The 50 Best Sexy Movies of the 21st Century, from ‘Spring Breakers’ to ‘X’

Editor’s Note: This story was originally posted on July 23, 2017, and has been updated multiple times since.

Few cinematic moments can burn themselves into an audience’s psyche better than a good sex scene. They can shock, arouse, or simply capture human beauty in ways that cinema is uniquely positioned to do. Sex scenes don’t have to define the movies they appear in, but they’re often the parts you remember the most.

The nature of sex scenes are constantly evolving, as the prevalence of intimacy coordinators and increased concern for performers’ safety in Hollywood is hopefully making regrettable sex scenes a thing of the past. That has allowed sexy cinema to flourish, with plenty of tantalizing movies hitting the multiplex in recent years. With that in mind, it felt like the right time to compile some of the best additions to the sexy film canon.

Our list of the 50 best sexy movies of this century is an international affair, with films originating from around the globe. From the biggest studio projects to the smallest independent films, the artists on this list prove that you can be sexy with budgets of any size. Keep reading to see our picks for the sexiest movies of the 21st century (so far).

Kate Erbland, Jude Dry, Eric Kohn, Ryan Lattanzio, Zack Sharf, and Jamie Righetti also contributed to this story.

50. “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”

Ang Lee’s landmark martial arts epic is a love story as much as anything else, telling the story of the forbidden romance between Lo (Chang Chen) and Jen (Zhang Ziyi). The film’s intimate fight choreography and Lee’s sensitive camerawork blur the line between combat and sex, culminating in one of the sexiest fight scenes in modern film history. The sexiness isn’t the only reason to check out “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” — though the liberating feeling of Lo and Jen’s romance in the desert is pretty great — but it’s one of many factors that has turned the film into an enduring classic. —CZ

49. “Bones and All” (2022)

After “Call Me By Your Name,” Timothee Chalamet and Luca Guadagnino’s ability to craft sexy cinema together was never going to be questioned again. So for their second film together, it’s almost as if the collaborators decided to challenge themselves and make something erotic out of one of the least sexy topics on the planet: cannibalism. By many measures they succeeded, crafting a disturbingly sensual road movie set against the backdrop of middle America in the 1980s. While certain viewers will always be haunted by the slurping sounds, the sexual chemistry between Chalamet and Taylor Russell is impossible to ignore. —CZ

48. “The Northman” (2022)

Robert Eggers promised not to hold back in his attempt to make a historically accurate Viking movie, and nobody can deny that he delivered. The Norse revenge saga, loosely adapted from the same myth that inspired “Hamlet,” is overflowing with sex, violence, and very sexy violence. The Viking warriors (led by Alexander Skarsgard in the best shape of his career) are as jaw-droppingly muscular as they are scantily clad, and Anya Taylor-Joy’s presence ensures that the fairer sex is equally well-represented. Come for the Shakespearean drama, stay for the naked men fighting in a volcano. —CZ

47. “2046” (2004)

Wong Kar-wai films are essentially cinematic foreplay. No filmmaker is better at capturing the beauty and sensuality of slow-burning flirtations that never have to be consummated to entrance audiences. So it’s hardly surprising that his sort-of sequel to his most beloved film (“In the Mood for Love”) would feature the same brand of agonizing sexiness. Set in 2046, nearly a century after the 1960s Hong Kong romances that took place in “Days of Being Wild” and “In the Mood for Love,” the sci-fi romance features some of Wong’s most iconic characters finally reaching the conclusion of a lifetime of unexplored desire. It’s a singular film that could have only been made by a singular filmmaker, but it’s essential viewing for fans of his work. —CZ

46. “Decision to Leave” (2022)

Expectations for a new Park Chan-wook movie are always high, so the rave reviews that “Decision to Leave” picked up at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival were hardly surprising. But few expected his police procedural to be so damn romantic. Park Hae-il stars as a detective whose interest in solving a case is significantly outweighed by his romantic feelings for his prime suspect (Tang Wei). The sexual tension that builds between them over the course of the film is never quite paid off in the way that many audiences probably hoped for, but the entire film is a testament to Park’s ability to find the humanity in any genre. —CZ

45. “Casino Royale” (2006)

Martin Campbell’s 007 film didn’t just mark the introduction of a new actor (Daniel Craig) playing James Bond — it represented a complete reinvention of what the iconic spy character could be. After years of increasingly goofy and dated Bond films, Campbell opted to ignore the character’s campy past and bring the womanizing secret agent into the 21st century with a bang. “Casino Royale” is sleek, gritty, and yes, very sexy (making Craig’s swim shorts one of the defining examples of sexy onscreen apparel). Rather than portray Bond as some kind of comic book character, it allowed audiences to see what it might look like if one of his high stakes spy missions took place in something resembling the real world. While the Daniel Craig era saw several other acclaimed directors put their own spin on James Bond, they all owe a debt to “Casino Royale.” —CZ

44. “Of an Age” (2022)

