We have ranked the sexiest movies of all time to spice things up. So if you feel like heating up to an erotic film – some sexy films might be better than others for your subsequent viewing.
Our study compared 110 of the sexiest movies across the following categories: sexiness, box office earnings, popularity, and accolades (with eight data points). We then ranked the top 25 sexy movies based on our analysis.
We found the following about the sexiest movies of all time:
A List of the Best Erotic Films Ever Made
Overall Rank (1 = Best) | Movie | Director | Year | Total Score | 'Sexy' Rank | 'Box Office' Rank | 'Popularity' Rank | 'Accolades' Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Boogie Nights | Paul Thomas Anderson | 1997 | 89.0 | 2 | 31 | 4 | 10 |
2 | Portrait of a Lady on Fire | Céline Sciamma | 2019 | 86.7 | 38 | 61 | 1 | 2 |
3 | The Handmaiden | Park Chan-wook | 2016 | 86.5 | 47 | 34 | 5 | 1 |
4 | The Graduate | Mike Nichols | 1967 | 84.5 | 55 | 19 | 8 | 8 |
5 | Black Swan | Darren Aronofsky | 2010 | 81.4 | 11 | 6 | 15 | 50 |
6 | Ex Machina | Alex Garland | 2015 | 79.8 | 48 | 36 | 18 | 4 |
7 | Mulholland Drive | David Lynch | 2001 | 79.8 | 42 | 51 | 10 | 11 |
8 | Y Tu Mamá También | Alfonso Cuarón | 2001 | 79.3 | 10 | 39 | 11 | 47 |
9 | Do the Right Thing | Spike Lee | 1989 | 78.9 | 87 | 35 | 3 | 28 |
10 | Creed | Ryan Coogler | 2015 | 78.7 | 103 | 9 | 13 | 5 |
11 | God's Own Country | Francis Lee | 2017 | 76.9 | 50 | 77 | 12 | 3 |
12 | From Here to Eternity | Fred Zinnemann | 1953 | 75.1 | 65 | 42 | 16 | 18 |
13 | In the Mood for Love | Wong Kar-wai | 2000 | 71.8 | 109 | 58 | 2 | 14 |
14 | Dangerous Liaisons | Stephen Frears | 1988 | 71.6 | 62 | 38 | 22 | 20 |
15 | Queen and Slim | Melina Matsoukas | 2019 | 71.6 | 95 | 30 | 23 | 7 |
16 | Shame | Steve McQueen | 2011 | 69.5 | 9 | 49 | 46 | 6 |
17 | The Piano Teacher | Michael Haneke | 2001 | 69.4 | 22 | 62 | 26 | 31 |
18 | The Talented Mr. Ripley | Anthony Minghella | 1999 | 69.3 | 88 | 15 | 33 | 19 |
19 | Brokeback Mountain | Ang Lee | 2005 | 68.8 | 19 | 8 | 14 | 70 |
20 | Eyes Wide Shut | Stanley Kubrick | 1999 | 68.1 | 8 | 11 | 47 | 44 |
21 | Bull Durham | Ron Shelton | 1988 | 67.9 | 29 | 28 | 38 | 41 |
22 | The Reader | Stephen Daldry | 2008 | 67.7 | 7 | 18 | 57 | 34 |
23 | Closer | Mike Nichols | 2004 | 67.1 | 61 | 17 | 43 | 12 |
24 | Blue Valentine | Derek Cianfrance | 2010 | 66.9 | 36 | 53 | 32 | 37 |
25 | Call Me By Your Name | Luca Guadagnino | 2017 | 66.9 | 40 | 33 | 6 | 71 |
26 | Lust, Caution | Ang Lee | 2007 | 66.8 | 51 | 25 | 41 | 16 |
27 | A Royal Affair | Nikolaj Arcel | 2012 | 66.3 | 45 | 56 | 28 | 39 |
28 | Sex, Lies & Videotape | Steven Soderbergh | 1989 | 66.2 | 90 | 37 | 27 | 36 |
29 | Girls Trip | Malcolm D. Lee | 2017 | 65.9 | 21 | 13 | 70 | 9 |
30 | Dressed to Kill | Brian De Palma | 1980 | 64.7 | 13 | 41 | 45 | 40 |
31 | Thirst | Park Chan-wook | 2009 | 64.6 | 12 | 57 | 50 | 17 |
