babygirl, nosferatu, and modern dating
Is Ellen Hutter Nosferatu’s Babygirl?
(hear me out😂)
“Babygirl” and “Nosferatu” are two of the biggest movies that debuted at the end of 2024. Starring Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, and Antonio Banderas, Babygirl premiered on Christmas Day and has taken the internet by storm. Similarly, the Nosferatu remake starring Bill Skarsgård, Willem Defoe, and Lily-Rose Depp premiered the same day.
These films arrive during an intriguing moment in dating culture. From women’s rights being debated to the ongoing discussions about economics in relationships and the rise of the “traditional wife” trend, dating preferences are shifting rapidly. Both movies, with their bold and complex portrayals of relationships, are shaping how we view love and intimacy as we head into 2025.
Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter and Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter in Nosferatu
A Double Feature
On December 30, I decided to watch Nosferatu and Babygirl back-to-back. I’d been excited to see both for weeks but wanted to avoid holiday distractions (and family members, since these are not family movies!).
I saw Nosferatu at 4:30PM, and I saw Babygirl at 8PM.
Nosferatu is a dark tale of obsession. Count Orlok craves Ellen Hutter and will go to extreme lengths—even wiping out entire villages—to get her attention. Meanwhile, Babygirl follows Romy (Nicole Kidman), a successful middle-aged CEO and mother, as she embarks on a steamy affair with her young intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson), after realizing her husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas) can’t meet her needs in the bedroom.
Antonio Banderas as Jacob and Nicole Kidman as Romy in Babygirl
While these movies seem worlds apart, they both struck a chord with audiences—and with me. After seeing them, I couldn’t help but notice how they reflect evolving attitudes toward love, desire, and self-fulfillment.
Nosferatu is about a vampire, Count Orlok, that craves a woman, and goes to extreme lengths to get her attention and devour her. Babygirl is about a successful, attractive, middle-aged CEO that gets into a kinky affair with her intern.
I feel like Babygirl immediately grabbed the attention from a lot of women from the trailers alone. They were sexy, suggestive, and exciting. In some of the promotional TikToks for Babygirl, I saw many women commenting that they wanted to see this movie in the comfort of their homes to really enjoy this hot and heavy film. Nosferatu was more of a slow burn in my opinion. I think most of the people that were super excited for this movie were classic horror fans. A remake of one of the first horror movies by the Director Robert Eggers.
Nosferatu: Obsession and Devotion
Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter in Nosferatu
I didn’t really notice any parallels between these movies until I started to see some of my friends posting after seeing Nosferatu, and kind of romanticizing the relationship between Count Orlok and Ellen Hutter.
The scenes between Count Orlok and Ellen have very strong sexual undertones, which at times might seem confusing because he ultimately wants to kill her. Another surprise is that Ellen seems to be equally attracted to him, mentioning that Count Orlok was able to please her better than her own husband(!).
Why does this resonate with audiences? Perhaps it’s the idea of being desired so deeply, so fervently, that someone would go to any lengths for you. While the extremes of Count Orlok’s devotion are best left in fiction, there’s something thrilling about the notion of being someone’s ultimate priority.
Babygirl: Empowerment and Desire
Babygirl flips the script on conventional portrayals of women’s sexuality. I feel like any movie about a middle aged woman exploring her sexuality is likely to be a hit. Although times are changing everyday, women aren’t really socialized to exist as openly sexual beings, especially not a mom or a wife. Romy(Nicole Kidman), is a successful, beautiful CEO. She’s also a mom of 2 and wife to Jacob (Antonio Banderas), a theater director. From the opening scene it’s clear that her husband isn’t able to please her sexually. Enter Samuel, a confident, strong young intern that’s open to exploring her desires.
Dating Trends in the context of Nosferatu and Babygirl
I hear a lot of dating advice for women, advising that “if he’s not obsessed with you, he’s not the one for you”. I’ve seen others explaining that “if a man you’re dating isn’t treating you well, you’re not his dream girl”. Men will go all out for their dream girls, and in Nosferatu, Ellen is Nosferatu’s dream girl.
For Babygirl I think it’s more about women going after what they want, stepping away from perfection and really acting on those deep fantasies that we often hold back. I think it’s so cool that after the affair her husband stays with her; this is another story we don’t see often, especially in real life! We also see that her husband finds ways to satisfy her needs in the bedroom. Women up 1000 on this one lol.
It’s upsetting that a lot of women aren’t able to feel pleased by their partners, and this movie is challenging that statistic.
Nicole Kidman as Romy in “Babygirl”
So how will these movies impact dating preferences?
I think for the fans of Nosferatu, women will seek out love that has depth. This has already been a major trend of 2020 as we depart more and more from situationships, and increase our dating standards. Nosferatu is a great example of “if he wanted to he would”(I’m kinda joking)! But seriously I’m here for all women feeling desired, being pursued, and men going above and beyond to show their love.
For all the Babygirls, I think more women will be inspired to center their own sexual satisfaction, and to embrace their “weird” fantasies. Unlike Romy, I think(and hope) women will feel more empowered to communicate those desires as well.
These films challenge traditional narratives and reflect the evolving landscape of modern relationships. Whether you’re looking for deep devotion or exploring your own fantasies, the underlying message is clear: don’t settle for less than what fulfills you.