For fans of “Weekend,” “Before Sunrise” and other regret-tinged romances about what-might-have-beens and what-were-nots, “Of an Age” just might be the devastating cinematic kick you need — and a reason to rue the one who’ll never get away. Director Goran Stolevski helms a sexy Aussie-set gay romance about bodies, and how they bend to time and desire. “Of an Age” unfolds across 1999 and 2010, as high schooler and aspiring dancer Kol (Elias Anton) gets caught up in a frenzy of feelings over his friend and dance partner’s older brother Adam (Thom Green). They first bond over Franz Kafka, Tori Amos, and Wong Kar Wai’s “Happy Together” over a leisurely, hot car ride, stoking an instant connection interrupted by circumstance (but not without sex in the backseat). A decade later, Kol reunites with Adam at his friend’s wedding — one the kid has all but chased him to — and the pair confront the love affair that escaped them and the agonies of time lost. The film is sexiest in furtive moments, finding romantic tension in gazes and untold words. —RL

43. “Lingua Franca” (2019)

Isabel Sandoval’s masterful portrait of a trans Filipina immigrant is so intimately rendered it almost feels too close at times. The elegant breakout film was entirely directed, written, produced, and edited by Sandoval, who also plays the film’s sympathetic lead Olivia. The film follows an undocumented trans woman as she saves up for a green card marriage while working as a home health aide for an elderly Russian woman (Lynn Cohen) in Brighton Beach. Her plan becomes complicated by a simmering romance with the ne’er-do-well grandson Alex (Eamon Farren), a lost but gentle soul with a Slavic sex appeal. Their scenes are laden with a sexual tension that eventually gives way to latent desire, foreshadowed by intimately erotic scenes of Olivia’s self-pleasure. With her many hats translating into such confidently crafted cinema, Sandoval is the closest thing queer film has to a trans auteur working on such a level. Sharply edited and shot with an austere beauty, “Lingua Franca” is a profound example of what happens when marginalized voices are given full creative control. —JD

42. “The World to Come” (2020)

Mona Fastvold’s frontier lesbian romance is fraught with all manner of hardships that afflict living life on the edge in the 1850s — apocalyptic snowstorms, perishing livestock, buried desires confined to secret diary entries. But the spark between Abigail (Katherine Waterston) and Tallie (Vanessa Kirby), two women coupled in heterosexual relationships to difficult men, is volcanic. What’s not seen is what’s most throbbingly romantic, as the two women do a sort of drawn-out dance over the course of a blooming friendship that always had an electric erotic current. Eventually, they take it to the bedroom in a kind of supercut of sharp sex scenes that punctuate the film’s inevitably tragic last passage — underlining that their affair was doomed from the start, but one that will stay indelibly close to Abigail’s heart (and loins). —RL

41. “Parallel Mothers” (2021)

Pedro Almodóvar is never one to shy from a complex erotic bond, and here the one between Janis (Penélope Cruz) and Ana (Milena Smit) is both a kind of mother-daughter connection, but one that takes increasingly kinky turns. Their dynamic is ever-shifting from the maternal, to the erotic, and back again. Plenty of Almodóvar films have featured raunchy, vigorous sex scenes, but “Parallel Mothers” is sexiest for the electricity humming between Janis, who is childless in middle age and derailed by a busted affair, and Ana, a scared teenager staring down the precipice of parenthood. All these threads are tied up in a twisted little package that’s also one of Almodóvar’s most sumptuous love stories to date. —RL

40. “Hustle & Flow” (2005)

Craig Brewer’s crowdpleaser about a pimp dreaming of music fame is anchored by strong performances from Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, and Taryn Manning. Howard plays Djay, while Henson and Manning are Shug and Nola, two of his girls. Hot-tempered and passionate, Djay begins making tracks with his friend Key (Anthony Anderson), and discovers he has a gift for lyrics. The catchy original soundtrack helps sell the story, as Djay’s songs seem to actually have a chance at getting radio play. While the strip club setting provides ample shots of semi-nude women, Djay and Shug’s sweet romance gives the film its emotional core and shows a softer side to Djay (and his temper). Their undeniable chemistry leads the previously timid Shug to throw down a sexy hook, her raspy croon on “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” making Henson’s star power glaringly obvious. —JD

39. “Weekend” (2011)

A head rush of desire, Andrew Haigh’s “Weekend” is perhaps the best whirlwind onscreen romance since Jesse and Celine met on the train in “Before Sunrise.” Tom Cullen plays Russell, an emotionally reserved gay man in Nottingham who hooks up with the more open and wild art student Glen (Chris New). What starts as a one night stand unexpectedly turns into a deeper connection that helps Russell break down his walls, but one with a very quick expiration date, as Glen is set to leave the country for the United States by the end of the weekend. Haigh’s film features a ton of explicit sex scenes, and Cullen and New aren’t shy about appearing on camera in the buff, but it’s the urgency of their fleeting encounters, and the sense that every last kiss could be their last, that makes the film so hot. —WC

38. “Promising Young Woman” (2020)

Yes, “Promising Young Woman” is a tragic psychological thriller. It’s also an intoxicating portrait of one woman’s rape revenge fantasy, crystallized in a candy-colored female gaze aesthetic that’s cheeky, playful, and more than a bit sexy. Unflinching in its cynical perspective on pervasive rape culture, writer/director Emerald Fennell’s Best Original Screenplay Oscar winner includes very few intimate moments that end well; even the film’s main romance with a boyishly charming Bo Burnham proves a thorny rose. But the film’s bait-and-switch premise — a young woman (Carey Mulligan) leads strangers in bars to believe she’s drunk enough to take advantage of, only to turn the tables on the men once they’re alone — crackles with seductive trickery. From an orchestral “Toxic” cover to that unforgettable nurse’s costume, “Promising Young Woman” is a multi-faceted genre defier that will break your heart. —AF