32 | Dirty Dancing | Emile Ardolino | 1987 | 64.2 | 82 | 7 | 40 | 46 |
33 | Blue Is the Warmest Color | Abdellatif Kechiche | 2013 | 63.9 | 26 | 52 | 9 | 67 |
34 | Fallen Angels | Wong Kar-wai | 1995 | 63.5 | 77 | 95 | 21 | 24 |
35 | Love & Basketball | Gina Prince-Bythewood | 2000 | 62.2 | 105 | 43 | 24 | 35 |
36 | Betty Blue | Jean-Jacques Beineix | 1986 | 62.2 | 24 | 82 | 39 | 33 |
37 | Belle de Jour | Luis Buñuel | 1967 | 61.8 | 91 | 50 | 25 | 51 |
38 | Vicky Cristina Barcelona | Woody Allen | 2008 | 61.7 | 57 | 21 | 63 | 23 |
39 | Molly's Game | Aaron Sorkin | 2017 | 61.5 | 107 | 27 | 34 | 26 |
40 | Atonement | Joe Wright | 2007 | 60.9 | 85 | 14 | 17 | 64 |
41 | The Last Seduction | John Dahl | 1994 | 60.5 | 49 | 71 | 37 | 38 |
42 | Cruel Intentions | Roger Kumble | 1999 | 60.2 | 30 | 23 | 71 | 29 |
43 | Basic Instinct | Paul Verhoeven | 1992 | 58.3 | 16 | 5 | 88 | 22 |
44 | Moonlight | Barry Jenkins | 2016 | 57.2 | 78 | 26 | 20 | 85 |
45 | Secretary | Steven Shainberg | 2002 | 56.1 | 67 | 63 | 64 | 13 |
46 | Before Sunrise | Richard Linklater | 1995 | 55.4 | 100 | 72 | 7 | 65 |
47 | Titanic | James Cameron | 1997 | 54.7 | 84 | 2 | 35 | 103 |
48 | Weekend | Andrew Haigh | 2011 | 53.5 | 34 | 90 | 19 | 106 |
49 | Carol | Todd Haynes | 2015 | 51.8 | 93 | 32 | 29 | 72 |
50 | My Golden Days | Arnaud Desplechin | 2015 | 51.6 | 79 | 87 | 60 | 21 |
51 | Body Heat | Lawrence Kasdan | 1981 | 49.7 | 92 | 44 | 30 | 68 |
52 | Support the Girls | Andrew Bujalski | 2018 | 49.5 | 60 | 96 | 68 | 15 |
53 | Gloria | Sebastián Lelio | 2013 | 49.1 | 89 | 102 | 52 | 32 |
54 | Magic Mike | Steven Soderbergh | 2012 | 49.0 | 56 | 10 | 80 | 55 |
55 | Disobedience | Sebastián Lelio | 2017 | 48.9 | 86 | 64 | 62 | 54 |
56 | Burlesque | Steven Antin | 2010 | 47.6 | 80 | 1 | 92 | 27 |
57 | Take This Waltz | Sarah Polley | 2011 | 47.3 | 32 | 74 | 81 | 30 |
58 | House of Tolerance | Bertrand Bonello | 2011 | 46.8 | 72 | 89 | 67 | 42 |
59 | The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover | Peter Greenaway | 1989 | 46.6 | 69 | 65 | 36 | 98 |
60 | Crash | David Cronenberg | 1996 | 46.2 | 3 | 46 | 93 | 45 |
61 | The Lost Boys | Joel Schumacher | 1987 | 46.1 | 76 | 40 | 42 | 101 |
62 | Live Flesh | Pedro Almodóvar | 1997 | 46.0 | 63 | 85 | 31 | 82 |
63 | The Dreamers | Bernardo Bertolucci | 2003 | 45.6 | 6 | 54 | 66 | 99 |
64 | Sylvie's Love | Eugene Ashe | 2020 | 45.5 | 104 | 107 | 58 | 25 |
65 | Sex and Lucia | Julio Medem | 2001 | 45.2 | 44 | 67 | 44 | 92 |
66 | Desert Hearts | Donna Deitch | 1985 | 44.7 | 101 | 79 | 61 | 53 |
67 | Jason's Lyric | Doug McHenry | 1994 | 44.1 | 64 | 48 | 49 | 81 |
68 | Out of Sight | Steven Soderbergh | 1998 | 43.1 | 96 | 22 | 59 | 90 |
69 | Unfaithful | Adrian Lyne | 2002 | 42.8 | 17 | 16 | 78 | 104 |
70 | Bitter Moon | Roman Polanski | 1992 | 42.5 | 25 | 84 | 54 | 66 |
71 | She's Gotta Have It | Spike Lee | 1986 | 41.4 | 58 | 68 | 53 | 93 |
72 | Swimming Pool | François Ozon | 2003 | 41.1 | 31 | 47 | 72 | 96 |
