(Photo by Fox Searchlight/courtesy Everett Collection)
What makes a movie truly sexy, enough to to grant it entrance to our guide of the sexiest movies ever? Variety is the spice: For some movies, it’s about the animal chemistry between its stars (Body Heat, Mr. and Mrs. Smith) or the building passion of its characters (Brokeback Mountain, Titanic). With others, the turn-on is the illicit thrill of being bad (Unfaithful, Secretary) or the purity of self-awakening and discovery (Gloria, Moonlight). Sometimes it’s about the mood a movie evokes, intoxicating and overwhelming, like with In the Mood For Love or Y Tu Mama Tambien. And, yeah, sometimes it’s all about the sex scenes: Mulholland Drive, Lust, Caution, In the Realm of the Senses have got your number. Recently, we’ve added 365 Days, Malcolm & Marie, The Newness, Deep Water, and The Voyeurs.
Whatever your definition (and if you need even more, see the 200 best and worst erotic movies), it all awaits in the 100 sexiest movies ever, ranked by Tomatometer. —Alex Vo
#100
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#99
Adjusted Score: 14700%
Critics Consensus: Laughably melodramatic, Original Sin features bad acting, bad dialogue, and bad plotting.
#98
Adjusted Score: 19164%
Critics Consensus: Tepid and tired, After‘s fun flourishes are let down by its generic story.
#97
Adjusted Score: 24730%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#96
Adjusted Score: 26584%
Critics Consensus: The unerotic sex scenes quickly become tedious to watch, and the lovers lack the personality necessary to make viewers care about them.
#95
Adjusted Score: 38585%
Critics Consensus: While creatively better endowed than its print counterpart, Fifty Shades of Grey is a less than satisfying experience on the screen.
#94
Adjusted Score: 29542%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#93
Adjusted Score: 35740%
Critics Consensus: Naomi Watts and Robin Wright give it their all, but they can’t quite make Adore‘s trashy, absurd plot believable.
#92
Adjusted Score: 39983%
Critics Consensus: Director/co-writer Jane Campion takes a stab at subverting the psycho-sexual thriller genre with In the Cut, but gets tangled in her own abstraction.
#91
Adjusted Score: 47034%
Critics Consensus: Viewers desperately seeking a new erotic thriller might find Deep Water worth a dip, but it’s far from director Adrian Lyne’s best work.
#90
Adjusted Score: 39115%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#89
Adjusted Score: 33285%
Critics Consensus: While it may be visually attractive, Elisa & Marcela is an underwhelming melodrama that lacks passion and energy.
#88
Adjusted Score: 40580%
Critics Consensus: Kama Sutra refreshingly approaches sensuality from a female perspective, but audiences will be turned off by this romance’s silly plotting.
#87
Adjusted Score: 44931%
Critics Consensus: Love sees writer-director Gaspar Noé delivering some of his warmest and most personal work; unfortunately, it’s also among his most undeveloped and least compelling.
#86
Adjusted Score: 46039%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#85
Adjusted Score: 36069%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#84
Adjusted Score: 48404%
Critics Consensus: An unlikable protagonist, messy editing, and gratuitous nudity might make audiences ask for their cash back.
#83
Adjusted Score: 48233%
Critics Consensus: Strong performances and an inclusive approach to sexual awakening aren’t enough to make Summer Storm a truly memorable coming-of-age story.
#82
Adjusted Score: 51316%
Critics Consensus: Sleeping Beauty‘s provocative premise and luminous art design is hampered by a clinical, remote presentation, delivering boredom and shock in equal measure.
#81
Adjusted Score: 49977%
Critics Consensus: Romance is a slim look into a woman’s sexual psyche, with sex scenes that slightly excite while exploring human emotions.
#80
Adjusted Score: 52476%
Critics Consensus: Angela Bassett gracefully breezes through a hot summer fling without much conflict or ado, leaving us wondering when — or if — she’s ever getting that groove back.
#79
Adjusted Score: 55311%
Critics Consensus: Diane Lane shines in the role, but the movie adds nothing new to the genre and the resolution is unsatisfying.
#78
Adjusted Score: 57132%
Critics Consensus: Despite its promising pedigree and a titillating premise, Chloe ultimately fails to deliver the heat — or the thrills — expected of a sexual thriller.