37. “X” (2022)

Yes, Ti West’s “X” is your typical, rural-set slasher, right down to the pointy pitchforks and people-eating swamp gators. But the 2022 horror sensation is also a wickedly fun exploration of lust, youth, and envy that makes keen observations about how we view older women and (mainly heteronormative) sex. It’s the effortless sexiness of the pornographers who roll up to the film’s unassuming farmhouse of horrors — in a van, “Texas Chainsaw”-style and everything! — that wets the audience’s appetite for lowbrow spectacle, before West slyly sneaks past that distraction with a surprisingly poignant subversion of the virgin victim trope. Of course, you can’t recommend “X” without recommending its origin story “Pearl.” A related third film, “MaxXxine,” is expected in 2023. —AF

36. “The Worst Person in the World” (2021)

Joachim Trier builds life-destroying sexual longing as so few do in his portrait of a woman in romantic crisis, “The Worst Person in the World.” Julie (Renate Reinsve) weighs romantic options between the more stable Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie) and more chaotic choice Elvind (Herbert Nordrum). In her first encounter with Elvind, they agree not to touch, instead spending a night together at a raucous party outlining all the things they might do to each other if they both weren’t already in other relationships. A gorgeous and literally slow-burning shot of Julie and Elvind passing a smoke ring is one of the sexist moments on screens in recent years. And when she finally runs toward her future and into Elvind’s bed, the delayed psychosexual gratification is worth the wait. —RL

35. “Take This Waltz” (2011)

Sarah Polley’s hothouse will-they-or-won’t-they adultery drama “Take This Waltz” is sexiest in moments where there’s no actual sex happening at all between Michelle Williams’ aspiring travel writer Margot and Luke Kirby’s Daniel, an unctuously handsome artist and rickshaw driver. As Margot flirts with the idea of leaving her husband (Seth Rogen), she and Daniel share a volatile chemistry over midday martinis, detailing the not-safe-for-public things they would do to teach other if she wasn’t spoken for. Margot and Daniel eventually do turn their emotional affair into a physical one — and in a very torrid montage full of bodies undressing and kink stakes raising, set to the Leonard Cohen tune that gives the film its title. But the film’s most palpably erotic moments simmer in the longing gazes and unspoken passion that flame between the central pair. —RL

34. “Phantom Thread” (2017)

On the surface, “Phantom Thread” may be made of a quiet, sheer material. But lift up the hem of Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterpiece, and there’s an intricate network of emotional power dynamics and sexual politics handsewn throughout. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as British dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock, who selects factory worker Alma (Vicky Krieps) to become his new model and muse. The 1950s-set film positions Reynolds and Alma as an obvious couple in context, despite their glaring differences in taste, status, and demeanor. But as the film slowly unravels under the audience’s gaze, it’s clear the duo have a shared nihilistic iciness. Alma and Reynolds dance (literally and figuratively) around which of them will succumb to their own desires, and which advances will land in fleeting contentment or unleash the wrath of a frustrated artist and overlooked muse. Don’t mistake “Phantom Thread” for a traditional love story; it’s a thriller wearing the coat of a romance rooted in self-hatred, and the true couple lies in Reynolds’ two personae within himself — the tortured inner artist and the famous, publicly revered fashion designer with a legacy to uphold. —SB

33. “Zola” (2020)

Sparked by a viral Twitter thread from 2015, Janicza Bravo’s “Zola” is a harrowing thriller about a cunning stripper, played by the revelatory Taylour Paige, and a deeply scary debacle involving three strangers and a road trip to Florida. When Zola is approached by Riley Keough’s Stefani — another dancer who seems nice enough — the pair become embroiled in a sinister but unquestionably intimate frenemy-ship that threatens to drag Zola into human trafficking. Again, this is a sexy and sex-positive title but it’s also laced with sobering dangers and features a series of coercive sexual encounters that are themselves decidedly repulsive. That said, supernova performances from both Paige and Keough, combined with snappy, internet savvy editing and costume designs from Derica Cole Washington, make “Zola” a seductive sight to behold. —AF

32. “American Honey” (2016)

Andrea Arnold’s coming-of-age film won the Jury Prize at Cannes, telling the story of a young girl from Oklahoma who escapes her brutal household to pursue a salacious affair with a would-be cult leader played by Shia LaBeouf. The film is one of the best uses of LaBeouf’s talents to date, and turned its star Sasha Lane into an indie film darling. The relationship between its two leads is complicated and often problematic, with the film reaching no easy answers about their relationship. But the sex scenes, often shot very closely, are simultaneously sexy and intimate while conveying exactly why this girl chooses this man to help her escape reality. —CZ

31. “God’s Own Country” (2017)

