Oh, the joy of Netflix and chill. Across different genres, movies serve a lot of purposes. Sometimes, they are meant to show a new side to a well-known historical fact; other times, they want to make audiences laugh, cry, or jump in fear. And sometimes, all a movie wants is to be erotic, provoking its audience to witness a couple's intimacy and connection. The best erotic movies are fearlessly sensual and are meant to make viewers yearn for palpable tension and physical touch.
These erotic movies are great choices for a sexy date night or even a night of quality alone time. Featuring sizzling chemistry, beautiful people, and sometimes fantastical scenarios, these steamy movies are the perfect choices to get viewers in the mood for a great date night.
25 'Magic Mike' (2012)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
By day, Mike (Channing Tatum) takes on odd jobs to make ends meet, but at night, he is the headliner at a local all-male strip club. When he meets 19-year-old, Adam (Alex Pettyfer), he sees potential in him and convinces him to join the show, ultimately taking him under his wing and showing him the ropes of the trade.
Magic Mike is a sexy comedy-drama with a cast of steamy stars including Matthew McConaughey, Joe Manganiello, and Matt Bomber, that not only shows the exciting elements of the lifestyle but also the downside that comes with the job. Overall, Magic Mike is a one-of-a-kind, entertaining film that is guaranteed to make any viewers hot under the collar, giving an overall perspective on not only the seductive world of stripping, but also the empowerment it can incite in both the performers and audiences.
Magic Mike
- Release Date
- June 29, 2012
- Runtime
- 110 minutes
- Director
- Steven Soderbergh
- Writers
- Reid Carolin
WHERE TO WATCH
24 'Flashdance' (1983)
Directed by Adrian Lyne
Jennifer Beals stars in the 1983 hit, Flashdance, as Alex Owens who works in a steel mill during the day and dances at night at a bar. When Alex's boss (Michael Nouri) becomes interested in her as well as helping her pursue her dream of dancing, she recommits herself to her passion and prepares to audition for a place in a prominent dance conservatory.
Flashdance is a signature movie of the 1980s and is known for its now-iconic dance scene where Beals' character is cascaded in water while performing on stage and the infamous bra removal scene. Despite earning lukewarm reviews, Flashdance is still a tantalizing movie with a provocative plot and sexy choreography that is sure to spice up any date night.
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Flashdance
- Release Date
- April 15, 1983
Cast
-
-
Michael Nouri
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 97 Minutes
23 'The Last Seduction' (1994)
Directed by John Dahl
When Bridget Gregroy wants to escape her loveless marriage, she convinces her husband (Bill Pullman) to sell drugs with the secret intention of stealing the profits and taking off. When she stops in a small town, she finds her next target, an unknowing insurance salesman (Peter Berg) who she successfully puts her hooks into and tries to persuade him to kill her husband.
The Last Seduction is a sexpot neo-noir erotic thriller starring Linda Florentino as the dangerous and seductive Bridget Gregory, who many have credited as one of the best femme fatales of the film genre. While the overall cast deliver exceptional performances, Florentino is the main attraction, delivering a sensual and alluring performance that essentially lures audiences into her character's twisted world of sex, greed, and, of course, murder.
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The Last Seduction
- Release Date
- October 26, 1994
- Runtime
- 110 Minutes
- Director
- John Dahl
- Writers
- Steve Barancik
WHERE TO WATCH
22 'Moulin Rouge!' (2001)
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
When an aspiring writer, Christian (Ewan McGregor), arrives in Paris, he finds himself falling head over heels for a local nightclub's star performer, Satine (Nicole Kidman), who has already been promised to the club's new investor. As the club prepares for a new show, Christian and Satine hide their relationship, meeting secretly every chance they can, but when their romance is discovered, their love is put to the ultimate test.
Baz Luhrmann's Oscar-winning musical, Moulin Rouge! is a dazzling display of forbidden love set in a highly sexualized atmosphere that is impossible to resist. Even though the film is oozing with sexuality and temptation, the film also features an array of stunning musical numbers, vibrant colors, and eccentric characters, leaving audiences in a dizzy haze over the dream-induced world of the free-spirited Moulin Rouge.
