In the pantheon of unfairly maligned film genres, few outrank the erotic thriller. Often thought of as exploitative, cheap, gratuitous, and outright silly, the erotic thriller has possibly the most dubious reputation out of all the cinematic genres. While many notable examples certainly live up to this infamous legacy — the absurdly named Body of Evidence comes to mind — there’s more to the genre than just salacious scenes.
At its best, the erotic thriller is the perfect way to examine the darkest corners of the human psyche. Ambition, desire, obsession, guilt, and vulnerability are common themes, and the genre’s best examples offer insightful takes on them. These are the best examples of this unjustly slandered genre, brilliant and even acclaimed movies that prove a film can be steamy, sexy, affecting, and poignant all at once.
10. Body Heat (1981)
Oscar nominee Kathleen Turner delivered a mighty screen debut in Lawrence Kasdan’s 1981 erotic thriller Body Heat. William Hurt stars as Ned Racine, an inept lawyer who begins an affair with Matty Walker, a seductive woman married to a powerful tycoon. Soon, Ned hatches a plan to kill Matty’s husband and run away with her and her husband’s money. However, not all is as it seems, and Ned finds himself in an inescapable situation.
Inspired by the classic film noir Double Indemnity, Body Heat is far steamier and more provocative. Turner is dynamite in the role of a classic femme fatale, and she’s perfectly complemented by Hurt as the pathetic, yet surprisingly resourceful Ned. The key to Body Heat‘s success is finding the right balance between classic noir elements and exploring them through a decidedly modern approach, and its success at this resulted in one of the earliest neo-noirs that expertly showcases the talent at its center.
9. Dressed to Kill (1980)
Brian De Palma’s divisive 1980 erotic thriller Dressed to Kill remains a source of debate. Two-time Oscar winner Michael Caine stars as Dr. Robert Elliott, who’s treating to a sexually repressed housewife, Kate. When Kate is brutally murdered, her son joins a prostitute who witnessed the crime to try and find the murderer before he strikes again.
Like many of the best thrillers, Dressed to Kill is directly influenced by Hitchcock’s work; it even contains several direct references to the Master of Suspense’s seminal classic, Psycho. The plot, which features a male assassin with a dual, murderous female personality, remains controversial over its alleged negative portrayal of sexual minorities. However, the film is among De Palma’s most engrossing, from its intense, somewhat garish visuals to its twisting, gripping mystery. It also features yet another hammy performance from Caine, who is at his most confident in pulpy, over-the-top fiction.
8. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
The name “Stanley Kubrick” might not be the first to come to mind when discussing the erotic thriller. Kubrick directed some true masterpieces in multiple genres, from sci-fi to satire and beyond. However, he’s also behind a rather unconventional erotic thriller/drama starring the once-mighty husband-and-wife duo of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Eyes Wide Shut follows a wealthy doctor who attends an underground sex party following an argument with his wife. However, he soon realizes he’s in over his head.
Cruise is the perfect protagonist for this eerie film that effortlessly blends sensuality with mystery. Ever curious about the darkest corners of the mind, Kubrick’s lens lingers on Cruise’s frame, finding the inherent eroticism in every human interaction. Eyes Wide Shut features one of the most-talked-about scenes in ’90s cinema, a bizarre orgy where Kubrick throws his audience into an enthralling, yet deeply disturbing world that walks a fine line between the oneiric and the real. As much a psychological drama as it is an erotic thriller, Eyes Wide Shut is a once-in-a-lifetime team-up between three of cinema’s greatest creative forces.
7. Wild Things (1998)
Neve Campbell joins Denise Richards, Matt Dillon, and Kevin Bacon in the 1998 erotic thriller Wild Things. The plot revolves around a high school guidance counselor accused by two students of sexual assault. However, the story soon grows complicated, revealing a web of intricate lies that will surely take the audience by surprise.
No erotic thriller has ever featured a more convoluted or deliciously absurd plot as Wild Things. The film actually pushes the envelope, taking classic tropes from the genre and adding a refreshing, if not necessarily logical, spin. It has one scandalous twist after the other; few make sense, and the now-notorious ending surely falls apart upon close examination. However, the cast is so game — particularly a never-better Campbell in one of her most mercurial and unforgettable roles — that it effortlessly elevates Wild Things to the apex of erotic thrillers.
6. Fatal Attraction (1987)
Adrian Lyne’s 1987 erotic psychological thriller Fatal Attraction is among the most well-known and celebrated examples of the genre. In her breakout performance, Glenn Close stars as Alex Forrest, a single editor who becomes obsessed with Dan Gallagher, the married man she had a one-night stand with. What begins as a one-time thing soon turns into a dangerous ordeal as Alex loses her slight grip on her sanity.
With Fatal Attraction, Glenn Close did for the femme fatale what Margaret Hamilton did for the witch trope in The Wizard of Oz. Close has stated how men would approach her on the streets and actually thank her for supposedly saving their marriages; in other words, she scared them into fidelity. Aside from her tour de force, Fatal Attraction excels as a taut, emotionally demanding thriller that appeals to a person’s biggest insecurities. Doubt, fear of loneliness, intimacy, and the need to actually need someone else are all juggled with impressive skill by Lyne, Close, and Douglas.