#77
Adjusted Score: 56523%
Critics Consensus: Malena ends up objectifying the character of the movie’s title. Also, the young boy’s emotional investment with Malena is never convincing, as she doesn’t feel like a three-dimensional person.
#76
Adjusted Score: 59610%
Critics Consensus: This darkly comic drama and its attractive young cast are easy on the eyes, but uneven performances and an uninspired script conspire to foil Cruel Intentions.
#75
Adjusted Score: 62494%
Critics Consensus: Stylish yet hollow, The Hunger is a well-cast vampire thriller that mistakes erotic moments for a satisfying story.
#74
Adjusted Score: 62836%
Critics Consensus: Unevenly echoing the work of Alfred Hitchcock, Basic Instinct contains a star-making performance from Sharon Stone but is ultimately undone by its problematic, overly lurid plot.
#73
Adjusted Score: 57595%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#72
Adjusted Score: 69338%
Critics Consensus: Malcolm & Marie‘s ambitions aren’t always satisfactorily fulfilled, but its flaws are often offset by the strong chemistry between the film’s stars.
#71
Adjusted Score: 59076%
Critics Consensus: Jason’s Lyric is a sexually charged film whose violent streak weakens or, depending on your perspective, supports the melodrama.
#70
Adjusted Score: 65352%
Critics Consensus: Though lushly atmospheric, The Dreamers doesn’t engage or provoke as much as it should.
#69
Adjusted Score: 61851%
Critics Consensus: 9 1/2 Weeks‘ famously steamy sex scenes titillate though the drama unfolding between the beddings is relatively standard for the genre.
#68
Adjusted Score: 64947%
Critics Consensus: Something New tackles serious questions about race and interracial relationships with genuine appeal and an alluring romance that develops as naturally as the plot.
#67
Adjusted Score: 65562%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#66
Adjusted Score: 71343%
Critics Consensus: Wild Things is a delightfully salacious, flesh-exposed romp that also requires a high degree of love for trash cinema.
#65
Adjusted Score: 71143%
Critics Consensus: Despite Kate Winslet’s superb portrayal, The Reader suggests an emotionally distant, Oscar-baiting historical drama.
#64
Adjusted Score: 66984%
Critics Consensus: Despite the surprisingly distant, clinical direction, Crash‘s explicit premise and sex is classic Cronenberg territory.
#63
Adjusted Score: 61387%
Critics Consensus: Henry & June celebrates sensuality and passion, though the portentous filmmaking drags it down by a large degree.
#62
Adjusted Score: 76509%
Critics Consensus: Magic Mike XXL has enough narrative thrust and beefy charm to deliver another helping of well-oiled entertainment, even if this sequel isn’t quite as pleasurable as its predecessor.
#61
Adjusted Score: 67878%
Critics Consensus: Acted out with both physical and psychological nakedness by its two leads, Intimacy is an unflinchingly honest look at alienation.
#60
Adjusted Score: 67869%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#59
Adjusted Score: 70352%
Critics Consensus: The Pillow Book is undeniably sensual and visually ravishing, but the film’s narrative lacks the hypnotic pull of its imagery.
#58
Adjusted Score: 73810%
Critics Consensus: The sex may be explicit, but Mitchell integrates it into the characters’ lives and serves the whole story up with a generous dose of sweetness and wit.
#57
Adjusted Score: 74846%
Critics Consensus: Closer’s talented cast and Mike Nichols’ typically assured direction help smooth a bumpy journey from stage to screen.
#56
Adjusted Score: 79286%
Critics Consensus: Like its winsome characters, Dirty Dancing uses impressive choreography and the power of song to surmount a series of formidable obstacles.
#55
Adjusted Score: 70748%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#54
Adjusted Score: 72877%
Critics Consensus: Beneath the gratuitous nudity lies a complex and visually striking movie.
#53
Adjusted Score: 78538%
Critics Consensus: Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution is a tense, sensual and beautifully-shot espionage film.
#52
Adjusted Score: 75647%
Critics Consensus: Though it makes for rather unpleasant viewing, The Piano Teacher is a riveting and powerful psychosexual drama.
#51
Adjusted Score: 76139%
Critics Consensus: Ozon may not explore his themes as fully as he should, but Young & Beautiful poses enough intriguing questions — and features a strong enough performance from Marine Vacth — to compensate for its frustrations.
#50
Adjusted Score: 84040%
Critics Consensus: Kubrick’s intense study of the human psyche yields an impressive cinematic work.
