Entertainment
Babygirl finally shows us what subspace feels like
One day, you’re an all-powerful CEO, star wife, and mother, and the next day you’re eating out of your young intern’s hand, quite literally. How is this contradiction possible, if it is a contradiction at all? The answer for both Nicole Kidman’s character in Halina Reijn’s film Babygirl and for many others who identify as BDSM submissives lies in the elusive concept of subspace: a metaphorical space and altered state one submits to during a kink scene, thanks to arousal and exchange of consent.
The notion is very new to Romy Mathis (Kidman, whose performance won her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at this year’s Venice Film Festival). She’s the sharply dressed big boss with her hair always pinned up, until she meets Samuel (Harris Dickinson): a much younger, cocky, and borderline rude intern wearing a suit twice his size, filling it with ego. Romy finds herself trembling when Samuel controls a stray dog about to jump on her in the street with a mere whistle and a nod. From this seemingly passing interaction, the flows of her desire steer the narrative into the unknown waters of ambivalent wants and surrender, as Romy and Samuel begin an affair based on the exploration of dominance and submission.
“Scene” and its double meaning
Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson in “Babygirl.”
Credit: A24
According to Lina Dune, kink educator and host of the Ask a Sub podcast, a Dominant/submissive (D/s) relationship affords “a ritual space,” where equal, consenting adults negotiate, establish boundaries and safe words, and create “a container where things can transform and alchemize.” The set-up is called a “scene” and within the kink scene, the submissive can experience subspace. In theatre, cinema, or kink, we associate the word “scene” with a curated experience and performance.
Speaking to Mashable, director Halina Reijn champions this dual meaning, adding that for her, Babygirl is about performing. “Of course, in a BDSM setting, there’s a lot of performing,” she says, “but sex in general can also be very performative.” As a result, this theme informed the script and conversations with Kidman, becoming an instrument to explore the character’s authentic self. “Romy thinks she has to perform the perfect mother, lover, wife, leader,” says Reijn, “and we are all a little bit like that — what we forget to do is be ourselves and accept whoever we are.”
But what makes Babygirl stand out is that it shows dominance and submission as a process of negotiation, trial and error, rather than a textbook example or a polished act. Babygirl’s kink scenes feel real and inviting because they lay bare the mechanisms in the inner workings of control exchange. In each scene, Samuel umms and ahhs, trails off, laughs in the middle of his commands, while Romy is shown to resist, back out, and change her mind. For the actors, this means an extra layer of performance that incorporates flippancy and respect for consent; for the viewer it means relatability.
Not every scene is a “scene” but subspace is a space
Credit: A24
Subspace is a term used within the D/s and BDSM communities, according to Dune, to talk about “the altered state that comes about through the experience of submission.” She insists that it is a wide category that encompasses individual experiences that may differ from one another, like that of intoxication or alcohol intake, for example. Scientifically, the state is a reaction to adrenaline, oxytocin, and endorphins rushing into the brain, but what does subspace feel like?
Dune explains that for some people it may be “a floaty, dreamy, quiet disconnected feeling,” while others might giggle or cry. “I like to refer to it as ‘getting high on your own supply,'” she says, “because you’re not on anything, but the experience of crossing over a taboo.”
Thinking of cinematic representations of liminal states — hallucinations (Enter the Void), drug-induced trips (Queer), or drunkenness (Another Round) — perhaps film is the most suitable medium to portray a subjective, heightened state of mind. The key is in the spatial metaphor: one “goes into” or “inhabits” a space. Unlike other films, Babygirl doesn’t rely on classical point-of-view shots showing a dizzy, spell-binding world seen through the protagonist’s eyes. Instead, the handheld work of Reijn’s long-time collaborator, cinematographer Jasper Wolf is more subtle.
Lights, camera, submission!
Credit: A24
Halfway through the film, Romy and Samuel decide to meet at a cheap hotel. No wonder, their affair belongs to clandestine spaces, the four walls of every office, bathroom stall, and hired bedroom swelling with desire. When it’s just the two of them, they can be free from the outside world’s demands. In that sequence, Romy storms out and comes back, Samuel wrestles her to the ground, and their power dynamics become a source of play: a scene begins. The camera sinks down with her, framing her face in a close-up, while Samuel becomes a blur in the background: where he touches her and how is not as important as Romy’s reactions.