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Moulin Rouge!
- Release Date
- June 1, 2001
- Runtime
- 127 Minutes
- Director
- Baz Luhrmann
- Writers
- Baz Luhrmann, Craig Pearce
WHERE TO WATCH
21 'Risky Business' (1983)
Directed by Paul Brickman
When his parents go out of town, teenager, Joel Goodsen (Tom Cruise) decides to live it up with his best friend (Curtis Armstrong), but after he spends the night with a beautiful prostitute (Rebecca De Mornay), he is shocked by her "bill" the next day. Already strapped for cash, Joel finds himself in deeper after he crashes his father's car, leading him to turn his house into a temporary brothel to raise the money he needs before his parents return home.
Risky Business is a coming-of-age comedy that follows a risqué plot involving a high school senior who takes advantage of his final days before graduation. Throughout the movie, De Mornay radiates with sexual tension and temptation, providing an unwavering sensual tone to this classic '80s. The movie is also universally recognized for the scene where Cruise's character dances to Bob Seger's Old Time Rock & Roll, which captures Cruise's sexy charm and charisma and also deems Risky Business to be a steamy pick for any movie night.
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Risky Business
- Release Date
- August 5, 1983
- Runtime
- 99 minutes
- Director
- Paul Brickman
- Writers
- Paul Brickman
WHERE TO WATCH
20 'Wild Things' (1998)
Directed by John McNaughton
There’s trouble in paradise in John McNaughton’s Wild Things. Set in humid and glossy Florida, a guidance counselor named Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) finds himself accused of rape by two manipulative students, Kelly (Denise Richards) and Suzie (Neve Campbell). But as the investigation twists and turns, the truth gets lost in a web of lies and hidden agendas.
Wild Things promises shocking revelations and forbidden attractions that will leave viewers questioning everything they think they know. The sizzling performances by Dillon, Richards, and Campbell build tension that reaches a fever pitch. Despite being filled with plenty of passionate scenes, Wild Things is a thought-provoking and audacious film that has a biting commentary about class and wealth disparity. – Jom Elauria
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Wild Things
- Release Date
- March 20, 1998
- Runtime
- 108 Minutes
- Director
- John McNaughton
- Writers
- Stephen Peters
WHERE TO WATCH
19 'Colette' (2018)
Directed by Wash Westmoreland
Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, while not as well-known as other 19th Century queer icons, was a truly unconventional woman and legend in her own right whose story deserves to be told. The writer of Gigi and The Tendrils of the Vine had her story retold in 2018 with the film Colette, starring Keira Knightley as the titular novelist.
Predominantly documenting the time as her husband’s ghost-writer and the genesis of her classic Claudine character, this film is for the Knightley stans through and through, especially those fond of sapphic period pieces. With its gorgeous Belle ?poque setting, a lot of focus is put into Colette’s life as a queer woman and how it affects both her life and artistic vision, and how she used that inherent queerness to break convention and change art history.
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Colette
- Release Date
- September 21, 2018
- Runtime
- 112 Minutes
- Director
- Wash Westmoreland
- Writers
- Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland, Rebecca Lenkiewicz
WHERE TO WATCH
18 'Unfaithful' (2002)
Directed by Adrian Lyne
Unfaithful is a siren song of forbidden desire, luring viewers into the idyllic yet hollow life of Connie Sumner (Diane Lane). Beneath the gleaming facade of her perfect marriage and stunning home lurks a gnawing emptiness. But thanks to a fateful encounter with a charming stranger played by Olivier Martinez, a newfound desire and passion blaze in Connie’s life.