73 | I Am Love | Luca Guadagnino | 2009 | 40.8 | 94 | 55 | 48 | 78 |
74 | Stranger by the Lake | Alain Guiraudie | 2013 | 40.0 | 46 | 88 | 55 | 95 |
75 | My Beautiful Laundrette | Stephen Frears | 1985 | 39.8 | 54 | 80 | 56 | 87 |
76 | Malcom & Marie | Sam Levinson | 2021 | 38.9 | 41 | 104 | 82 | 48 |
77 | Cam | Daniel Goldhaber | 2018 | 38.7 | 37 | 100 | 85 | 49 |
78 | Something New | Sanaa Hamri | 2006 | 38.3 | 110 | 59 | 74 | 43 |
79 | Shortbus | John Cameron Mitchell | 2006 | 38.2 | 1 | 73 | 75 | 94 |
80 | Bound | The Wachowskis | 1996 | 38.0 | 97 | 69 | 51 | 69 |
81 | Henry & June | Philip Kaufman | 1990 | 37.9 | 4 | 45 | 86 | 76 |
82 | In the Realm of Senses | Nagisa Ōshima | 1976 | 37.8 | 5 | 66 | 77 | 79 |
83 | After We Collided | Roger Kumble | 2020 | 36.5 | 74 | 29 | 76 | 63 |
84 | The Pillow Book | Peter Greenaway | 1996 | 35.3 | 53 | 81 | 69 | 102 |
85 | Wild Things | John McNaughton | 1998 | 34.2 | 18 | 24 | 96 | 108 |
86 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Doug Liman | 2005 | 33.7 | 66 | 4 | 90 | 86 |
87 | High Art | Lisa Cholodenko | 1998 | 33.5 | 98 | 83 | 65 | 77 |
88 | Young & Beautiful | François Ozon | 2013 | 32.3 | 23 | 70 | 87 | 110 |
89 | Intimacy | Patrice Chéreau | 2001 | 31.4 | 28 | 75 | 84 | 80 |
90 | 9.5 Weeks | Adrian Lyne | 1986 | 31.1 | 33 | 20 | 100 | 61 |
91 | Adore | Anne Fontaine | 2013 | 30.1 | 59 | 78 | 106 | 52 |
92 | Fifty Shades of Gray | Sam Taylor-Johnson | 2015 | 29.4 | 27 | 3 | 109 | 75 |
93 | No Strings Attached | Ivan Reitman | 2011 | 28.2 | 68 | 12 | 101 | 89 |
94 | The Hunger | Tony Scott | 1983 | 28.1 | 83 | 60 | 89 | 100 |
95 | Lust Stories | Anurag Kashyap Zoya Akhtar Dibakar Banerjee Karan Johar | 2018 | 26.2 | 99 | 103 | 83 | 58 |
96 | White Girl | Elizabeth Wood | 2016 | 25.2 | 15 | 94 | 95 | 107 |
97 | Amar | Esteban Crespo | 2017 | 24.9 | 75 | 99 | 94 | 56 |
98 | Yes, God, Yes | Karen Maine | 2019 | 24.1 | 73 | 110 | 79 | 109 |
99 | Querelle | Rainer Werner Fassbinder | 1982 | 22.7 | 106 | 106 | 73 | 91 |
100 | Love | Gaspar Noé | 2015 | 22.3 | 14 | 92 | 105 | 83 |
101 | Duck Butter | Miguel Arteta | 2018 | 22.1 | 52 | 97 | 104 | 59 |
102 | Elles | Małgośka Szumowska | 2011 | 21.0 | 20 | 76 | 108 | 74 |
103 | Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story) | Eva Husson | 2015 | 20.7 | 70 | 93 | 107 | 57 |
104 | MILF | Axelle Laffont | 2018 | 20.6 | 43 | 91 | 99 | 84 |
105 | Elisa and Marcela | Isabel Coixet | 2019 | 18.2 | 39 | 101 | 103 | 73 |
106 | 9 Songs | Michael Winterbottom | 2004 | 16.9 | 35 | 86 | 110 | 60 |
107 | Newness | Drake Doremus | 2017 | 16.5 | 81 | 105 | 98 | 88 |
108 | Velvet Buzzsaw | Dan Gilroy | 2019 | 14.3 | 71 | 109 | 102 | 105 |
109 | The Babysitter | Peter Medak | 1980 | 13.0 | 102 | 108 | 97 | 97 |
110 | A Good Day to be Black and Sexy | Dennis Dortch | 2008 | 12.3 | 108 | 98 | 91 | 62 |
Best Erotic Films Ever Made: For Your Movie Watching Inspiration!