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Discussing that part of the film, Wolf tells Mashable that the camera is like a third character in the room with them. Instead of story-boarding the shots, he would film long, single takes to capture the erotic flow of power exchange. The camera often remains still and fixed on Romy, letting the viewer accompany her throughout the cascade of emotions coloring her face with arousal: from surprise through shame to blissful release, we partake in her surrender.
“It’s like an honest and sometimes relentless gaze on what is going to happen between the two,” he says.
Coordinating subspace
Credit: A24
Why can’t words accurately describe subspace? “If we lived in a matriarchal utopia, perhaps we would have more words for it,” jokes Dune. But in today’s individualistic Western world, she points out that people “are expected to actualize themselves in a way that’s masculine-coded. Submission, in contrast, is understood to be very vulnerable which is more female-coded.”
In cinema, pop culture, or daily life, the derogatory stereotype for men in power who want to be dominated and/or humiliated is often presented as a point of humor. Admitting a submissive desire costs a lot: “I’ll receive at least one phone call per week from someone who says they want to be a sub, but stress on the fact that they are not submissive in their day-to-day life,” says Dune.
What’s novel about Babygirl is that not only does it show the characters’ vulnerability, but also how much they are willing to reveal to one another. In cinematographic terms, this exchange of consent is translated by panning movements linking Romy and Samuel’s faces as they look at each other. “Put simply,” says Wolf, “the camera is often a representation of her inner world: it becomes more free and fearless alongside Romy.”
On set, the cast and production team worked with intimacy coordinator Lizzy Talbot (No Hard Feelings, Dead Ringers) to ensure there were no surprises. Dickinson, who had previously worked with Talbot on the TV series A Murder at the End of the World, underscored the importance of clear communication. “If you approach [sex] scenes with too much trepidation and sensitivity, it can be anxiety inducing; you need an intimacy coordinator to be very direct and pragmatic about it,” he tells Mashable’s Anna Iovine. Reijn also brainstormed with Talbot when writing the intimacy scenes, saying that the work with a coordinator “goes much further than just being on set with her.”
Facing subspace
Credit: A24
Later in the film, there is a second hotel room scene, where Samuel “directs” Romy from across the lavish suite. He commands her to strip, tells her where to put her hands and how to pose. Even when both are naked, the camera doesn’t linger on the nudity of their bodies, but their faces. When sharing subspace, they see each other anew, and their newfound intimacy translates into the visuals. To channel the ebb and flow, Wolf used a mix of camera lenses, shifting between spherical and anamorphic. As for the visible effect, “it’s not in your face and it shouldn’t be,” he says, “but a slight change of perspective [makes you] suddenly see them with different eyes.” The game of letting your guard down plays out on their faces.
Unlike films like Steven Shainberg’s Secretary, which relates submissive kink to trauma, Babygirl succeeds in telegraphing to a wider audience the message that these are real people, and their desires — even when dangerous to their status quo — don’t have to be as destructive or severely punished. “The BDSM community,” says Dune in relation to Secretary, “wants to see more empowered people portrayed as submissive and break that stereotype.”
But she is optimistic: “I think we’re getting closer to better representation of BDSM on screen. Obviously, I would be a lot more excited about films that hire sex workers as consultants, but for example, a film like Sanctuary had less research done into the BDSM community, but what I saw on screen rang true to me.” Dune admits that she doesn’t expect education from cinema, or at least not the kind that sex and kink educators like herself offer, adding that “film should be about fantasy.”
By setting Babygirl’s subspace explorations against a corporate, hetero-mono-normative backdrop, Reijn also makes a political point. However ephemeral, subspace is a consent-bound altered state that resists categorization. Perhaps a way for some of us to survive the capitalist hell is to surrender — to desires or to films like Babygirl — and take Dune’s advice: “Let the film dominate you.”
Babygirl is now showing in cinemas.
Entertainment
NYT Pips hints, answers for March 1, 2026
Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.
Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you’re stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
How to play Pips
If you’ve ever played dominoes, you’ll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we’ve shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don’t necessarily have to match.
The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you’ll run into across the difficulty levels:
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Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
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Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
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Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
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Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
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Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
Easy difficulty hints, answers for March 28 Pips
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically; 2-5, placed vertically; 6-2, placed vertically.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 6-3, placed horizontally.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.