Unfaithful is no ordinary erotic thriller as it has surprising emotional complexity. One unforgettable scene captures Connie and Paul's first encounter, with a whirlwind of stolen touches and simmering tension. Viewers looking for electrifying and passionate scenes are in for a treat thanks to the intense chemistry between the main characters — so intense that Diane Lane suffered a kissing-related accident while making the movie. – Jom Elauria
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Unfaithful
- Release Date
- May 10, 2002
Cast
-
-
-
Olivier Martinez -
Erik Per Sullivan
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 124 Minutes
17 'Body Heat' (1981)
Directed by Lawrence Kasdan
Kathleen Turner delivers a star-making performance opposite William Hurt in Laurence Kasdan's 1981 erotic neo-noir thriller Body Heat. Inspired by the noir classic Double Indemnity, the plot centers on a hapless lawyer named Ned who enters an affair with a seductive woman Matty. Together, they hatch a plan to kill her husband and claim the insurance policy. But, little does Ned know that he's about to become a pawn in Matty's schemes.
Elevated by Turner's seductive, confident, overwhelming turn, Body Heat is a sexy, engaging mystery and one of the best neo-noir movies from the '80s. Salacious without becoming cheap, the film is an exercise in eroticism with a healthy dose of crime. The way the movie lays out a plot full of infidelity and moral ambiguity guarantees a suspense-filled ride for viewers.
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Body Heat
- Release Date
- August 28, 1981
- Runtime
- 113 Minutes
- Director
- Lawrence Kasdan
- Writers
- Lawrence Kasdan
WHERE TO WATCH
16 'Fifty Shades of Grey' (2015)
Directed by Sam Taylor Johnson
Fifty Shades of Grey stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson. The film is based on the infamous eponymous 2011 novel and follows the sadomasochistic relationship between a recent college graduate and a young business magnate.
The film may be a silly bore-fest for some men, but a guy can also be a sport by taking his wife or girlfriend out to dinner and watching this movie. Fifty Shades of Grey can undeniably spark some fireworks. There is certainly a lot of sexiness on display here. Christian Grey is mega-rich and good-looking, but he is also dominant and sensitive at the same time. He is a man but also a boy, strong but wounded. Fifty Shades taps into a similar fantasy as Beauty and the Beast and Twilight and can make for a very good date night.
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Fifty Shades of Grey
- Release Date
- February 13, 2015
- Runtime
- 125 Minutes
- Director
- Sam Taylor-Johnson
- Writers
- Kelly Marcel
WHERE TO WATCH
15 'The Hunger' (1983)
Directed by Tony Scott
What monster is hotter than a vampire? There’s no shortage of romantic horror films, but the vampire film feels like the most natural blend of terror and eroticism. This was especially prevalent in the age of Anne Rice-style sensitive and brooding vampires, seeing the story from their point of view. This made them less of a threatening monster and more of an object of desire. Necks are still bitten, regardless of the era, so there is a lot to choose from.
A great and little-known steamy vampire film was directed by the mind behind Top Gun, Tony Scott’s directorial debut, 1983’s The Hunger. Based on the novel by Louis Whitley Strieber, it follows a doctor becoming embroiled in a love triangle between two sophisticated and fashionable creatures of the night. The main trio are played by Susan Sarandon, Catherine Deneuve, and David Bowie, so we’re already off to a good start. The Hunger is generally regarded as a cult classic and a solid road map of the trad-goth style. While it’s absolutely style over substance it's undeniably stylish. It’s moody, dreamlike, and despite the bloody deaths, there’s something undeniably seductive about this meditation on isolation in eternal life.
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The Hunger
- Release Date
- April 29, 1983
- Runtime
- 96 Minutes
- Director
- Tony Scott
- Writers
- Michael Thomas, James Costigan, Whitley Strieber
WHERE TO WATCH
14 'Only Lovers Left Alive' (2013)
Directed by Jim Jarmusch
On the topic of sexy vampires, the allure of the monster is one thing, but we’ve rarely seen an intimate relationship between two of these immortal beings. This is where Only Lovers Left Alive comes in. Directed by Jim Jarmusch, the story follows centuries-old vampiric lovers Adam (Tom Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda Swinton), as they navigate the 21st century and their wildly different approaches to life.