Boogie nights is a comedy set in 1970s California. Mark Wahlberg plays a teenager, becoming a star in the adult-film industry. The movie gives a raunchy view into the rollercoaster of fame and endless parties. The cast includes Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, John C.Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman, etc.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a passionate historical romance, a lustful story about two women, one a painter and the other her reluctant subject. Set on a windswept coast, the women struggle to ignore the pull of forbidden love. The result is an unforgettable Gothic romance for the ages.
The Handmaiden, a film directed by Park Chan-wook, combines a heist-adjacent scam with a tinge of homoeroticism. It begins as a ruse to fool a Japanese woman out of her inheritance. However, a hired handmaiden gets closer to her than she imagined, and an unexpected relationship forms.
The Graduate stars a young Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, and William Daniels. This 1967 film follows a recent college school graduate trying to figure out what to do with his life. It turns out that the answer, in this case, is being seduced by an older woman. The result is a May to December romance that would alter pop culture forever.
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological horror. It is bracingly intense, passionate, and wildly melodramatic. The film centers on the performance by Natalie Portman that is nothing short of heroic. The film is stunningly beautiful, and a movie about the darkness our minds conjure up.
In Ex Machina, a young programmer participates in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of highly advanced humanoid A.I. Alicia Vikander’s performance is sensitive and believable as a robot coming into sentience. However, it is enough to attract a wayward programmer.
After a car wreck on the winding Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles. Mulholland Drive is David Lynch’s neo-noir that focuses mainly on aspiring actress Naomi Watts as an amateur detective. The film features a notorious lesbian love scene between Watts and her co-star, Laura Elena Harding.
Y Tu Mamá También is a 2001 Mexican road film directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Tenoch and Julio are a couple of horned-up Mexico City teenagers who take a spontaneous road trip with Luisa, the wife of Tenoch’s cousin. Along the way, the young men face the facts about their friendship as they embark upon adulthood.
Do the Right Thing is a 1989 American comedy-drama film produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee. Salvatore “Sal” Fragione (Danny Aiello) is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito) is a neighborhood local who becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria’s Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin’ Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. As a result, the wall symbolizes racism, and hate and tensions rise.
Creed is a 2015 American sports drama film directed by Ryan Coogler. In Creed, Michael B Jordan is at peak physical perfection. The film is 90 percent him with his shirt off and working out. In this film, the former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.
God’s Own Country is a 2017 British Romantic drama film written and directed by Francis Lee. When people think about a gay love story, they often think about Brokeback Mountain. But, the often overlooked God’s Own Country is just not good, if not better, a story about a farmer whose unfulfilling life leads to a series of sexual affairs and drinking. Until one day, a Romanian migrant farmer comes into his life and reshapes the world he’s given up on.
From Here to Eternity is a 1953 American drama romance war film directed by Fred Zinnemann and based on the 1951 novel of the same name by James Jones. This film has aged poorly, but the languidly paced WWII romance remains iconic. It’s well-acted, featuring solid performances from Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift. The film deals with the tribulations of three U.S. Army soldiers stationed in Hawaii in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
In the Mood for Love is one of the sexiest movies ever made where no one has sex. This film in 1962 Hong Kong, where a journalist and secretary live next door to one another, develops an attraction while their spouses work long hours. When they suspect their spouses are having an affair together, their relationship grows—a poignant, provocative story about fidelity, beauty, and youth.
Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 American period romantic drama film directed by Stephen Frears. It is stylish, seductive, and clever. Stephen Frears’ adaptation is an entertaining exploration of sexual politics. It’s a story of two people who lack the courage to admit they love each other. Instead, they spend their energy destroying the lives of others. Set in 18th century France, at a time just before the revolution.
Queen & Slim is a 2019 American romantic road crime drama film directed by Melina Matsoukas, which is extremely heavy in the subject matter. However, it tackles urgent, complex subjects with bravery and care. The film is a beautiful, raw romance between the titular characters, played by Jodie Turner-Smith and Daniel Kaluuya. As sensual as it is heartbreaking, a first date turns into a road trip like none other before.
