It’s typical for Oscar contenders to witness a bump in box office collections after they are nominated for an award or two. But the erotic thrillerBabygirldidn’t need any help from the Academy to establish itself as a box office hit. The movie has essentially completed its theatrical run, and as it reaches the end of the line, it can look back proudly on what has been an exemplary performance.Babygirlhaspassed what could probably be its final global box office milestone, cementing starNicole Kidman’s enduring popularity, and re-invigorating the theatrical potential of a genre believed to have been lost to streaming.
With $27 million domestically and another $28 million from overseas markets,Babygirl’scumulative global haul now stands at $56 million. This is a fine result for a film aimed at older audiences, andproduced on a reported budget of $20 million.Babygirlfeatures Kidman as a high-powered CEO who remains dissatisfied with her husband in the sexual department. She beginsa questionable affair with a much-younger intern, played by up-and-comerHarris Dickinson. The movie is directed byHalina Reijn, and premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year, whereKidman won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress.
But both Kidman and the film were surprisingly shut out by the Oscars. The movie proved to be divisive upon release; although it holds a “fresh” 76% approval rating on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, its audience score on the same platform stands at a rather low 48%.In his review, Collider’sMartin TsaidescribedBabygirlas “beyond noxious.” The movie has, however, proven the box office potential ofthe erotic thriller genre. While theFifty Shades of Greymovies were largely successful around a decade ago, more recent films such asFair PlayandDeep Waterwere released directly on streaming.
‘Babygirl’ Is One of A24’s 10 Highest-Grossing Hits
Babygirlhas now out-performed A24 titles such asEx Machina,Heretic, andMidsommarat the domestic box office. It will also overtake the Best Picture winnerMoonlightbefore it taps out for good. It’s currently trailingMoonlightby only around $10,000. Additionally,Babygirlis nowamong A24’s 10 highest-grossing films of all time; the list is topped byEverything Everywhere All at Once, which made over $75 million domestically, and also won the Best Picture honor.
Also featuringAntonio Banderas,Babygirlisavailable to watch at home. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
