Best EROTIC THRILLERS of All Time
Where there is tension between people, a spark of passion likes to appear. Danger and sexual intrigue go hand in hand, as proved by many filmmakers shooting erotic thrillers, especially in the 80s and 90s. Back then, breaking taboos was in vogue, and the screens were dominated by thrillers lined with erotism.
Here are 30 best erotic thrillers of all time. Cult productions as well as lesser-known titles crept onto the list. Even fans of the genre will find something for themselves. The oldest film on the list is from 1981, and the newest is from 2022.
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10. "Gone Girl"
David Fincher’s Gone Girl may not fit into the erotic thriller genre as easily as most titles here, but I wouldn’t undermine its sexual dimension by any means. In the end, it is the husband’s physical betrayal that drives the titular character to spin this cruel intrigue, and it is no coincidence that Fincher cast Ben Affleck’s character’s lover as a person with such strong sex appeal that Emily Ratajkowski can undoubtedly boast of. At the other end of the spectrum of eroticism present in Fincher’s film, we can certainly place the actions of Rosamund Pike’s heroine, headed by a shocking sex scene with Neil Patrick Harris.
9. "Bitter Moon"
Bitter Moon is a perverse story about love, sex and betrayal, and probably the most emotionally complex film by Roman Polanski. The Polish director makes an interesting and mocking analysis of a relationship that has reached all limits, poisoning everything and everyone who comes across it. Some of the film’s most sensual scenes include the famous breakfast with Mimi (Emmanuelle Seigner), as well as Mimi and Fiona dancing on the ship to the song Slave to Love.
8. "Dangerous Liaisons"
Power is the most powerful aphrodisiac, and it is power that the Marquis de Merteuil (the fascinating Glenn Close) and the Viscount de Valmont (the equally mesmerizing John Malkovich) play with. From the toxic, dominating relationship of the two, Valmont’s forbidden relationship with the young Cecilia de Volanges (Uma Thurman) and his destructive affair with Madame de Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer) are born. And although it is the first relationship that is shown most literally in Frears’ work, it is, contrary to appearances, the least erotic of them all, almost boring. Valmont – though it’s not pretty, is the best word for it – he uses young Cecilia for his own amusement, without involvement or emotion. The two remaining, very dangerous relationships bring the most passion, also erotic.
7. "Wild Things"
Whenever I think of an erotic thriller, I see Neve Campbell and Denise Richards coming together in a pool surrounded by darkness. Therefore, I am not surprised, but also satisfied with the high position of Wild Things in this plebiscite. Without a doubt, this is one of the most iconic films of the 90s and a production in which the tension is constantly growing, each twist leads to another, and all this fuels a magnetic eroticism that attracts more characters entangled in this unusual intrigue.
6. "Blue Velvet"
Blue Velvet is a film about the duality of human nature and the desires that drive it, and about the fact that the deeper dirt and evil are hidden within the idyll of the American suburbs, the stronger and more unexpectedly they can eventually strike. This is also seen in the erotic aspect of David Lynch’s film. The innocence of Kyle MacLachlan’s character relationship with the teenage daughter of a police officer, played by Laura Dern, contrasts with that of the tortured woman played by Isabella Rossellini. Sex, passion and feeling in Blue Velvet can be as pure and beautiful as they are dirty and repulsive.
5. "Harry Angel"
I wouldn’t call Harry Angel thriller per se. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements in the genre of thriller, or perhaps even occult horror in general, and one of the few cases where the screen adaptation is much better than William Hjortsberg’s novel original. Nevertheless, the participation of Mickey Rourke, then at the height of his fame, only a year after the famous 9 1/2 Weeks, which made him an unmistakable sex symbol, and the voluptuous Lisa Bonet, for whom it is perhaps her only appearance in a film of its class, added to Alan Parker’s masterpiece a bit of erotic pepper, which satanic horror films are usually devoid of. The relationship between a detective hired by a mysterious gentleman to find a singer known years ago and a beautiful and sensual voodoo priestess is far from pretextual and is more than just a plot device, and the sexual act between them grows into an aggressive and bloody prophetic séance. Alan Parker has some great films to his name, but Harry Angel remains arguably his most outstanding, and we’re talking about the man who made Midnight Express, Fame and Mississippi Burning.
4. "Fatal Attraction"
In Fatal Attraction, directed by Adrian Lyne, a casual infatuation turns into a dangerous obsession. Lawyer Dan has an orderly life, a beautiful wife and a cute little daughter. During their absence, however, the man becomes acquainted with Alex. Their subtext-filled lunch together turns into a romance. While Dan thinks it’s a one time thing, his mistress has other plans. Things take a disturbing turn, but the chemistry that developed between Glenn Close and Michael Douglas in the first scenes, it is equally intense throughout the film. 1987’s Fatal Attraction garnered six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Glenn Close.
EDITORIAL team