There is no “I can’t quit you” moment in writer-director Francis Lee’s expertly crafted cinematic debut, only the bleak but beautiful landscape of the Yorkshire countryside. Gorgeously shot and engaging from beginning to end, “God’s Own Country” is the kind of gay film more people should be making, unflinching in its approach to sex scenes. The documentary-style farm scenes elevate it far beyond traditional gay dramas, and it doesn’t make the mistake of confusing tragedy with quality. It’s the story of a young man named Johnny (Josh O’Connor), who is stuck (in many ways) managing his family’s livelihood in the wake of his father’s stroke. To help with lambing season, the family hires a Romanian migrant worker named Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu). While Johnny is well-versed in soliciting random sex at livestock auctions, he isn’t prepared for the intensity of real human connection — much less Gheorghe’s puppy-dog brown eyes. When the two head up the mountain to birth the lambs, things get muddy — and viscerally sexy, as Johnny and Gheorghe’s encounters take on an at first animalistic energy before evolving into something deeper and more tender. —JD

30. “Disobedience” (2017)

To describe Sebastian Lelio’s “Disobedience” as “sexy” is in some ways an injustice. While the film notably features girl-on-girl sex, the subject matter is decidedly unsexy, telling the story of a lesbian who was ostracized from the Orthodox Jewish community for her lifestyle and reconnects with a past love when she returns for her father’s funeral. The film’s use of sex is extremely nuanced, using it to advance a bittersweet storyline rather than turn viewers on. But no matter how complex the film is, it will likely always be remembered for an infamous sex scene in which Rachel Weisz spits into Rachel McAdams’ mouth. —CZ

29. “Quills” (2000)

It’s easy enough to get sucked into “Quills” based on the promise of Joaquin Phoenix playing an earnest (and incredibly sexy) young priest tempted by his attraction to a chambermaid. But somehow, much like Kate Winslet’s Madeline, we fall under the spell of the charismatic Geoffrey Rush, who plays his role as the Marquis de Sade with a deliciously dirty panache befitting the notorious French writer. The Marquis’ libertine ways run counter to the no-nonsense Royer-Collard (Michael Caine), who takes over the asylum with the intention of stifling the writer’s creative output. But even his own wife is no match for the words of the Marquis, which ooze both sensuality and liberty. Before long, any initial apprehension to the Marquis de Sade (he is a dirty old man, after all) is fully given over to the hope that his debauchery will win out, and that his desire, as well as that of Madeline and Coulmier (Phoenix) will be fully fulfilled — even though we know this is impossible. —JR

28. “Magic Mike XXL” (2015)

Steven Soderbergh returns for a double dose of Channing Tatum stripteases with “Magic Mike XXL,” the 2015 sequel to the stripping-as-a-sport drama loosely based on Tatum’s real-life experiences as an exotic dancer. Yet what pushed “XXL” to be deemed revolutionary by critics was the film’s decision to almost entirely focus on female audiences, showing women characters getting everything they desire — in and out of the club. “XXL” is a world where male strippers vow to be “healers” and each hip thrust and body roll is akin to a shot of validation. This is a world where men simply listen to women’s dissatisfaction at the state of the world. Better yet, “Magic Mike” expands its universe with the vow that each person, each body, will be seen and appreciated in its beauty. There’s nothing sexier than someone who understands. —SB

27. “Yes, God, Yes” (2019)

Set in the heyday of naughty AOL chatrooms, “Yes, God, Yes” stars Natalia Dyer as Alice: a curious high school junior whose burgeoning sexuality soon bumps against the strict abstinence-only stance of her Catholic community. Writer/director Karen Maine’s coming-of-age comedy merits inclusion here not because that many sexy things happen in it (seriously, these characters use the phrase “tossing salad” far too often to find them truly sexy), but because it brilliantly captures the zippy adolescent inquisitiveness that is first learning about intimacy. Dyer delivers a wide-eyed performance that’s not only profoundly endearing, but evokes the sort of sexiness you can only really experience when you’re young.—AF

26. “The Dreamers” (2003)

Bernardo Bertolucci never shied away from taboo subject matter throughout his five-decade career as a filmmaker, but “The Dreamers” might be the sexiest entry in his filmography. The film, which follows an American exchange student (Michael Pitt) who explores his sexuality as he bonds with two very open-minded French twins (Eva Green and Louis Garrel), has the premise of a porn flick with the execution of a European arthouse film. The movie is slightly less lewd than that description suggests and devotes plenty of time to discussing two of Bertolucci’s main interests: film history and Marxism. But the film, either the R-rated theatrical version or the nearly identical NC-17 cut, is undeniably sexy. —CZ

25. “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (2008)

Undeniably sexy and amusing at once, Woody Allen’s 2008 Spain-set dramedy delights in pushing its various players into all sorts of romantic permutations and configurations. Anchored by Scarlett Johansson in a sneaky performance as the eponymous Cristina (pre-breakout Rebecca Hall is her best pal Vicky), the film follows a pair of friends as they meet and make lots of love with the beguiling Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), who isn’t at all thrown off by the possibility of having two lovely ladies in his bed. In fact, he’s got another one to think about too, his free-spirited ex-wife (Penelope Cruz), who he just can’t get out of his head (or heart). On the surface, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” is a dead sexy romp about free-wheeling love-makers (complete with plenty of naughty bits), but it’s also a film that boldly explores issues of fluidity and fidelity with an uncharacteristically easy touch. –KE

24. “Shortbus” (2006)

