Babygirl - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

About a quarter of the way into Halina Reijn's erotic thriller Babygirl, Nicole Kidman's Romy Mathis tries frantically to organize her family for a Christmas photo. The youngest daughter (Vaughan Reilly) is excited, wearing a cute, delightful outfit that matches her enthusiasm while her older teenage sister (Esther Rose McGregor) wears all black, doing her sulky, petulant best to make known her annoyance in participating in this yuletide tradition. Romy's husband (Antonio Banderas) does what he can to assist his wife in capturing the desired photo — a simple task affectionately showing his desire to please his wife. The scene demonstrates Romy's wealth and privilege as a successful CEO of a process automation company with a devoted family and a doting husband, who has a distinguished career of his own. On the surface, she is without want. 

Nevertheless, a scene later, she is with Samuel (Harris Dickinson), a young intern at her company with whom she eventually begins a sexual affair. 

In spite of achieving the picturesque family and life stereotypically regarded as the image of success, Romy still feels as though something is missing, an emptiness she's been ignoring or repressing for possibly her whole life. Some aspect of this archetypal "American Dream" remains vacant and unfilled, which apparently Samuel can satisfy. Or better yet, he provides a safe space to explore and discover what she is lacking — this is, of course, in spite of how clumsily the two go about creating that space. At one point, she attempts to share with her husband these deep-rooted desires. But she's only able to express her erotic fantasies through a bedsheet, unable to show her face because the guilt she feels for desiring such things as a woman is greater than the desire to share it with her husband. And that pressure and tension is at the center of Reijn's script, the main source of suspense in this erotic thriller better understood as an erotic drama. 

Reijn skillfully designs an erotic thriller/drama that is as contemporary and relevant as it is as refreshingly honest about female desire and sexuality, avoiding many of the genre's typical pitfalls. But the story is also a complex exploration of power dynamics, sexual awakening and the unexpected stress between professional success and personal fulfillment. All the while, it refuses to judge Romy, even as she makes increasingly reckless mistakes. Reijn doesn't shy away from uncomfortable concerns about consent and manipulation, instead using them as a potent basis for a provocative and surprisingly thoughtful drama. And she maintains a tense atmosphere throughout, using the sterilized corporate settings as a contrast to Romy's raw emotional journey. 

Reuniting with her cinematographer of Bodies Bodies Bodies, Jasper Wolf's elegant photography captures the lifeless professional world and intimate personal spaces with equal romanticized elegance — deliberately controlled yet voyeuristic. The filmmakers express beauty in the mundane office settings while also making them feel somehow claustrophobic, which perfectly complements the plot's themes of entrapment and desire. 

Occasionally, the pacing struggles in the middle acts, and the story leans rather heavily into familiar territory toward the end. But overall, it succeeds as an examination of female sexuality and a meditation on the costs of professional success. Although nothing particularly new or innovative, Reijn's Babygirl nonetheless makes for an intelligent, thoughtful and compelling film that skillfully explores the internal world of Kidman's Romy. It's a mature, woman-centered perspective on sexuality that feels particularly relevant in today's cultural climate. 

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray
Courtesy of A24, Halina Reijn's erotic thriller Babygirl arrives as a single-disc 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray package. The dual-layered BD66 disc comfortably sits inside a digipak plastic tray with a side-sliding slipcover and six postcards tucked in the opposing sleeve. There are no trailers before being greeted by the standard menu options and an animated screen.

Things heat up in Ultra HD thanks to an outstanding native 4K transfer with incredible clarity and razor-sharp details throughout. From the background objects and minor architectural details of the rooms to the fine stitching in the clothing, viewers can plainly make out every little nook and cranny of the dreamy, diffused photography. The HEVC H.265 encode also comes with a slight softness in the contrast, keeping the brightest, hottest areas in check. But specular highlights are nonetheless crisp and radiant, perfectly complementing the dreamlike effect of the film. Remarkably rich and inky black levels penetrate deep into the screen while shadows maintain superb visibility and clarity within the darkest corners, providing the 2.00:1 image with impressive depth and dimensionality. Although the cinematography is largely affected by the softened contrast with more emphasis on the secondary hues, the Dolby Vision HDR presentation still showcases accurately-rendered primaries and a vibrant array of softer pastels, and facial complexions are highly revealing with healthy, peachy-rose tones in the cast. (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 96/100)

Being a character-driven erotic melodrama, much of the Dolby Atmos soundtrack is understandably focused on the dialogue, character interactions and music. And so it goes without saying that the front-heavy design mainly employs the three front channels and top heights, creating a broad and highly-engaging soundstage with clean, precise vocals. Various background effects flow smoothly across the screen, and the song selections and score by Cristobal Tapia de Veer exhibit exceptional fidelity and a distinct clarity in the mid-range. Imaging is well supported by a hearty, full-bodied low-end, supplying some weight and depth to certain scenes. Although the surrounds and heights are not used to a notably effective degree, there are a few atmospherics, such as city traffic and local wildlife, that lightly bleed into the other speakers, subtly and appreciably expanding the soundfield on a couple of occasions. But all in all, the design complements the story and visuals well. (Dolby Atmos Audio Rating: 88/100)

For this UHD edition, A24 offers a rather disappointing collection of bonuses.

• Audio Commentary with writer and director Halina Reijn
• Directing Desire (HD, 11 min) is a series of interviews with the director and cast
• Power Looks: Dressing the Cast (HD, 9 min) takes a closer look at the costume design
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 8 min)

Although it doesn't bring anything new to the genre, Halina Reijn's erotic thriller Babygirl is nonetheless a thoughtful and compelling examination of female sexuality and the costs of professional success. Courtesy of A24, the film arrives on 4K Ultra HD with a gorgeous, demo-worthy Dolby Vision HDR presentation and an excellent Dolby Atmos track, but the supplemental material is sadly lacking. Starring Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson and Antonio Banderas, this UHD edition is Recommended. 

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