64 of the Most Insane Movie Sex Scenes ? ?. (and links to rent or buy the full movies online). Related story: The 30 Sexiest Movies to Stream on Netflix Right Now.
We all watch movies for different reasons. Some of us love the action of big-budget superhero flicks.
Others enjoy the bursts of laughter of the latest comedies. Then, of course, there are the moviegoers that love the suspense of drama and thrillers. Where we can all come together is the common ground of the sexiness within some of those films.2018 has been a hot year for Hollywood, and we’re not just talking because of the high numbers in the box office.
It has been a titillating year for the cinema, giving us these 10 sexiest movies. Black PantherGo on, it’s alright to admit that, while Black Panther was a well-received entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan’s abs undoubtedly stole the show.
That’s not to minimize the solid plot and acting abilities of the entire cast, but let’s not forget why we’re here.There were plenty of chiseled six packs which were accentuated even more during the pivotal fight for the throne of Wakanda between Boseman and Jordan. Even Jordan’s tattoos don’t take away from the built physique that women pine over.The strong female cast of Lupita nyong’o and Danai Gurira standing at Boseman’s side only further enhanced the sexuality of the film. Of course, for those of you that have an attraction to sophistication, Martin Freeman fulfills that desire.FlowerThere is nothing sexy about sexual assault, but Flower finds a way to integrate it into a comedy-drama that isn’t afraid of showing sex appeal. The film follows Erica Vandross, a teenage girl living a complicated life, prostituting for the sake of her father.
Amidst her teenage antics, she meets her new step-brother, Luke, who claims to have been sexually assaulted by a teacher.Flower then turns into a comedic tale of revenge that loves to tease the audience with hints of sexuality. It’s an endearing movie that isn’t so sexed up that it’s obnoxious or unbelievable.AquamanIn December, while many are preparing to unwrap a boatload of Christmas presents, moviegoers will be unwrapping the treat that is Aquaman.
Once a character known for his comical superpower – talking to fish – Jason Momoa breathes sexuality into the Atlantean. Those that remember him from his Dothraki days will be happy to know that, yes, the body returns as well.Opposite Momoa’s Arthur Curry is Amber Heard, filling the role of Mera, his love interest. Heard isn’t some damsel in distress, however.
She’s a strong warrior of Atlanta with a sex appeal to match Momoa’s.There’s no doubt that Aquaman will go down as one of the sexiest movies of the DC universe.On Chesil BeachAdapted from Ian McEwan’s 2007 novel of the same name, the film puts Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle in the lead spots, supported by everybody’s favorite former wizard Emma Watson. The gorgeous cast deals with the issues of sex in a unique way.A newly wedded couple, Ronan and Howle, are on their honeymoon on the darling shores of Chesil Beach. Though their love is unquestioned, their ability to consummate the marriage gets troublesome as Ronan’s controversial past makes sex a taboo.The steamy duo may have a complicated sex life – that is no sex life – but the attraction and love the two share in this British drama is far sexier than many overt sex-fests. The will they/won’t they and the progression of their relationship because of their complications in the bedroom are raw and the film offers up some very spicy scenes to entice the audience.DisobedienceIt’s as if Sebastian Leilo wanted to fulfill so many fantasies when he cast Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams as the two lovers in Disobedience. The title alone is enough to pique your interest and you can bet it’s as sexy as it sounds.Weisz’s Ronit Krushka returns to her primarily Orthodox Jewish community and rekindles a friendship with her childhood friend, Dovid Kuperman (McAdams). That friendship, however, turns into a hot-and-heavy romance that exudes sexuality through the silver screen.Disobedience doesn’t shy away from putting Weisz and McAdams on screen together and seems to thrive on the chemistry the two have.