With its three-person blowjob circle, non-simulated sex scenes including ejaculation, and close-up of a pee stream unleashing into a bathtub, “Shortbus” is not for everyone. It’s an ambitious film, one that attempts to have fun, be sexy, and tell a good story. If anyone could pull it off, it would be the man behind “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” John Cameron Mitchell. “Shortbus” feels as much like an ensemble comedy as a playful experiment, though the two main characters are a sex therapist who’s never had an orgasm and a retired gay sex worker experimenting with opening up his relationship. With their partners, they both begin attending a weekly artist and sex salon, each hoping inspiration will strike. Mitchell wanted to use sex in new cinematic ways, “because it’s too interesting to be left to porn.” If it’s interesting sex you want, “Shortbus” has got it. —JD

23. “Brokeback Mountain” (2005)

The end of this film is so movingly profound that your memory of it might not be that it was all that sexy. The love between these two men, buried under their rugged cowboy exteriors, ends with what can only be described as a sense of life-defining tragedy. Yet it is those brief moments where they let themselves go and unleash their animalistic passion, which “Crouching Tiger” director Ang Lee captures in his normal visceral fashion, that add a level of eroticism and physically affection that nearly makes all the pain worth it. Ennis and Jack rotate from almost fighting, as they pull at each others’ denim-clad exterior, to moments of being naked and incredibly tender. It’s virtually every cowboy fantasy rolled up into one. That they can only be themselves in the privacy of the great outdoors makes everything that much more liberating. Watching this film in 2005 felt taboo and rebellious, which resulted in a charged atmosphere in packed mainstream cineplexes around the country. —CO

22. “In the Cut” (2003)

Jane Campion’s handle on female desire has always been one of her best attributes as a director (and she’s got a lot of them), but nothing in her filmography is as overtly sexy and emotionally challenging as her 2003 Meg Ryan-starrer “In the Cut” (and that includes “The Piano,” which has a sexiness and eroticism all its own). Our first introduction to Ryan’s character is rooted in her coming to heady terms with her own sexuality, a theme that carries over throughout the often grisly drama. Increasingly drawn to Mark Ruffalo as a moody detective looking to solve a local murder that Frannie is tangentially involved in, Ryan’s character pushes the boundaries of “acceptable” desire. It’s a theme that Campion giddily plays into with some of modern cinema’s most satisfying and profound sex scenes, many of which center on — gasp — Frannie’s own pleasure over that of Ruffalo’s character. —KE

21. “Spring Breakers” (2012)

A group of four college-aged friends head down to Florida for a spring break trip unlike any other in Harmony Korine’s luscious and totally insane drama. Doused in social satire and dripping with empowered teenage sex appeal, “Spring Breakers” flips nearly every script on its drug and sex-fueled joy ride into the most hedonistic depths of humanity. Deliberate with every move, Korine cast three beloved teen stars as girls gone certifiably wild: Ashley Benson (“Pretty Little Liars”), Vanessa Hudgeons (“High School Musical”), and pop star Selena Gomez. (His wife, Rachel Korine, rounds out the group). When they meet drug dealer Alien, (an unhinged James Franco in one of his best roles), they indulge every desire and descend into the dark underbelly of spring break. While certain scenes have undoubtedly landed on x-rated streaming sites, the image of Alien sucking the barrel of a handgun will not be forgotten anytime soon. —JD

20. “Beyond the Lights” (2014)

Chemistry is the name of the game in Gina Prince-Bythewood’s freight-train fast music industry romance, which pairs up rising starlet Gugu Mbatha-Raw (pure charm) alongside pre-“Birth of a Nation” Nate Parker. The pair exhibit major fireworks from the start, imagining Mbatha-Raw as hot new pop star Noni Jean, a big talent who is dangerously close to burning out and fading away, before she falls into the protective arms Parker’s do-gooder cop, Kaz Nicol. Prince-Bythewood’s film cannily sneaks in big questions about fame and the entertainment industry, along with issues regarding what’s actually sexy (Noni Jean is frequently kitted out in teensy costumes that make record execs happy, while diminishing her own humanity with every stitch), deep issues that are lovingly cradled by full-scale love story. When the pair finally give into their obvious attraction, “Beyond the Lights” pulls out the big guns, all gauzy love scenes and one particularly hot trip to Mexico, but the film maintains its sensuality by remembering that nothing is so sexy as mutual respect and admiration. —KE

19. “Jennifer’s Body” (2009)

Karyn Kusama’s “Jennifer’s Body” suffered infamously bad marketing back in 2009, with posters that positioned Megan Fox’s “Transformers”-era hotness as the movie’s main attraction. Sure, the actress’s visual appeal plays an important part in the story of Jennifer Check: a high school cheerleader and “it” girl, sacrificed to the devil by an underperforming indie rock band. But to boil down Diablo Cody’s bloody brilliant script to just Fox’s looks undersells the screaming sexiness of the horror movie’s mischievous bisexual representation. “I go both ways,” Jennifer purrs in a scene where the demonically possessed popular girl turns on her best “friend” [wink] Needy, played by Amanda Seyfried. It’s a hilarious coming out that makes every previous scene between them (“We always share your bed when we have slumber parties…“) at once so much sexier and so much scarier. —AF

18. “Ex Machina” (2014)

