Parents' Guide to Babygirl

Halina Reijn's "women are kinky too" erotic thriller is well made, but it offers a worrisome message at a worrisome time. Ever since the heyday of film noir, cinematic sex has been linked to danger—and, you have to ask, to what end? What's the impact of this messaging on audiences, movie after movie? It's important to ask, because those words are literally said out loud in Babygirl: that the element of danger is what Romy believes she needs to have a sexually pleasing experience.

Even more outrageous—and potentially damaging—is the idea Reijn projects that women really don't want to lead, but rather prefer to be led by men. Reijn's ambition is to make viewers uncomfortable by suggesting that women at the top of the power structure, who care for everyone else's needs—including their employees—may crave someone who will take care of them. That's an interesting idea worth exploring, but the intention falls apart with references to the fact that Romy grew up in a cult and has had "dark thoughts" since she was very young. This removes the story's ability to apply a social commentary to the demands put upon women. When this sex-centered project began, perhaps it was believed that women were finally in an equitable place, but releasing at a time when forces are removing women's rights is an appalling turn-off.