Set in New York, Shame is a 2011 British psychological drama film directed by Steve McQueen. A sex addict’s (Michael Fassbender) carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister (Carey Mulligan) arrives for an indefinite stay. The film is a mighty plunge into the mania of addiction affliction with stellar performances by Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. It is clever and beautifully portrayed; it is a sensitive look at sex addiction rarely seen in the film.
The Piano Teacher is a 2001 French-language erotic psychological drama film. Written and directed by Michael Haneke, it’s based on the 1983 novel of the same name. Though it makes for uncomfortable viewing, it is a riveting and powerful psychosexual drama. A student falls for his professor, a woman who demands complete control and perverse sex. The emotionally repressed piano teacher begins an affair with an attractive student, turning her dark sexual fantasies into obsession.
The Talented Mr. Ripley is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Anthony Minghella. While you might think of Titanic when you think of sexual tension on a boat, it has nothing on The Talented Mr. Ripley. In late 1950s New York, Tom Ripley, a young underachiever, is sent to Italy to retrieve Dickie Greenleaf, a rich and spoiled millionaire playboy. But when the errand fails, Ripley takes extreme measures. This film is rife with sexual chemistry between its three main stars: Jude Law, Matt Damon, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Brokeback Mountain is a 2005 American Neo-Western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee, which is a beautiful, epic Western with a love story with moving performances by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. In 1960s Wyoming, two cowboys begin a secret romance that endures through many years. Ennis and Jack are two shepherds who develop a sexual and emotional relationship. However, their relationship becomes complicated when they get married to their respective girlfriends.
Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 erotic mystery psychological drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. It’s based on the 1926 novella Traumnovelle (Dream Story) by Arthur Schnitzler. The movie transfers the story from early 20th-century Vienna to 1990s New York City. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman play a couple whose relationship is tested when the wife reveals her fantasy about another man. In retaliation, the husband wanders through the night, finding himself at a masked ball that soon turns into an Illuminati-Esque orgy.
Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy sports film. It’s partly based on the minor-league baseball experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton. This film depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor-league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina.
Starring Kevin Costner as “Crash” Davis, a veteran catcher brought in to teach rookie pitcher Ebby Calvin “Nuke” LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) about the game. Baseball groupie Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) romances Nuke and finds herself increasingly attracted to Crash. The chemistry between Kevin Costner and Sarandon makes this one a romcom all-timer.
The Reader is a 2008 romantic drama film directed by Stephen Daldry. It’s based on the 1995 German novel of the same name by Bernhard Schlink. It stars Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, and David Kross. In postwar Germany, a teenager (David Kross) has a love affair with an older woman (Kate Winslet) who is in hiding. Winslet and Kross have received acclaim for their performances, and the film was nominated for major awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Closer is a 2004 American romantic drama film written by Patrick Marber. It’s based on his award-winning 1997 play of the same name. The movie stars Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, and Clive Owen. Alice (Natalie Portman), an American stripper who has moved to London, meets Dan (Jude Law) on the street. While looking at him, a taxi hits her. After taking her to the hospital, Dan begins dating Alice. However, the relationship between two couples becomes complicated and deceitful when the man from one couple meets the woman from the other.
Blue Valentine is a 2010 American romantic drama film written and directed by Derek Cianfrance. The film isn’t always easy to watch as it is an emotionally gripping examination of a marriage on the rocks. The relationship of a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over the years by cross-cutting between periods. A couple finds that they are powerless to stop the downward spiral of their marriage. Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling give performances of unusual depth and power.
Set in 1983 in northern Italy, Call Me By Your Name chronicles the romantic relationship between a 17-year old student and the older man hired as his father’s research assistant. The gorgeous, sun-soaked summer romance is a coming-of-age story. It will change the way you look at (and possibly taste) a peach forever.
Metric | Weighting | Min. Value | Max. Value | Best |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sexiness | 15% | |||
Number of Sex Scenes | 1 | 33 | Max. Value | |
Severity of Nudity | Mild | Severe | Max. Value | |
Box Office Earnings | 15% | |||
Gross Worldwide Total ($) | 6,877 | 2,202,000,000 | Max. Value | |
Popularity | 50% | |||
Audience Score | 26 | 95 | Max. Value | |
IMDB Rating | 4.1 | 8.1 | Max. Value | |
Metacritic Score | 15 | 99 | Max. Value | |
Accolades | 20% | |||
Number of nominations | 1 | 47 | Max. Value | |
Number of awards | 0 | 52 | Max. Value |