If you like high-tech voyeurism and intellectual sparring, you might find Alex Garland’s cerebral sci-fi thriller unearthing some hidden desires. An affable young programmer, Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), is invited to the secluded jungle home of the CEO of his company, Nathan (Oscar Isaac) to participate in a top-secret experiment. Nathan wants to know if the cyborg he has been developing, Ava (Alicia Vikander) can convince Caleb that she has real consciousness. The tension is ripe between Nathan and Caleb as each attempts to alternately impress and control the other, but it is Caleb’s obsession with saving Ava that raises questions about the hero myth. Ava is the embodiment of male fantasy, trapped within a body invented to please and serve. As the two men fight over who best understands her mind, it turns out Ava was pulling the strings all along. There’s nothing sexier than a woman in charge. —JD

17. “Love” (2015)

Gaspar Noé’s jaw-dropping Cannes entry does not fuck around. Ostensibly a story about a dude (newbie Karl Glausman) who lost the love of his life (Aomi Muyock) because he couldn’t keep it in his pants when it came to the young Danish student (Klara Kristin) the pair previously engaged in a threesome with, the film is really an excuse to get down with some exceedingly dirty (and often admirably inventive) love scenes. While there’s a deep tenderness underneath all the fucking and fighting, Noé’s feature actually finds its most transcendent moments in scenes that hinge entirely on the act of physical love, forgetting the emotional and drilling down on, well, drilling down. Bolstered by an amusingly kinky marketing campaign that played up its sexiest bits to occasionally shocking results, “Love” wears its heart on its sleeve, and then promptly takes it off, flings it across the room, and takes you to bed. Scintillating! —KE

16. “A Bigger Splash” (2015)

Watching “A Bigger Splash” feels like observing a sizzling chess game of attraction. Luca Guadagnino sticks Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Dakota Johnson on the world’s most gorgeous island and lets the sparks fly. Swinton plays a world-famous rock singer vacationing with her lover, a chiseled Schoenaerts who is practically a walking and talking sculpture of male beauty. Their time together is disrupted by the arrival of the rocker’s former lover and his daughter, a promiscuous young 22-year-old. Each character is so ready to succumb to sexual desire and so pent up with sexual attraction that Guadagnino creates the ultimate emotional orgy. The fun is in seeing how each person uses their sexuality to outsmart the next. You’ll be seduced from the first frame to the last. It feels like you’re watching each actor for the very first time. —ZS

15. “Passages” (2023)

Ira Sachs’ “Passages” takes a cold, hard look at love that hurts. Franz Rogowski plays Tomas, a Parisian filmmaker who self-immolates when he leaves his husband Martin (Ben Whishaw) for the kind-eyed Agathe (Adele Exarchopoulos, who does not appear naked once in this film despite what you’d expect from the “Blue Is the Warmest Color” star), a collaborator on his latest film. Tomas’ emotional and pan-sexual ricochets set off a grisly chain of psychological reactions. At one point, Tomas, realizing the peril of his decisions, returns to Martin in their Paris apartment. They make primal unfussy love in a long unbroken take helmed by cinematographer Josée Deshaies where Martin fucks Tomas, Tomas’ legs wrapped around him in tortured ecstasy. Director Sachs never shows us their faces, and obfuscates their bodies with off-centered camera blocking, but the scene underscores the banality of sex as seen from a distance, even when the sex in question seems like the most important thing ever to happen to us at the time. —RL

14. “The Duke of Burgundy” (2014)

Peter Strickland’s visually evocative tribute to ’70s European sexploitation films explores the sadomasochistic relationship between two lesbian entomologists. The film begins with a series of humiliating punishments that, due to a significant reveal early in the film, the viewer begins to see as being both lovingly tender as well as being hardcore kinky. The filmmaking itself is the key to unlocking the film’s eroticsm. The lighting is sensuous, the camera charged, the upscale costuming titillating. Strickland understands the key to being sexy is mounting anticipation and with “Duke of Burgundy” he establishes himself as the Hitchcock of building sexual tension. —CO

13. “Lust, Caution” (2007)

While the plot of Ang Lee’s 2007 historical drama is heavy on the intrigue, fitting a tricksy spy tale inside a lush setting, the feature’s treatment of the complexities of human desire and emotion are what set it a cut above. Initially concerned with a convoluted plan to off a high-powered special agent sent to Hong Kong to help sell a Japanese puppet government that also involves, of all things, a deeply patriotic acting troupe, Lee’s film steadily inches towards its real story: the unexpected and very dangerous relationship that blossoms between young Wong Chia Chi (a revelatory Tang Wei) and the agent, Mr. Yee (Tony Leung, because duh) as they double cross themselves and each other. Lee’s film celebrates the power of physical love — it’s only after lots and lots of lovemaking that Chia Chi begins to feel actual love for Yee — before getting to the emotional stuff, which packs an even greater wallop after all that getting down. Capped off by a tragic ending, “Lust, Caution” doesn’t shy away from its downbeat tone, but the memories of the love that came before keep it deeply satisfying to the last. —KE

12. “Swimming Pool” (2003)