#49
Adjusted Score: 78476%
Critics Consensus: A surprisingly sultry performance from Ally Sheedy elevates High Art from pretentious melodrama to compelling — if still a little pretentious — romance.
#48
Adjusted Score: 85123%
Critics Consensus: Darkly funny, fearlessly bold, and thoroughly indulgent, Nymphomaniac finds Lars von Trier provoking viewers with customary abandon.
#47
Adjusted Score: 80085%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#46
Adjusted Score: 83080%
Critics Consensus: Maggie Gyllenhaal impresses in this romantic comedy with a kinky twist.
#45
Adjusted Score: 88102%
Critics Consensus: Magic Mike‘s sensitive direction, smart screenplay, and strong performances allow audiences to have their beefcake and eat it too.
#44
Adjusted Score: 84209%
Critics Consensus: Featuring excellent work from an outstanding cast, the bittersweet drama Waltz proves that in the right hands, a familiar tale can still ring true.
#43
Adjusted Score: 88129%
Critics Consensus: Boasting stellar performances by Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, Shame is a powerful plunge into the mania of addiction affliction.
#42
Adjusted Score: 17928%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#41
Adjusted Score: 82532%
Critics Consensus: Live Flesh surveys the fallout from an act of violence with a mature melodrama that sees Pedro Almodóvar working in surprisingly restrained form.
#40
Adjusted Score: 86031%
Critics Consensus: It stumbles into melodrama, but I Am Love backs up its flamboyance with tremendous visual style and a marvelous central performance from Tilda Swinton.
#39
Adjusted Score: 88591%
Critics Consensus: A beguiling tragicomedy, Vicky Cristina Barcelona charms with beautiful views of the Spanish city and a marvelously well-matched cast.
#38
Adjusted Score: 83321%
Critics Consensus: An atmospheric study of the world of brothels, House of Tolerance digs beyond the corseted courtesans and lingers like the languid days it depicts.
#37
Adjusted Score: 88115%
Critics Consensus: A sensual thriller with two engaging performers demanding our undivided attention.
#36
Adjusted Score: 91675%
Critics Consensus: Atonement features strong performances, brilliant cinematography, and a unique score. Featuring deft performances from James MacAvoy and Keira Knightley, it’s a successful adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel.
#35
Adjusted Score: 93770%
Critics Consensus: David Lynch’s dreamlike and mysterious Mulholland Drive is a twisty neo-noir with an unconventional structure that features a mesmerizing performance from Naomi Watts as a woman on the dark fringes of Hollywood.
#34
Adjusted Score: 95241%
Critics Consensus: Disobedience explores a variety of thought-provoking themes, bolstered by gripping work from leads Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, and Alessandro Nivola.
#33
Adjusted Score: 90242%
Critics Consensus: This romantic crime drama may not be to everyone’s taste, but The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover is an audacious, powerful film.
#32
Adjusted Score: 98208%
Critics Consensus: Bracingly intense, passionate, and wildly melodramatic, Black Swan glides on Darren Aronofsky’s bold direction — and a bravura performance from Natalie Portman.
#31
Adjusted Score: 88542%
Critics Consensus: Sexual taboos are broken and boundaries crossed In the Realm of the Senses, a fearlessly provocative psychosexual tale.
#30
Adjusted Score: 89149%
Critics Consensus: Confident directing and acting deliver an insightful look at young athletes.
#29
Adjusted Score: 94413%
Critics Consensus: This emotionally gripping examination of a marriage on the rocks isn’t always easy to watch, but Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling give performances of unusual depth and power.
#28
Adjusted Score: 106501%
Critics Consensus: A mostly unqualified triumph for James Cameron, who offers a dizzying blend of spectacular visuals and old-fashioned melodrama.
#27
Adjusted Score: 101551%
Critics Consensus: It has perhaps aged poorly, but this languidly paced WWII romance remains an iconic, well-acted film, featuring particularly strong performances from Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift.
#26
Adjusted Score: 97353%
Critics Consensus: A beautiful, epic Western, Brokeback Mountain’s love story is imbued with heartbreaking universality thanks to moving performances by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.
#25
Adjusted Score: 90055%
Critics Consensus: Bound‘s more titillating elements attracted attention, but it’s the stylish direction, solid performances, and entertaining neo-noir caper plot that make it worth a watch.
