Nicole Kidman transforms for 'Destroyer'

Nicole Kidman is nearly unrecognizable in her newest role as Los Angeles police detective Erin Bell in "Destroyer."

Her voice is a husky whisper, her skin a gaunt, sun-dried mask, her eyes cold and empty. She drinks heavily.

Nicole Kidman arrives at the 24th annual Critics' Choice Awards on Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. [Photo: AP]

Kidman says each part of her physical transformation for the role in Karyn Kusama's crime thriller had to be imbued with meaning.

"It had to be all coming from things that had happened in the past -- things that had happened emotionally, things that had happened physically. And it all had to play out on my face and on my body. And so we were very specific about those things. Why -- why was this? Why did I have this sort of skin? Why did I have teeth that were, you know, that were damaged? Why was my physicality so damaged? Why was my body so damaged?".

What has turned Bell into a ghost is what drives "Destroyer." It cuts between a present murder investigation and an earlier, connected undercover operation that ended tragically. In the flashbacks, a more recognizable Kidman appears, further emphasizing her drastic changes in the role.

"Destroyer," is now in theatres in North America and Mexico.

(Story includes material sourced from AP)