Fair Play and 3 Other Best Movies to Watch if You Liked Babygirl
Do not watch these films with your kids.
On the occasion of the release of Babygirl, in which Harris Dickinson enters into a forbidden relationship with Nicole Kidman, we recall films of different genres in which romantic relationships unfold in the most unpredictable ways.
1. Piercing, 2018
Reed is a quiet family man who plans a murder in a motel to free himself from dark, tormenting fantasies. But his plan meets unexpected resistance when the potential target, sex worker Jackie, turns out to be just as unstable and unpredictable.
Nicolas Pesce adapted the novel of the same name by Ryu Murakami, retaining the motif of a psychological game: it is unclear who is manipulating whom and when the roles of hunter and victim will change.
Pesce plunges us into the atmosphere of a disturbing dream, in which the characters have become each other's nightmares in reality: it is no longer possible to make peace, someone must gain the upper hand.
2. Fair Play, 2023
Corporate ethics and sexual manipulation mix in Chloe Domont's directorial debut. Luke and Emily are colleagues, and they are secretly planning their wedding and preparing to spend the rest of their lives together.
Everyone predicts that Luke will get the top job, but suddenly Emily gets it – and then either the male ego cracks or the love that was never real falls apart. The partners, who are now more at work than in bed, begin to compete with each other: when someone in the couple becomes subordinate, it is almost impossible to maintain the former harmony.
As a result, Fair Play not only criticizes companies that ask people to give up their emotions, but also clashes career ambitions with love.
3. Sanctuary, 2022
The action of Zachary Wigon's comedy thriller takes place in a single hotel room where dominatrix Rebecca and her wealthy client Hal meet. Hal, who is about to inherit a multi-million dollar company, decides to end their relationship.
But Rebecca will not let him go without a fight, and the interaction turns into an intense psychological game of manipulation and blackmail. The characters' communication goes beyond BDSM practices – professional boundaries are violated by personal affection, which is unacceptable in a couple with a dominatrix.
4. Secretary, 2002
Suffering from self-mutilation and barely able to stop herself from torturing herself, Lee suddenly finds herself in the office of attorney Grey, who promises her care and help. His sadistic tendencies are a perfect match for Lee's submissive masochism, and soon the woman becomes not just a secretary, but Grey's personal plaything.
The movie goes beyond the permissible: director Steven Shainberg does not condemn such relationships, but rather presents them as a feature. By the end of the film, no one is cured of harming themselves or others, but they have found a comfortable way of life.