22 of the Best Movie Sex Scenes in Cinema History

Sex has been a mainstay of cinema for over nine decades. The first ever sex scene appeared in the 1933 erotic romantic drama Ecstasy, and since then, sex on film has become the norm. A love scene between characters can be either romantic and beautiful or hot and steamy, depending on the type of movie. What the best movie sex scenes all have in common is the way they titillate and excite the viewer. There is nothing hotter than two famous actors tearing each other’s clothes off and getting down and dirty in the privacy of your own home.

As well as getting you nice and horny, some sex scenes are also quite confronting. There are several movies featuring horrific sexual acts that often deal with taboo topics and are not going to help get your partner in the mood while watching on the couch. Sex scenes can also be cringy if not taken seriously or if shot in an over-the-top way. That’s why we are focusing on those movies that walk the tightrope of what makes sex scenes so appealing. The films below all contain hot and heavy moments that will have you reaching for the Kleenex.

1. Body Heat (1981)

The directorial debut of Lawrence Kasdan is a steamy neo-noir about a woman (Kathleen Turner) who persuades her secret boyfriend (William Hurt) to murder her husband. Body Heat still stacks up today as a fantastic thriller with sex scenes bound to get you hot under the collar. Turner has never been better.

Watch on Apple TV

2. Disobedience (2017)

Ever wanted to see Rachel Weisz spit in the mouth of Rachel McAdams? Well, Disobedience is the film to make your dreams come true. It might sound a little disgusting, but the sex scene between the two phenomenal talents is very erotic and well-shot with lots of seductive moaning.

Fun fact: the saliva used in the scene was actually lychee-flavored lube.

Watch on Netflix

3. Basic Instinct (1992)

The template for erotic thrillers of the 90s, Basic Instinct is the definition of sex on film. Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone find themselves in a sexually charged relationship that heats up the screen every time they are together. There is a questionable sex scene between Douglas and Jeanne Tripplehorn (who plays his on-again, off-again partner) and the infamous interrogation scene, but those aside, the sex in Basic Instinct is as raunchy as you can get for an R-rated flick.

Watch on Paramount+

4. Wild Things (1998)

Wild Things is a trashy 90s thriller with plenty of sex and violence. There are several tantalizing moments, including a lesbian scene between Neve Campbell and Denise Richards, but things really heat up when Matt Dillion gets involved and the three have a menage trois. Kevin Bacon also gets his junk out if that’s more your thing.

Watch on Hulu

5. Black Swan (2010)

This adult thriller set in the world of ballet by Darren Aronofsky features a sexually charged lesbian scene between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. On-screen cunnilingus has never been more eye-raising.

Watch on Hulu

6. Monster’s Ball (2001)

You might not think Billy Bob Thorton and Halle Berry make the perfect couple, but their sexual chemistry is off the charts in the otherwise depressing Monster’s Ball. Sharing their grief over alcohol, the two trade positions in Thorton’s lounge room in the movie’s hottest scene.

Fun fact: Berry won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance.

Watch on Starz

7. Lust, Caution (2007)

Based on Eileen Chang’s 1979 book, Lust, Caution is about a group of Chinese students intent on assassinating a high-ranking official. They plan to do so by having one of the women seduce the man they want to kill, which leads to several explicit sex scenes that resulted in the movie being given an NC-17 rating in the U.S. In China and India, the sex scenes were cut altogether due to their graphic nature.

Watch on Vudu

8. Bound (1996)

This cult classic is a crime thriller about two women who embark on an affair while plotting to steal $2 million. Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon heat up the screen every time they are together, with the sex scenes particularly thrilling. Choreographed by Susie Bright, a famous feminist writer and sex educator, they are very life-like and received praise from the LGBTIQA+ community for their realness.

Watch on Tubi

9. Little Children (2006)

Kate Winslet is never afraid to get naked for a sex scene, having enjoyed on-screen coitus in several movies throughout her career. While the sex in Titanic is on the cute side, her scenes with Patrick Wilson in Little Children are much more realistic. Winslet is a bored housewife who has an affair with Wilson, with the two getting hot and sweaty in a basement laundry.

Watch on Prime

10. Fifty Shades Darker (2017)

The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy has plenty of sex throughout, although most of what is shown on-screen isn’t as sexy as you might think. You can also find hotter depictions of BDSM in mainstream movies like A Dangerous Method and 9½ Weeks. But there is one scene in an elevator in the second film, Fifty Shades Darker, where Jamie Dornan gives Dakota Johnson a helping hand which will get your blood pumping.

