Babygirl
Out in cinemas now (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas
Romy (Kidman) is a powerful tech CEO. As a female leader, she is worried about how she is perceived. One day, she meets a young male intern, Samuel (Dickinson), who makes some suggestive and inappropriate remarks. Initially offended, Romy is intrigued by his audacity. Dissatisfied with her own sex life, she goes against her better judgement to start a risky affair with Samuel. As she grapples with the possible consequences of her indiscretion, Samuel shows up at her home uninvited, and meets her husband and children.
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Nicole Kidman: Don’t call her Baby
An enduring A-list actress since she broke out in 1989 with Dead Calm, the Oscar winner is as in demand as ever, with multiple recent credits, including the erotic thriller, Babygirl.
Nicole Kidman has a list of acting credits and accolades that is far too long to summarise easily.
It is, however, notable that the 57-year-old Hawaii-born Australian has remained at the top of her game for decades, and is still a prolific performer on the small and big screens at this stage of her career.
Growing up in Sydney, Kidman first became interested in acting after watching the classic musical film, The Wizard of Oz.
Her early career saw her act in Australian TV programmes and films. In 1989, she appeared opposite Sam Neill and Billy Zane in the thriller Dead Calm.
Garnering positive reviews, Kidman soon made her way to Hollywood, becoming an international star after appearing in the sports action film Days of Thunder (1990) with her future husband Tom Cruise.
She would go on to act in Batman Forever (1995), To Die For (1995), and Eyes Wide Shut (1999), before getting her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in 2001’s Baz Luhrmann musical Moulin Rouge!
Kidman would win the Oscar for portraying the English writer Virginia Woolf in The Hours (2002), and prove her enduring quality by earning further Academy Award nominations in 2011 (for Rabbit Hole), in 2017 (for Lion), and most recently in 2022 (for Being the Ricardos).
In the past decade, Kidman has found success on television as well, in series such as Big Little Lies, The Undoing, Nine Perfect Strangers, Expats, The Perfect Couple, and Lioness.
Set to appear in a new film called Welcome to Holland in 2025, co-starring with Gael Garcia Bernal and Matthew Macfadyen, Kidman can soon be seen in Babygirl, where she is a CEO entangled in a steamy affair with a much younger man.
Hidden Face
Out in cinemas 9 January (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Song Seung-heon, Cho Yeo-jeong, Park Ji-hyun
An orchestral conductor, Sung-jin (Song), gets a recorded message from his cellist fiance Su-yeon (Cho), who says she is not ready for marriage and is going away. Just like that, she vanishes without a trace. When she does not return, yet there is no record of her leaving the country, the deepening mystery leads some to wonder about possible foul play. Meanwhile, the devastated Sung-jin falls into the arms of Mi-ju (Park), an old friend of Su-yeon’s. As they end up in bed together, they are unaware that someone is watching them from a secret room.
The Count of Monte Cristo
Out in cinemas 9 January (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Pierre Niney, Bastien Bouillon, Anaïs Demoustier
Edmond Dantes (Niney) is about to marry the love of his life, Mercedes (Demoustier), when he is arrested on their wedding day. Despite his innocence, he is imprisoned. Many years later, after he escapes from prison, Edmond re-emerges in society as the mysterious and wealthy Count of Monte-Cristo. He learns that his unjust incarceration was due to a plot hatched by three men, including Mercedes’ cousin – and now husband – Fernand (Bouillon). Hellbent on revenge, the Count embarks on an elaborate scheme of his own.
Lee
Out in cinemas 16 January (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Kate Winslet, Andy Samberg, Marion Cotillard
Not many former fashion models become war photographers, but at least one did. Elizabeth Miller (Winslet) is an American married to an Englishman when World War II breaks out. Once she becomes a war correspondent for Vogue magazine, she adopts the moniker she is better known for, Lee. During the war, she braves danger to capture vivid images of the conflict in Britain, France and even in Nazi Germany. Along the way, she witnesses the horrors of war, including crimes against humanity, and reconnects with friends across Europe.
Wolf Man
Out in cinemas 16 January (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Julia Garner, Christopher Abbott, Sam Jaeger
Having inherited the house of his father, who is presumed dead, Blake (Abbott) decides to take his wife (Garner) and daughter to what was his childhood home. The city slickers, who hail from San Francisco, unexpectedly find themselves in a struggle with an unknown creature as they approach the house. In the dead of night and under attack, they barricade themselves inside the house. Suffering a wound inflicted by the creature, Blake starts to show symptoms of infection. His condition worsens to the point where he begins to exhibit some disturbing behaviour.
Companion
Out in cinemas 29 January (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Rupert Friend
Josh (Quaid) and Iris (Thatcher) are a couple. As they get set for a short getaway with his friends, Iris has a nagging feeling that they don’t like her. This feeling is heightened after a strange and tense conversation Iris has with one of the friends, Kat. Josh reassures Iris, telling her that her uneasiness stems from the fact that “Kat hates everybody!” He tells her to relax, to not get weird, and to remember to smile and act happy. What follows is a chain of terrifying and thrilling events that lead to a break-up, and even more severe consequences for all involved.
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