5. Basic Instinct (1992)
Academy Award nominee Sharon Stone became an overnight sensation thanks to her deliciously wicked performance in Paul Verhoeven‘s 1992 erotic thriller Basic Instinct. Michael Douglas stars as Nick Curran, a San Francisco police detective investigating the brutal death of a rock star. The prime suspect is Catherine Tramell, a seductive and mysterious writer who Nick finds himself impossibly attracted to.
Often described as a salacious and stylish Hitchcockian thriller, Basic Instinct is probably what most people think of when they hear the term “erotic thriller.” The film has all the makings of a great Verhoeven movie: emotional violence, lurid themes, and arresting, yet discomforting characters left and right. Stone is the film’s anchor, delivering a star-making portrayal of shameless infamy that remains admirable. In her hands, Catherine Tramell is as irresistible as everyone in the film claims she is. It’s an impressive feat that few other actresses could achieve.
4. The Handmaiden (2016)
Directed, co-produced, and co-written by Park Chan-wook and based on the 2002 novel Fingersmith, The Handmaiden is, without a doubt, the best erotic thriller of the 21st century. The plot centers on Count Fujiwara, a Korean con man who hires a young orphan pickpocket to act as a handmaid to a wealthy Japanese woman, in hopes of defrauding her.
Highly stylized, yet narratively rich, The Handmaiden strikes a remarkable balance between sumptuous visuals and evocative storytelling. Park’s camera is simultaneously voyeuristic and revelatory, ogling his performers. yet taking the time to actually care about their inner turmoil. Everything about this film is gorgeous, from the costumes to the staging to the ridiculously lush production design that’s as evocative as it is immersive. The Handmaiden is the rare film that marries style with substance, surrounding the whole affair in black humor and a distinctive bleakness that makes for a fascinating watch.
3. Bound (1996)
Leave it to the Wachowskis to make one of the best erotic thrillers in history. Bride of Chucky star Jennifer Tilly joins Gina Gershon in the directors’ daring and subversive Bound, which follows the story of Violet, the dissatisfied girlfriend of a mafioso. After entering into an affair with Corky, a woman recently released from prison, Violet hatches a plot to steal a large sum of mafia money.
Although many erotic thrillers focus more on the first portion of that particular equation, Bound actually places more emphasis on the second. A tight and kinetic throwback to the classic crime capers that first saw the genre rise, Bound finds the Wachowskis in full creative freedom. Tilly and Gershon are spectacular together, delivering two explosive performances that leap off the screen, and they’re supported by an excellent ensemble that includes a genuinely menacing Joe Pantoliano. Fans of the erotic will find plenty to enjoy here, but Bound largely excels as an expertly made thriller that stands out as one of the best movies of the ’90s.
2. Exotica (1994)
Atom Egoyan is a master of the adverse. His films often deal with the inherent misery of being alive, but none captures it better than Exotica, the second-best erotic thriller of 1994. The Fall of the House of Usher actor Bruce Greenwood stars as Francis Brown, a depressed man grieving the death of his daughter by spending his days in the Exotica nightclub, where he becomes obsessed with Christina, a beautiful young dancer.
No erotic thriller has ever captured the inherently bittersweet nature of human connection as hauntingly as Exotica. Egoyan is at his most assured, offering a bleak, yet hopeful take on grief and the human condition. Greenwood is the perfect vessel to explore such complicated feelings, as he embodies Francis’ desolation with discomforting reliability. Still, Exotica‘s real star is Mia Kirshner, whose portrayal of Christina is haunting and hypnotizing. Somber yet vulnerable, Kirshner is utterly brilliant in the role, crafting a singular depiction of pain and trauma that should have earned her an Oscar nomination.
1. The Last Seduction (1994)
If anyone has ever come close to taking Barbara Stanwyck’s crown as cinema’s ultimate femme fatale, it’s Linda Florentino in the masterful 1994 erotic thriller The Last Seduction. The film centers on Bridget Gregory, a ruthless woman who convinces her hapless husband to sell cocaine before running away with the money. En route to Chicago, she stops in a small town, where she enters into a relationship with an insurance agent, who she eventually convinces to help get rid of her husband.
Bridget Gregory is the embodiment of the femme fatale, and Florentino delivers a tour de force in the role. She’s sexy, vicious, provocative, dangerous, and utterly irresistible. You, me, and the men she seduces know she is trouble, but we don’t care; such is the strength of her allure. Florentino is mesmerizing in a role that should have earned her an Oscar, especially considering how infamously weak the 1995 Best Actress category was — but I digress. In the end, The Last Seduction is the crowning jewel of the erotic thriller: clever yet appropriately steamy, ruthless but seductive. It’s a film that understands what it is and decides to be the best possible version of it. And with such a performance at its center, how can it not?