Watch on Apple TV

11. The Boy Next Door (2015)

Jennifer Lopez is a teacher who has a one-night stand with one of her young students who soon becomes obsessed with her in this modern Fatal Attraction rip-off. The movie itself is nothing great, but the sex scene is one fans of Lopez will be rewinding more than once.

Watch on Apple TV

12. Fear (1996)

Fear is a 90s thriller starring Mark Wahlberg as an older man who seduces Recce Witherspoon’s high school sweetheart. The movie is an underrated gem, with Wahlberg very believable as a possessive man who will do whatever it takes to keep Witherspoon in his life. The sexiest scene in the movie comes when the duo takes a ride on a roller coaster and Witherspoon gets more than she bargained for.

Watch on Apple TV

13. Unfaithful (2002)

Diane Lane is a bored housewife (a common theme in erotic thrillers) who has a passionate and ultimately deadly affair with Olivier Martinez. This one is chock full of fucking, with the two getting it on in a wide range of locations, including a restaurant toilet and the hallway of an apartment building. The sex is hot, no doubt helped by the fact that both Lane and Martinez are super attractive. The movie’s not half bad either.

Watch on Vudu

14. Angel Heart (1987)

Mickey Rourke was the king of erotic thrillers in the late 80s. 9½ Weeks, Wild Orchid, and Angel Heart all contain explicit sex scenes, with the third being one of the most noteworthy. In the movie, Rourke plays a private investigator who heads to New Orleans looking for a missing person. He finds himself embroiled in a passionate affair with Lisa Bonet while bodies pile up around him. Robert De Niro also makes an appearance as a character named Louis Cyphre, which sounds surprisingly like Lucifer (*hint*hint*).

The movie was first given an X rating due to scenes of Rourke’s butt moving back and forward in a pumping motion, but was eventually released with an R rating.

Watch on Apple TV

15. Blue Valentine (2010)

Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling play a married couple whose relationship is shown from their early courtship to their eventual divorce in this 2010 drama. The movie was nominated for several big awards and is remembered by many for the realistic sex scenes between the two leads.

It did cause a little controversy for how authentic the sex was, with Gosling telling The Guardian, “The sex felt real – it wasn’t sexy or ‘a sex scene’ and that’s why we got into trouble. You shouldn’t be penalized for doing a good job.” Amen.

Watch on Tubi

16. Secretary (2002)

If you want to see BDSM portrayed realistically in a film that doesn’t include the words “fifty,” “shades,” or “grey,” give Secretary a watch. James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal are an employer and employee whose relationship soon turns sexual when they find a mutual love of BDSM. It shines a positive light on the community while addressing many questions about the sexual practice.

Watch on Tubi

17. Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001)

Y Tu Mama Tambien is the story of two friends (Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal before they became stars) who take a road trip with a terminally ill woman (Maribel Verdu). They have several sexual encounters with each other but the most thrilling is the threesome that comes toward the end of the movie.

Watch on Prime

18. Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)

This romantic French flick depicts the relationship between two young women over several years. Based on a graphic novel, it won the Palme d’Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and was widely acclaimed by critics. It features some long and graphic sex scenes, with one of the scenes rumored to have taken ten days to shoot.

Watch on Tubi

19. Love & Basketball (2000)

If only losing your virginity was as perfect as this. Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan do the deed for the first time while Maxwell plays in the background. Nervous at first, they soon get past this with a sensual and passionate display of lovemaking.

Watch on HBOMax

20. The Voyeurs (2021)

Sydney Sweeney and Justice Smith are a couple who spy on their neighbors in the apartment building opposite them. It’s all fun and games until murder comes into play. There is plenty of sex in this one, with the standout scene between Sweeney and the male neighbor Seb, who she becomes obsessed with.

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21. Moonlight (2016)

Barry Jenkins’ coming-of-age drama about a young man who must deal with being both black and gay won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2016. Although there isn’t a lot of sex in Moonlight, when childhood friends Kevin and Chiron reconnect and find themselves in each other’s arms on the beach, it makes for a sensual scene.

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22. Do the Right Thing (1989)

Rosie Perez’s naked body gets tickled by ice cubes in Spike Lee’s comedy about simmering tensions in a multicultural neighborhood in Brooklyn. While it can be hard to watch these days after Perez went on record and said she felt uncomfortable during the sex scenes, the film as a whole is a classic that introduced the world to Lee and kick-started Perez’s career.

Watch on Prime