If you’re going to find a strange girl in your vacation swimming pool, better hope it’s someone as compelling and appealing as Ludivine Sagnier. François Ozon’s 2003 erotic thriller takes some amusing cues from other genre entries and turns it into a smart, tension-filled, and very sexy look at the way women interact when pushed into dramatic, sensual competition. Sagnier is the free-wheeling Julie (…or is she?), who suddenly appears in the eponymous swimming pool of her father’s vacation villa, currently occupied by Charlotte Rampling’s struggling writer Sarah, upending her retreat in the process. A case for the sexy bonafides of “Swimming Pool” could easily rest on Julie’s exploits alone, as she inventively screws her way through the French countryside, but once Sarah joins in on wildness (thanks to their shared lust for a waiter), things get even more steamy. As with any good erotic thriller, it all works its way up to a nutso murder, but Ozon smartly couches the entire thing in some big intellectual questions that put plenty of weight on the sexiness of the mind. —KE

11. “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” (2019)

Before “Bridgerton” seemed to coin the “I burn for you” catchphrase, Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” set Cannes ablaze as a lesbian period piece rooted in forbidden love, feminism, and the haunted yearning of a life unlived. Set along the Brittany coast in the late 18th century, “Portrait” follows determined artist Marianne (Noémie Merlant) after she is tasked with painting a wedding portrait of reluctant bride-to-be Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) in secret. As Marianne lives a double life – playing Héloïse’s live-in companion by day while trying to sketch her face from memory by night – the two women forge a deeper bond based on their shared dissatisfaction with the lives they are supposed to lead. The lines between subject and painter, art and artist, are blurred until Marianne and Héloïse begin a tender love affair, one that inevitably has an expiration date. An especially memorable scene featuring the couple playing with mirrors atop their genitals echoes the emotional push inward as both characters see themselves for the first time in one another. —SB

10. “Magic Mike” (2012)

Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Alex Pettyfer, Joe Manganiello, and Matthew McConaughey strip for fun and profit, with an eye towards making their audience of screaming bachelorette parties very, very happy indeed? It’s hard to imagine a sexier bunch of stars with a sweeter set of dance moves. What else do you need to know? —KE

9. “The Piano Teacher” (2001)

Isabelle Huppert goes truly taboo in Michael Haneke’s daring adaptation of Elfriede Jelinek’s Nobel Prize-winning novel of the same name. Her eponymous piano teacher Erika Kohut is driven by desires she works to extremes to conceal, including a bent towards sadomasochistic fetishes that she is unable to hide once she meets young student Walter (Benoît Magimel), who soon becomes party to her secret needs even as he struggles to respond to them. As their dual (and dueling) passion for each other grows, they’re at loose ends to express themselves in ways the other will appreciate, leading to scene after scene of push-pull lovemaking that zip between erotic and uncomfortable. It all culminates in a shocking, violent finale that stays sexy and appealing thanks to the full force of both Huppert and Magimel’s commitment to their parts and their shocking chemistry. —KE

8. “Stranger By the Lake” (2013)

Alain Guiraudie’s “Stranger By The Lake” unfairly earned a bad rap by gay viewers who thought it perpetuated the trope of gay sex leading to tragedy, a great injustice to such a finely tuned erotic thriller. Set mostly in the single location of a French lakeside cruising ground during one lazy summer, it follows Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps) on his daily exploits as he befriends the older Henri (Patrick d’Assumçao) and finds himself attracted to the menacing Michel (Christophe Paou). After witnessing a shocking event one evening, Franck pursues Michel anyway, well aware of how dangerous it may be. Guiraudie cuts the tension with humor, letting it simmer just beneath the surface. As Franck and Michel search for a private clearing in the woods, they bump into other anonymous pairings, one who invites them to join. Through Henri, Guiraudie explores the ripe territory of a non-sexual relationship in a cruising context, as well as cross-generational gay friendships. It’s a rare look inside a world open to so few. Guiraudie never forgets Franck risks his life with each anonymous encounter, and this unsettling tension drives the film to its inevitable conclusion. —JD

7. “In the Mood for Love” (2000)

Every Wong Kar-wai movie contains a kind of visual sensuality in every frame, but “In the Mood for Love” goes one step further — its slow-burning romance between a pair of would-be lovers who live across the hall from each other in sixties-era Hong Kong is rich with unobtainable desire. Much is left unsaid and unachieved about the fantasy of an extramarital affair shared by Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) and Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung), but the hints of attraction between them, unfolding in small gestures and passing glances, imbues each scene with the intensity of emotions specific to a period of repression. It’s a grand tragedy of issed opportunities framed by erotic implications. —EK

6. “The Handmaiden” (2016)

One of the best movies of last year, Park Chan-wook’s inspired adaptation of Sarah Waters’ novel “Fingersmith” is also one of the hottest. Moving Waters’ lurid con story from Victorian England to Japanese-occupied Korea, Park and period costumes are a very pretty match indeed. From the opening shot in the rain, to stunning erotic poses as pretty as a painting, the imagery alone is enough to stimulate certain cinephiles. But the star-crossed romance between the sheltered Lady Hideko (Min-hee Kim) and her sprightly handmaiden, Sook-hee (Tae-ri Kim), provides plenty of loaded exchanges while playing dress-up or lessons in the ways of love. Park strays from the source material, pushing the story to lewd extremes with the mysterious all-male gatherings at which Hideko’s evil guardian auctions off his rare erotica collection. But the sexiest scene has to be the consummation of Hideko and Sook-hee’s flirtation, which graciously holds nothing back. (Even if that inverted bridge scissoring position is totally ridiculous). —JD

