxic masculinity and female dating experiences. Like Raw (2016) and Bones and All (2022), it tackles thoughtful concepts through intense and gruesome imagery while also boasting the boldness of Babygirl.
May December (2023)
In May December, actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) begins spending time with Gracie (Julianne Moore), the woman she’s set to portray in a film examining Gracie’s controversial relationship with a man she started dating when she was an adult and he was a teenager. May December and Babygirl both feature age gap relationships and power imbalances, but the former gets deeper into the topic with a dark and alluring tale of guilt and lies.
If you were intrigued by the age gap relationship and power imbalance of Babygirl, but want a movie that goes deeper into abuse and the environment that enables it, May December is the perfect film for you.
Raw (2016)
Raw centers on Justine (Garance Marillier), a vegetarian veterinary student who develops an insatiable craving for flesh after tasting meat for the first time. It is more of a body horror movie than an erotic thriller. However, at their core, Babygirl and Raw are very similar in that they’re both stories of women’s sexual awakenings and the sometimes surprising ways their desires manifest.
Raw explores similar themes to Babygirl, but does so in a far more extreme manner through intense horror and graphic depictions of violence. Viewers interested in films that embody the New French Extremity while exploring feminism and sexual awakening, like Titane (2021), will love Raw.
Secretary (2002)
Viewers intrigued by the light sadomasochistic elements of Babygirl may be interested in Secretary. The film follows Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a socially awkward young woman who begins a relationship with her boss, E. Edward Grey (James Spader), who practices BDSM.
Secretary tackles its tricky subject matter and unconventional relationship with the perfect balance of humor, drama, and erotic suspense. Like Babygirl, it’s an unconventional love story that still manages to examine themes of empowerment and self-discovery appropriately. It’s an excellent choice if you’re looking for a film that’s a cross between Babygirl and Fifty Shades of Grey (2015).
Shame (2011)
Shame is an erotic psychological thriller that tells the story of Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender), a man with a sex addiction, forced to confront his struggles when his sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), shows up for an impromptu visit. Similar to Babygirl, it’s a bold and captivating movie that delves unflinchingly and nonjudgmentally into topics not frequently touched upon.
While bold, intimate, and unflinching, it differs from Babygirl with its subject matter, which probes addiction. Few films match Shame’s almost psychopathological tone and delicacy in broaching its tricky subject matter. It’s highly reminiscent of Nymphomaniac: Vol. 1(2013), but with a male perspective.
Take This Waltz (2011)
Take This Waltz follows Margot (Michelle Williams), a married woman who unexpectedly connects with her artist neighbor, Daniel (Luke Kirby), as she struggles to understand her feelings and desires. Take This Waltz isn’t as erotic as Babygirl, but it explores similar themes about love, lust, and disconnection.
Both films tackle topics of insecurity, love triangles, and the nature of lust through a female lens. However, Take This Waltz is a bit more sentimental than Babygirl as it also strives to explore the depths of human connection and broken relationships. Viewers who loved the ideas of Babygirl but seek something a little less intense and provocative will enjoy Take This Waltz.