Medium difficulty hints, answers for March 28 Pips
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed vertically.
Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically; 4-1, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed vertically.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically.
Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally.
Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed vertically.
Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally.
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Equal (3): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 3. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 3-0, placed vertically.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically; 1-6, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally.
Hard difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 28 Pips
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Entertainment
Why Minnesota lawmakers are trying to ban crypto ATMs
In a joint effort between Minnesota lawmakers, local law enforcement, and the Department of Commerce, legislation has been introduced to ban crypto ATMs across the state in response to widespread fraud and financial abuse, particularly of the elderly.
Bill HF3642, sponsored by Rep. Erin Koegel, would prohibit the use of virtual currency kiosks or “crypto ATMs,” that also accept cash and debit cards, in response to 70 official complaints of financial fraud totalling over $540,000 in 2025.
The catalyst for the legislation was a single incident in which police officers responded to a call about a senior citizen who appeared confused at a gas station cryptocurrency kiosk. Upon further investigation, police discovered that she had been giving 50 percent of her monthly income to scammers, leaving her on the verge of having to live out of her car.
According to law enforcement, the scammers often target the elderly, using false identities and emotional stories to gain power over them and coerce them into parting with their pensions or retirement savings.
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For scammers, the appeal of cryptocurrency is obvious, since converting digital currency into cryptocurrency makes it all but impossible for law enforcement to trace the money and make an arrest. But cryptocurrency platforms are opposing the ban, arguing that they’re being unfairly punished.
Larry Lipka, in-house counsel at digital currency platform CoinFlip, acknowledges the problem but opposes the proposed legislation.
“The scammers are vigilant. They’re terrible, and they’re stealing from Americans,” he told Gizmodo before arguing that their existing safety protocols, which include transaction limits and a holding period, were sufficient protection. “I know that these tools work because we’ve got 8,000 customers in the state, we have 12,000 transactions that happened in the last year and less than 1% of those were refundable by customers.”
The Commerce Department, however, disagrees. Sam Smith, government relations director at the Department of Commerce, points to the fact that just 48% of consumer complaints resulted in a refund, while those refunds averaged just 16% of the total fraud amount, as evidence that additional legislation is necessary.
As of now, approximately 350 licensed cryptocurrency kiosks operate in Minnesota, but digital currency companies across the United States could be affected by the legal precedent this bill sets.
Topics
Cryptocurrency
Scams
Entertainment
Skate developer Full Circle announces layoffs ahead of new game release
Full Circle, the gaming studio behind the new iteration of Skate, has recently announced a restructuring involving layoffs at its headquarters in Burnaby, British Columbia. Founded in 2021 as a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, Full Circle is just the latest in a series of AAA gaming studios to be hit by layoffs, with Ubisoft Toronto laying off 40 employees last week.
In their public-facing announcement, entitled “skate.’s Next Chapter,” the company lamented that the people affected by layoffs “are talented colleagues and friends who helped build the foundation of skate,” while shouting out the “tens of millions” of people who have explored the Early Access version of skate. released last September. “To our departing teammates: thank you. skate. exists because of your hard work and dedication to the craft.”
The original Skate games were released in the late 2000s for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and marketed as more realistic skateboarding games compared to the rival Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series. Fans responded well to the tight controls, inventive city settings, and fun soundtrack, which won the first Skate game the “Sports Game of the Year” award at the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, and resulted in commercial success, but the series had been on indefinite hold until the announcement of skate. (known among fans as Skate 4), which was to be a live-service game built around a sandbox-style multiplayer experience, a move that didn’t sit well with many long-time fans of the series.
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While the latest Skate game has not yet had a final release, the Early Access version has been available to fans for almost half a year now, and early reviews are mixed. Critics have pointed to the inclusion of microtransactions ($25 clothing for your digital character), the online-only gameplay restriction, and the homogenized character design, while others have praised the free-to-play accessibility.
We don’t yet know how many employees lost their jobs at Full Circle, as the company was not forthcoming, but the parent company, EA, lost approximately 5% of its workforce in 2024, during its last round of layoffs. As for the fate of skate. after these layoffs, much is still unknown and the game still doesn’t have a final release date.
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