The film is slow, moody, and dreamlike, but it is an excellent character study of a couple that took the idea of eternal love to its extremes. While it explores heavy themes of life, death, and addiction, the steaminess of Only Lovers Left Alive comes from its impeccable sense of style. With gorgeous costumes and set design, it’s both punk and classical, with a genuinely loving couple in the center. Not to mention, it has broody vampire Tom Hiddleston. You’re welcome.
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Only Lovers Left Alive
- Release Date
- December 25, 2013
- Runtime
- 123minutes
- Director
- Jim Jarmusch
- Writers
- Jim Jarmusch
13 'Dirty Dancing' (1987)
Directed by Emile Ardolino
Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey star in the 1987 romantic drama Dirty Dancing. The plot centers on Frances "Baby" Houseman, a teenager who develops a romance with dance instructor Johnny Castle while at a vacation resort. The forbidden love between them due to their student-teacher relationship, as well as the disapproval from Baby's father, elevates the steaminess of the movie.
But in retrospect, Dirty Dancing has content that hasn't aged well. However, many loved watching Johnny dance and his tough-guy yet sensitive manliness. Many also enjoy Baby's energetic innocence. However, the film's main draw is the incredible and alluring dance sequences and the 80s nostalgia it radiates. A surprise hit, Dirty Dancing is sexy in ways people weren't expecting.
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Dirty Dancing
- Release Date
- August 21, 1987
- Runtime
- 100 minutes
- Director
- Emile Ardolino
- Writers
- Eleanor Bergstein
WHERE TO WATCH
12 'Brokeback Mountain' (2005)
Directed by Ang Lee
Ang Lee's Oscar-winning Brokeback Mountain is among the all-time most romantic Westerns. The film stars the late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal and follows the decades-long romance between Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist, two cowboys in rural Wyoming.
Brokeback Mountain is a moving drama for romance-starved audiences, and the sparks between Ennis and Jack fly even as insurmountable obstacles come between them. This movie depicts the deeply affecting struggle of wanting to be with someone but not being able to because of prejudice. Powerful, sweeping, and heartbreaking, Brokeback Mountain is a one-of-a-kind romantic drama with a harrowing yet unforgettable ending.
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Brokeback Mountain
- Release Date
- December 9, 2005
- Runtime
- 134 minutes
- Director
- Ang Lee
- Writers
- Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana
WHERE TO WATCH
11 'In the Mood for Love' (2000)
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
Love stories can be about those near misses rather than happily ever after. Directed by Wong Kar-wai, In the Mood for Love is the best romantic movie with the least romantic ending. Set in 1962 in Hong Kong, two lonely souls (Maggie Cheung & Tony Leung) slowly become friends only to realize that both their spouses are cheating on them with each other. The rest of the film is spent with them both trying to put the pieces of the infidelity together and wrestling with their burgeoning romantic feelings.
The ethics of infidelity is the central theme of the movie. Is all fair in love and war? Chow and Su should think their feelings are greatly convenient, right? Their lovers are paired off, they should be too, and it feels easy. But it isn’t. Neither wants to commit the same sins as their spouses, but their feelings run deeper. That’s where the yearning comes in, the glances and hands almost but not quite touching. While instant gratification might be nice, sometimes wanting what you can’t have is even spicier.
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In the Mood For Love
- Release Date
- March 9, 2001
- Runtime
- 98 Minutes
- Director
- Kar-Wai Wong
- Writers
- Kar-Wai Wong
WHERE TO WATCH
10 'Basic Instinct' (1992)
Directed by Paul Verhoeven
Paul Verhoeven's massive hit, Basic Instinct, is one of the high points of the '90s erotic thriller boom. The film stars Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone and follows a detective investigating a rock star's murder, with all evidence pointing to the man's girlfriend, the sexy and mysterious Catherine Tramell.
The '90s was a decade obsessed with sex and death. Basic Instinct perfectly summarizes that era thanks to a few iconic scenes. The icepick bedroom scene and the infamous interrogation were scenes everybody was talking about when the movie was originally released. Basic Instinct is sexy and thrilling, the perfect erotic movie for fans to watch alone or with their significant other.