5. “Nymphomaniac” (2013)

As with most Lars Von Trier movies, “Nymphomaniac” defies categorization. This epic two-part journey into the life and mind of one seriously perverted woman has many disturbing scenes, to be sure, but there are also some pretty hot ones. Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is the nymphomaniac of the title, recounting the chapters of her life to the middle-aged Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard), who analyzes her escapades with various literary and philosophical references. From adolescence, her ravenous desire for increasingly extreme sexual contact is her only guiding principle, leading to risky and often reprehensible behavior. The sex — while often shocking — never feels gratuitous; not only is it so central to the story, but Joe’s cogent self-analysis keeps the focus on the inner workings of her mind that the camera can’t really objectify her. While the more extreme stuff is more riveting than arousing, there are a few vanilla sex scenes with Jerome (Shia LeBoeuf), an anonymous threesome, and an early scene where a teenage Joe is seducing businessman on a train. —JD

4. “Unfaithful” (2002)

Dissatisfied housewife Connie Sumner (Diane Lane) is literally blown into the path of a sexy stranger (Olivier Martinez) when a freak windstorm sends her into his arms and spiraling wildly out of control. Adrian Lyne’s daring 2002 drama is as much concerned with the hows and whys — including the more inexplicable ones — that propel a seemingly stable woman into a shocking affair with some dude she met on the street. While holding tight to emotional veracity and eschewing any sense of judgement towards its characters, the film presents both a meaty tale about fidelity and adulthood and a nearly pornographic exploration of pure animal lust. Lane and Martinez dive deep into the physical demands of their roles, and their heady chemistry keeps the film’s incendiary momentum going all the way until its shocking conclusion. A modern classic. —KE

3. “Sex and Lucia” (2001)

You haven’t lived until you’ve seen the clay-covered erection in “Sex and Lucía.” The role that first introduced Paz Vega to American audiences (shortly before she appeared in Pedro Almodóvar’s “Talk To Her”), Julio Medem’s “Sex and Lucía” features some of the most delightfully inventive sex scenes ever put to film. A grippingly sensual mystery with surrealist elements, writer-director Medem is clearly influenced by his countrymen Almodóvar and Luis Buñuel – to excellent effect. Vega is the titular character, a woman who retreats to a seaside town to after she learns of the suicide of her lover. The movie then jumps in time to follow Lorenzo (Tristán Ulloa) on a moonlit escapade in the very same seaside town where Lucía is convalescing. Each sex scene reveals something about the characters or drives the story forward, as well as being incredibly hot, fun, and creative. Whether its seduction by mud bath or a blindfolded game where lovers dip various body parts into each other’s mouths, the sex in “Sex and Lucía” is so imaginative it might inspire you to step up your game. —JD

2. “Secretary” (2002)

Forget about “Fifty Shades of Grey,” “Secretary” is the best film in recent memory about kink and power exchange, otherwise known as BDSM. Adapted from a short story by Mary Gaitskill, “Secretary” works both as erotic power struggle and parable of radical self-acceptance. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Lee Holloway, a timid loner who accepts a job as a secretary for an eccentric lawyer known only as Mr. Grey (no relation). James Spader brings his ineffable allure to a tricky role; unafraid to cross the line as his rigorous demands grow ever more sadistic. Gyllenhaal is delightfully unhinged even as she becomes more self-assured in seeking out her submissive desires, as if taking what is rightfully hers. As Lee’s lust for punishment replaces years of self-harming behavior, her transformation from shrinking wallflower to proud power bottom is as moving as it is titillating. “Secretary” knows eroticism requires no nudity: The heart jumps as Lee gasps from her first smack, palms flat in her polka dotted blouse, bent over Mr. Grey’s desk as his figure looms behind. —JD

1. “Y Tu Mamá También” (2001)

Alfonso Cuarón’s 2001 Oscar nominee is rife with big ideas and big questions, from political upheaval in Mexico to searching questions about sexuality, concerns that the filmmaker finds room for alongside a dead sexy plot and the kind of three-way chemistry that could light an entire theater on fire. Real-life best friends Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna star as on-screen BFFs Julio and Tenoch, who we’re introduced to almost immediately as very sexual creatures whose burgeoning adulthoods are dominated by their desire to get down. Initially living it up when their girlfriends go out of town, the pair are thrown for a loop when they meet the alluring Luisa (Maribel Verdú), who soon leads them on an erotic and emotional journey that results in some major revelations. But as lurid as that might sound, Cuarón keeps his story and his characters rooted in realism, sensitively exploring their road trip as it veers towards surprising (and tragic) ends. It’s that kind of emotion that feeds directly into the incendiary erotic power that unspools as Julio, Tenoch, and Luisa began to move ever closer to each other, both physically and emotionally. The film is loaded with sexy scene after sexy scene, from sweaty erotic encounters to a bar-set dance sequence that would make anyone blush, all leading into a daring sequence that sees Julio and Tenoch coming to terms with long simmering feelings in probably the steamiest way possible. It’s a sexy film that endures, with plenty of payoff, and explores the process of digging deep into latent feelings — no matter the cost. —KE