Warning: this article contains spoilers for Babygirl.

The success of the new movie Babygirl has creatively brought the erotic thriller genre back to the spotlight. Nicole Kidman leads the cast of Babygirl as the tech company CEO Romy Mathis, with Harris Dickinson and Antonio Banderas playing important supporting roles. The film follows Romy in her decision to begin an affair with her intern Samuel (Dickinson) when she becomes discouraged by her husband’s inability to satisfy her Sєxually. While both Romy and Samuel acknowledge the danger of the affair, they quickly become too invested to stop, leading to Babygirl‘s thought-provoking ending.

Along with allowing Kidman’s character to have her desires met, the film examines the nature of relationships, looking at love, power dynamics, and eventually forgiveness. While the film never tries to frame Romy as being in the right for her inappropriate actions, Kidman portrays her with such complexity that audiences still have hope that she will find happiness and love with her family. Babygirl has garnered positive reviews particularly for this performance, but there is one other character that cleverly subverts one actor’s past roles, creating the perfect counter to Romy’s desires.

Babygirl Subverts Antonio Banderas’ Sєx Appeal

Jacob Is The Complete Opposite Of Banderas’ Usual Role

Because Antonio Banderas has so often been cast as a romantic lead, Babygirl is able to subvert that image and give audiences something unexpected. From the very beginning of the film, Banderas’ character is made to seem weak and even somewhat pathetic in his relationship with his wife. Babygirl opens with a Sєx scene, after which Kidman leaves the room to finish on her own in another room in order to make it clear to viewers that she is not satisfied after sleeping with Jacob.

This scene is not a one-off either, as Romy angrily admits to Jacob later in the film that she has never orgasmed from having Sєx with him. In contrast to many of his other roles in which he plays the heroic and attractive male lead, Babygirl sees Banderas appear as a loving, but not pᴀssionate, husband. Despite his success, attractive physical appearance, and his support of his wife, Jacob fails to understand what Romy needs, making him the opposite of many of Banderas’ confident, suave characters and creating a big difference in how the audience perceives him.

Antonio Banderas Has Been A Sєx Symbol For Decades

Banderas Has Played Many Romantic Leads

Banderas began acting in Spanish films during the 1980s, and even early in his career, his Sєx appeal shone through. In fact, Banderas’ 1989 film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, though a satirical comedy, certainly encapsulates some aspects common in erotic thrillers. This and his other early roles in Pedro Almodóvar’s films established Banderas both as a phenomenal actor and as a Sєx symbol. Like Babygirl, these movies often examined the nature of desire and the lengths that people are willing to go to to fulfill it, outlining characters more similar to Romy.

As Antonio Banderas became more popular, many of his roles continued to reflect his Sєx symbol status as he combined the action hero with the romantic lead seamlessly. Films like Desperado and The Mask of Zorro proved that Antonio Banderas could believably kill the bad guys and get the girl, while 2001’s Original Sin gave him his own great erotic thriller to counter Babygirl. Above all, though, Antonio Banderas’ best characters always seemed pᴀssionate.

Based on his past persona in films, audience members may have expected something similar going into Babygirl, but the movie is able to perfectly switch out his leading man status in favor of the unsuspecting husband. Since Babygirl does not shy away from the Sєx scenes, the character difference is even more stark. When Romy and Jacob are seen in bed together, he seems painfully unaware of his wife’s desires and is very hesitant to try anything new. However, their family scenes do prove that his heart is in the right place, despite his obliviousness.

Jacob Is Pathetic In Babygirl (And That’s The Point)

He Represents The Opposite Of What Romy Desires

In one sense, the entire plot of Babygirl is actually based on what Jacob lacks. The movie very intentionally depicts Banderas’ character as pathetic because it serves as a jumping off point to explore Romy’s dissatisfaction. Through her desires not being met, Babygirl tackles the topic of women’s Sєxual pleasure, a subject oft overlooked in film, in a way that feels authentic to the character. While Romy truly does love her husband, she also struggles to stop herself from wanting more.

Additionally, Babygirl is Romy’s story. It touches on her desires and the guilt that they bring. Thus, Babygirl‘s portrayal of Jacob as pathetic should actually be considered an insight into how Romy views him. If he were the focus of the film, the story would have leaned more into him as a loving father and husband, but because the movie is told from Romy’s perspective, Banderas’ character seems weak and unable to satisfy his wife.

This framing of Jacob in Romy’s mind also serves to set him up as the perfect foil to Samuel. While Jacob is predictable, Romy sees Samuel as someone new and exciting who has the potential to give her something she has never had before. Jacob’s kindness and pᴀssivity help play into Romy’s desire to be dominated by the younger man, hence Babygirl’s age gap. While she feels guilt knowing that she has a loving husband at home, Romy is also fascinated by Samuel’s detachment and dominance, creating a perfect contrast between the two men.

Babygirl Gives Antonio Banderas His Most Compelling Romantic Character Ever

Babygirl Allows Antonio Banderas To Reach A New Emotional Depth With Jacob

While Jacob is certainly a departure for Antonio Banderas compared to many of his past roles, it actually works perfectly in showcasing his talent. Banderas gives Jacob a certain softness that is able to convey his love for his family by deflecting his usual enticing persona. Furthermore, upon finding out about his wife’s affair, he is both angry and restrained in his emotional response, which highlights how his heartbrokenness contrasts with his desire to reconcile with his wife who he still loves.

Through the emotional ups and downs of Babygirl, the ending sees Jacob finally willing to return to a happy relationship, but with one key difference. Their time apart has made him more willing to experiment with what Romy needs in bed, proving that Jacob is actually a good man that Romy was simply overlooking. In the reconciliation of the two main characters, Antonio Banderas is at his most romantic. Hopefully, the success of his role in Babygirl will give Banderas a chance to explore further complex romantic characters in the future as well.