#24
Adjusted Score: 92982%
Critics Consensus: My Golden Years is a complex, well-acted coming-of-age drama.
#23
Adjusted Score: 94730%
Critics Consensus: A Royal Affair is a lavish and sumptuous costume drama with a juicy story to back it up.
#22
Adjusted Score: 99446%
Critics Consensus: An exquisitely shot showcase for Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung that marks a somber evolution of Wong Kar-wai’s chic style, In the Mood for Love is a tantric tease that’s liable to break your heart.
#21
Adjusted Score: 97893%
Critics Consensus: Led by a triumvirate of terrific performances, Alfonso Cuarón’s free-spirited road trip through Mexico is a sexy and wistful hymn to the fleetingness of youth.
#20
Adjusted Score: 105703%
Critics Consensus: Ex Machina leans heavier on ideas than effects, but it’s still a visually polished piece of work — and an uncommonly engaging sci-fi feature.
#19
Adjusted Score: 92244%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#18
Adjusted Score: 98912%
Critics Consensus: Grounded in strong characters, bold themes, and subtle storytelling, Boogie Nights is a groundbreaking film both for director P.T. Anderson and star Mark Wahlberg.
#17
Adjusted Score: 96426%
Critics Consensus: Stylish, seductive, and clever, Stephen Frears’ adaptation is a wickedly entertaining exploration of sexual politics.
#16
Adjusted Score: 96655%
Critics Consensus: With She’s Gotta Have It, Spike Lee delivered his bracing first shot across Hollywood’s bow — and set the template for the groundbreaking act to follow.
#15
Adjusted Score: 97585%
Critics Consensus: Like Body Heat, The Last Seduction updates film noir techniques for a modern era, imbuing this erotic film with ’90s snark.
#14
Adjusted Score: 100300%
Critics Consensus: Steven Soderbergh’s intelligently crafted adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel is witty, sexy, thoroughly entertaining, and a star-making turn for George Clooney.
#13
Adjusted Score: 98086%
Critics Consensus: Sexy, smart, and darkly humorous, Stranger by the Lake offers rewarding viewing for adult filmgoers in search of thought-provoking drama.
#12
Adjusted Score: 109609%
Critics Consensus: Shaped by Todd Haynes’ deft direction and powered by a strong cast led by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Carol lives up to its groundbreaking source material.
#11
Adjusted Score: 114349%
Critics Consensus: Call Me by Your Name offers a melancholy, powerfully affecting portrait of first love, empathetically acted by Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer.
#10
Adjusted Score: 95874%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#9
Adjusted Score: 101892%
Critics Consensus: The radiantly filmed Belle de Jour entrances even as it resists easy interpretations.
#8
Adjusted Score: 97831%
Critics Consensus: It may be a chamber piece but Weekend‘s revelations on modern sexuality expand far beyond the modest setting.
#7
Adjusted Score: 100551%
Critics Consensus: In his feature directorial debut, Steven Soderbergh demonstrates a mastery of his craft well beyond his years, pulling together an outstanding cast and an intelligent script for a nuanced, mature film about neurosis and human sexuality.
#6
Adjusted Score: 106452%
Critics Consensus: The Handmaiden uses a Victorian crime novel as the loose inspiration for another visually sumptuous and absorbingly idiosyncratic outing from director Park Chan-wook.
#5
Adjusted Score: 114585%
Critics Consensus: A singularly rich period piece, Portrait of a Lady on Fire finds stirring, thought-provoking drama within a powerfully acted romance.
#4
Adjusted Score: 101753%
Critics Consensus: My Beautiful Laundrette is fast and all over the place because it has so much to say, and show, including a highly watchable fresh-faced Daniel Day-Lewis.
#3
Adjusted Score: 100060%
Critics Consensus: Made from classic noir ingredients and flavored with a heaping helping of steamy modern spice, Body Heat more than lives up to its evocative title.
#2
Adjusted Score: 117461%
Critics Consensus: Moonlight uses one man’s story to offer a remarkable and brilliantly crafted look at lives too rarely seen in cinema.
#1
Adjusted Score: 105433%
Critics Consensus: Marvelously directed by Sebastian Lelio and beautifully led by a powerful performance from Paulina Garcia, Gloria takes an honest, sweetly poignant look at a type of character that’s all too often neglected in Hollywood.