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‘Babygirl’ director opens up about Nicole Kidman’s risque ‘glass of milk’ scene: "A little nauseated..."

“It is a great symbol of (the) animalistic sides,” Halina Reijn said about the scene from ‘Babygirl’.

Nicole Kidman's most recent film Babygirl has sparked much debate since its release, especially a bold scene involving a 'glass of milk'. The work is an intriguing age-gap relationship drama that explores the intimate affair between an influential woman and her intern. Director Halina Reijn reportedly drew inspiration for the movie from the classic sexual thriller Basic Instinct, which is a story about a woman seeking pleasure. Reflecting on the milk scene Reijn revealed that it wasn't fiction, but rather inspired by an incident from her own life.

In the said scene, Samuel, played by Harris Dickinson, wants Kidman’s character, Romy, to order a glass of milk at a bar. As Romy obliges and takes a sip, Samuel—her younger lover—subtly utters 'good girl' before walking away, leaving a lingering sensual tension, as reported by Irish Star. Reflecting on the same, the director said, “The milk is, of course, an archetype. We’ve seen it in other movies. It is a great symbol of (the) animalistic sides of ourselves. It happened to me." Reijn shared a personal story about a time she went to a bar alone and was presented with a glass of milk, ordered by a younger actor.

Reijn explained, "I was all alone. I went to a bar, and I ordered something boring like a Diet Coke." She continued, "There was this young Belgian actor — I can’t say who it is — but he was famous. I knew of him. I’d never spoken to him. He was at least 15 years younger than I, and he ordered me a glass of milk." She further dished, "I thought it was an incredible, hot thing to do, and so courageous, and so I wanted to reward him by drinking the whole thing, and I did. It did make me a little nauseated, to be honest with you, because it was cow milk. It was back in the day." Reijn revealed that while the scene was drawn from her real-life experience, her moment at the bar didn’t come with the 'good girl' validation that Romy receives in the film.

The director shared that while crafting this scene for Babygirl, she found it to be one of the most arousing moments of her life—precisely because it relied entirely on tension, without any physical contact, as reported by Deadline. Reijn also emphasized the importance of challenging stereotypes around age-gap relationships. Babygirl flips the script on the trope that usually involves an older man with a younger woman.

As reported by The Independent, Kidman, who is now nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as Romy, shared that she feels women are frequently seen as sexual beings at some particular point in their careers. Looking back on the movie, Kidman said the script resonated with her right away and offered her a viewpoint that initially didn't dawn on her. All-in-all the R-rated thriller serves as a bold celebration of female desire and empowerment, and also perfectly captures the essence of liberation, as reported by USA Today.