Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Babygirl!In a film full of provocative scenes,Babygirl’smilk scene is one of the most memorable, and why Romy drinks it has a deeper meaning. ThroughoutBabygirl,Romy and Samuel are constantly playing psychological gameswith each other, with both characters vying for control over the other as they attempt to keep their workplace affair under wraps. However, several scenes inBabygirlprove that the characters simply can’t keep their secrets to themselves, with Samuel showing off by buying Romy a glass of milk while she is at a bar.
Director Halina Reijn returned following the success of 2022’sBodies Bodies Bodies, with another critically acclaimed hit to her name inBabygirl. The film follows Nicole Kidman as Romy Mathis, the CEO of a powerful New York City tech company, as she begins a sexual workplace relationship witha younger intern named Samuel. ThroughoutBabygirl, Romy is aware of the dangers of her relationship coming out, but despite knowing that it could cause her entire life to fall apart, they continue their highly sexual relationship.
Samuel Orders Romy A Glass Of Milk At A Bar In Babygirl
And She Drinks The Whole Thing
Babygirl’s milk scene is when things really begin to take off between Romy and Samuel, with it occurring shortly after they have their first workplace kiss. One night, while Romy is out for drinks with her staff, she notices Samuel’s eye as he sits at the bar across the room. Although the two don’t speak to each other, they lock eyes. Shortly after, the waiter drops a glass of milk off at the table, saying that it was bought for Romy. Romy’s friends protest at her drinking it due to not knowing where it came from. However, this doesn’t stop her.
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Romy can tell that it was Samuel who sent the milk, with her chugging the glass as she makes eye contact with himfrom across the room. As Samuel is leaving, he walks by the table andwhispers “good girl” to Romy, putting an end to their brief encounter. Although the actions in the scene were seemingly innocent, the highly tense moment acts as a breaking point for both Romy and Samuel, with things clearly escalating soon after. Because of this, there is all kinds of meaning underlying Samuel’s decision to send the milk and Romy’s decision to drink it.
Romy Drinking The Milk Is A Test From Samuel
He Is Seeing If He Will Listen To Her
Although Romy’s friends aren’t aware of what is going on, it is clear that the milk is a test from Samuel. Early in their relationship, Samuel establishes that Romy must do whatever he says, with this being key to their sexual dynamic. Romy initially protests to this, saying that she doesn’t want to preemptively consent to any of Samuel’s requests. Later in the film, however,it becomes clear that Romy has not only agreed to this, but that she also enjoys it, with this practice being what makes the tension so high throughoutBabygirl.
By drinking the milk, Romy proves that Samuel is still in charge, meaning that they can go forward with their relationship.
Samuel’s delivery of the milk is one of the first tests of this, with him sending the drink to see if Romy will truly do whatever he says. By drinking the milk, Romy proves that Samuel is still in charge, meaning that they can go forward with their relationship. This is a test by Samuel to see how far he can go, with him using the rest ofBabygirlto escalate things based on her reaction in this scene.
Another important aspect of Samuel’s test of Romy is the setting. When Samuel sends the milk, Romy is out in public with her friends and coworkers. Despite this, she is still engaging in her relationship with him, with the fact that she is keeping it under wraps being part of the fun for her. Samuel knows that Romy needs to risk losing things to get enjoyment out of their relationship. So, by doing this test in a way where Romy could easily reveal her relationship to her friends, Samuel is allowing Romy to prove that this behavior will continue into the future.
The Real Meaning Of Babygirl’s Milk Scene
Halina Reijn Says It Represents Romy’s “Animalistic” Side
Director Halina Reijn is the one who broughtBabygirl’s milk scene to life, and she shared the meaning behind it in an interview withIndieWire, saying that,“It is a great symbol of animalistic sides of ourselves.“As Reijn points out,milk is often drunk by animalistic and villainous charactersin movies and TV shows. This can be seen in projects likeA Clockwork Orange,Inglourious Basterds,No Country for Old Men,Leon: The Professional,The Boys, and now,Babygirl.
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These characters drinking milk is often read as unsettling due to milk’s association with youth and innocence. Babies drink milk, sohaving a Nazi, an assassin, or a killer superhero drink it feels like a perversion of this innocence. Having Romy drink the milk inBabygirlplays on the exact same uncomfortable feelings that have been explored with milk throughout cinema history, with it highlighting Romy’s dark side as she threatens her family and her company thanks to her relationship with Samuel.
Babygirl’s Milk Scene Is Based On A True Story Involving The Director
Someone Really Ordered Her A Glass Of Milk
As it turns out,Babygirl’s milk scene is also based on a true story involving Halina Reijn. As Reijn explains toIndieWire,the scene was based on a moment from her past where someone really bought her a glass of milk at a bar. After doing a performance in Belgium, the director says she went to a bar by herself due to her friends not wanting to go out. While there, Reijn recognized a famous Belgian actor who was around 15 years younger than her, with him ordering her a glass of milk.
“The milk is, of course, an archetype. We’ve seen it in other movies. It is a great symbol of animalistic sides of ourselves. It happened to me. I was playing in Belgium onstage, and I got offstage, and I had a really good run, and I was like, ‘Oh my god!’ I felt really good about myself for one night in my life. All my colleagues were like, ‘No, we’re going to bed.’ They’re all boring. I was all alone. I went to a bar, and I ordered something boring like a Diet Coke because I didn’t drink at that time because I was a control freak. 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. 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.”
InBabygirl, Romy does the same thing as Reijn, by drinking the entire glass of milk that is ordered for her. It’s fascinating to learn thatBabygirl’s viral milk scene was actually based on this real-life event, as it is of incredible importance to the themes of the film.
It’s A Turning Point For The Story
Image via A24
While it seems strange and bizarre on the surface, the milk drinking scene is actually one of the most important in the entirety ofBabygirl. Not only is it provocative, but it also marks a major turning point for the relationship between Romy and Samuel. While their affair had been kept behind closed doors, the fact that Samuel was so bold as to order her a glass of milk while out with her friends, and thatRomy actually drank it, shows just how entangled she had become with him, infatuated with the idea of doing anything he commanded of her.
It’s the most outright risky thing she had done at that point inBabygirl, given how it could have threatened to expose everything that had been going on. It also solidifies the type of relationship Romy has with Samuel, and her willingness to do what he says, and the power dynamics present between them. It’s a fascinating scene that plays into the whole idea ofBabygirl, and one of the most important in the entire film.
Babygirl
Cast
Babygirl revolves around a high-powered CEO who risks her career and family by engaging in a passionate affair with her much younger intern. Released in 2024, this narrative explores themes of ambition, power dynamics, and personal sacrifice.