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Basic Instinct
- Release Date
- May 8, 1992
- Runtime
- 128 minutes
- Director
- Paul Verhoeven
- Writers
- Joe Eszterhas
WHERE TO WATCH
9 'The Duke of Burgundy' (2014)
Directed by Peter Strickland
There are a limited number of films out there that explore dominant and submissive dynamics in relationships and even fewer explore those areas well. Despite getting more diverse kinds of relationships in films, the kinkier parts of love and sex are still a little too risqué for the average viewer. Beyond, of course, the infamous Fifty Shades of Grey franchise.
There is, however, one film that gets it. The 2014 film The Duke of Burgundy has a classy, 1960s erotica feel to it, blending with a dark academia aesthetic that remains extremely popular. It’s the story of a professor and an apprentice of entomology, and the viewer is given a front-row seat to their dynamic in this gorgeous old house. The audience witnesses the games they play in detail, including the conflicts and boundaries that come with them. Which, despite its old-fashioned feel, makes it very modern in its practice of ethics.
The Duke of Burgundy
- Release Date
- October 18, 2014
- Runtime
- 104
Cast
-
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Monica Swinn
-
Chiara D'Anna
-
Eugenia Caruso
8 'The Love Witch' (2016)
Directed by Anna Biller
Going back to horror and stylish mid-century imitations, if you want a film with an old-school vibe look no further than Anna Biller’s 2016 film The Love Witch. Inspired by the glorious Technicolor films of Alfred Hitchcock’s later career, what people know this film for is that seamless recreation of 1970s filming techniques. The costumes, the sound design, and even the writing all radiate that groovy, psychedelic atmosphere that fueled the Satanic Panic.
But make no mistake, this film is a great one for date night, even if you’re just on a date with yourself. It’s all down to that style, and the incredible femme fatale in the center. Samantha Robinson is hypnotizing as the love-addicted sorceress Elaine, and you buy the allure she has learned to wield with a vengeance. While it emulates the 20th century in most things, its politics are way ahead of the curve, with Biller proving here, and in her current literary work, that she is a master of deconstructing the erotica genre.
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The Love Witch
- Release Date
- November 11, 2016
- Runtime
- 120 minutes
- Director
- Anna Biller
- Writers
- Anna Biller
WHERE TO WATCH
7 'Bound' (1996)
Directed by Lana and Lily Wachowski
Bound rises thanks to Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon's performances. Violet is the girlfriend of Caesar (Joe Pantoliano), a violent gangster. The women can't help the attraction they have for each other and eventually begin making love, taking things to a steamy level. That's also when it gets dangerous, as the lovers become entangled in a web of violent crime.
Sexy and thrilling, Bound is the Wachowskis' underrated masterpiece. Powered by the outstanding performances at its center, Bound is a wonderfully subversive take on the classic thriller, injecting it with passion and unabashed feminism. With the directors' sleek, stylish approach and two confident central performances, the film is among the best erotic thrillers of the '90s and one of cinema's sexiest films.
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6 'Professor Marston and the Wonder Women' (2017)
Directed by Angela Robinson
We needed a film like Professor Marston and the Wonder Women in 2017. Right in the middle of the 50 Shades film trilogy, with conversations of kink and polyamory coming to the forefront and not always in the right ways. Telling the story of William (Luke Evans) and Elizabeth Marston (Rebecca Hall), and how they, along with their romantic partner Olive Byrne (Bella Heathcote), created DC’s Wonder Woman. They’re one of the most important throuples in history, and it's through their story we see the very beginnings of kink and fetish in the mainstream.
This film is criminally underrated, with incredible performances from Evans, Hall, and Heathcote. There are a lot of interesting discussions about the nature of their dynamic that, despite being set in the 1940s, feels ahead of its time even today. Professor Marston and the Wonder Women show that things that even today are presented as shameful have been foundational to popular culture and that people have been experimenting with relationships for a very long time.
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Professor Marston and The Wonder Women
- Release Date
- October 13, 2017
- Runtime
- 108minutes
- Director
- Angela Robinson
- Writers
- Angela Robinson
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