by Shayna Davis, Staff Writer

This article contains spoilers for the ending of Babygirl.

Over the past few years, film analysts everywhere have been flustered over the dying art of cinematic sex scenes. Audiences were forced to get their kicks from the Anyone But You (2023) shower scene or whatever the hell Saltburn (2023) had going on. But this past year, sex clawed its way back into cinema in a new way with hits including Love Lies Bleeding, Challengers, Hit Man, Anora, Queer, and Babygirl. Unlike the rest of the films in that list, Babygirl is a movie wholly about sex, specifically a kinky relationship between a boss and her subordinate. It’s a rare gem of workplace erotica that harkens back to a (personal favorite) predecessor of a similar nature: 2002’s Secretary. Let’s dive deeper into a spicy double feature that will ensure you never touch Fifty Shades of Grey again.

Babygirl (2024) follows Romy (Nicole Kidman), a girlboss tech company CEO who effortlessly balances a high-ranking job and a picture-perfect family. Despite it all, she grapples with feeling unsatisfied. Secretly, she’s been faking orgasms with her husband (Antonio Banderas) for years and seeking solo pleasure from kinky videos on the internet. This has led to feelings of resentment, embarrassment, and a lack of self-esteem that she can’t seem to shake. When a gorgeous new intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson), is hired at Romy’s company, things take a turn. The two begin a subtle push-pull game towards each other, and what follows is a full dive into a dom/sub affair involving milk drinking, puppy play, and extremely blurred lines.

Secretary (2002) centers on Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a young woman recently discharged from a psychiatric facility. Lee has no sure direction in life, having spent much of her brainpower tending to her alcoholic father and overprotective mother. In order to avoid falling too deep into her old ways, she lands a job as a secretary for an uptight attorney named Edward Grey (James Spader). Lee is at first intimidated by Edward’s overbearing ways, but after he walks in on her self-harming, the two find an understanding towards each other, and a new, very different relationship starts to blossom.

What’s so interesting about both films is how BDSM is used as a healing tool by two women who exist in opposite environments. Romy is a figure who is looked to for answers and permission, as the head of both a company and of a family. She has complete control over everything in her life, but she has lost a bit of herself in this existence and desperately wishes for a mode of escape. Lee, on the other hand, feels completely powerless in the face of everything. It takes all of her energy to make decisions and stand up for herself. She just wants to keep her head down and do well without drawing too much attention. She also wishes for some type of escape from her unpleasant family dynamics and the slog of day-to-day life.

Both women find the escape they’re looking for via kink, specifically taking on a submissive role with a dominant partner. Romy gets to experience the extreme opposite of her everyday responsibilities, taking orders instead of giving them, and finding emotional release, as well as sexual renewal, through this practice. Lee experiences a less self-destructive way to focus her negative emotions and gains a new sense of self. Through being told what to do and building a trusting relationship with someone else, she gains a new sense of identity and ends her self-harming.

What makes both of these stories particularly sexy is the taboo fantasy (besides the kink) of sex in a corporate workplace. Though I absolutely do not endorse pursuing this in real life, the power dynamics and rigid structure in a typical corporate workspace create a setting where rule-breaking holds a lot of weight. The emotions of both films' intimate scenes are heightened because we know neither couple should be together. That’s what makes each such a compelling fantasy. Babygirl and Secretary are also very much products of their time in the handling of these taboo relationships. In the former, Samuel blatantly lays out the definition of consent to Romy in a very Gen Z vs. Gen X fashion. Whereas in the latter, consent is never openly discussed. At one point that becomes a minor issue, but the whole situation is glossed over in favor of Lee and Edward just kind of ‘getting’ each other. Completely understandable if this turns the modern-day viewer off, but holding space for some nuance given the time it was made is recommended.

The way both films handle their ethically grey areas also speaks volumes to how much they care about their characters. At the end of Babygirl, though a handful of people know about Romy and Samuel’s affair, Samuel has moved on to a new position in Tokyo. While the specifics of his leaving are left off screen, it is safe to say it gives Romy a quick and easy “out of sight, out of mind” way to move forward. Their relationship was nothing more than a tool for her to gain some amount of self-esteem back so she could move on with her life feeling fulfilled. The lasting effect this has on Samuel is information we are not privy to. This is all about Romy and her journey. On the other hand, Lee refuses to give up her newfound lifestyle when Edward decides to end things out of self-induced shame. She confesses to Edward that she loves him and she’ll do anything to prove it to him and dispel his self-hatred. What follows is a very moving and surprisingly humorous montage in which Edward orders Lee to sit at his desk and not move until he comes back, which she obeys. It’s unclear exactly how long Lee commits to sitting there, but it’s enough to shock Edward out of his negative mindset. He comes back for her, and the two get married, committing to what we can only assume to be a beautiful life of shared kinkiness and renewed self-respect on both sides.

Though Babygirl and Secretary function with very different tones (Babygirl is pure sexual conquest drama, and Secretary gets a quirky romcom edge), both provide a fun viewing experience to relish in by yourself, bond with a partner over, or giggle at with the girlies. This Valentine’s Day, skip the tear-jerker romcoms and strap (lol) in for a night of femme-centered eroticism that’s sure to get your cheeks flushed (at the very least!)

Watch Secretary here:

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