For the audience, that means plenty of sexy encounter intermingled within the lustful and controversial tale.How to Talk to Girls at PartiesConsider this a new-aged Earth Girls are Easy, just without the camp and awkwardness. How to Talk to Girls at Parties is a new take on rebellious teenagers, this time putting an extraterrestrial teen in the role of the youngster exploring herself, her sexuality, and a new world.Elle Fanning fills the role of Zan, the rebellious alien girl that falls for Alex Sharp’s Enn, a punk human. The two embark on a journey through 1970s London, with each trying to better understand the other. What results is a fun spin on the sexiness of being young and free set against an unusual backdrop that results in a standoff against punk rockers and aliens.The movie is whimsical and with the beautiful Elle Fanning in the lead, you can bet there is plenty of eye candy.BlockersWhat’s sexier than prom night? For anyone that remembers high school, not much. The aptly named Blockers recalls that steamy night, but from a different perspective.
While much of the film follows Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, and John Cena as the concerned parents of Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Gideon Adlon, the subject matter is all about teenage sexuality.The audience – and the on-screen parents – spiral through what appears to be a secretive world featuring coded messages written in emojis and completely new phraseology. For much of the audience, the comedic Blockers has viewers recalling their steamy teenage years.As the movie is all about sex, you can bet some raunchy scenes sneak their way in.
One in particular puts Office Space and Veep alum Gary Cole in a very provocative position.AcrimonyIt’s almost a guarantee that if Tyler Perry’s name precedes a movie and it’s not about Madea, it is going to be one hot and heavy tale. At the core of the film is Taraji P. Henson, a woman who has been dealing with her husband’s serial cheating.
Acrimony follows Henson’s Melinda Gayle on a spiral into insanity while treating the audience to a saultry casting of Lyriq Bent and Crystle Stewart as Melinda’s husband, Robert, and his secret lover, Diana Wells.The electrifying thriller is as sexy as it is scandalous as each of the three entangled in this love triangle show off their very best sides. Tyler Perry doesn’t pull any punches in tantalizing the audience and there is plenty of Bent’s half-naked rear-end to excite viewers.The film may not have been well-received, but the chemistry between Bent and the two leading ladies was spot on delicious.Red SparrowPut Jennifer Lawrence in a leading role and you already have a sexy film. Give her a Russian accent and you’ve increased that sexiness tenfold. After being recruited by the Russian government, Lawrence’s Dominika, is forced to seduce a CIA agent played by Joel Edgerton.
While she serving as a Russian agent, Dominika discovers what it feels to be free, both in mind and body.Since the central plot revolves around her seducing Edgerton’s Nathaniel Nash, there is a lot of sex. Granted, some of it is tough to watch as it’s violent and unwanted, but the scenes between Lawrence and Edgerton are generally on the steamier, sexier side.The film was released with a generally positive reception and is top of the sexier movies to have released in 2018.Fifty Shades FreedThe steamy conclusion to the Fifty Shades trilogy may not amplify the sexuality from the previous entries, but it certainly doesn’t downplay it.
The focus of the concluding chapter revolves around trust, betrayal, and jealousy, but we’re reminded that Christian Grey still has that play room we love getting a glimpse of.The sexuality between Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson continues to light up the screen, especially when Christian and Anastasia continue to show just how difficult it is to keep their hands off one another.Dakota once again bares all for many of the more erotic scenes and Dornan’s physique is impressively toned, so there is a bit of something for everyone. Considering the source material, there was no doubting that Fifty Shades Freed would wind up being the dirtiest movie to hit cinemas in 2018.Looking for the previous list? Rough NightWhat happens when some of Hollywood’s sexiest vixens embark on a weekend romp in Miami? The answer is a chuckle-worthy dark comedy where the greatest allure is the ladies on the title card. Amidst the frantic ridiculous plot, the audience gets to enjoy the main cast exuding sex appeal as they prove even ladies can take a stab at the dark comedy market.Atomic BlondeTwo of Hollywood’s hottest, Charlize Theron and James McAvoy, electrify the big screen in this fun take on the spy genre. Theron’s portrayal as MI6 field agent Lorraine Broughton borders on the line of action star and sex symbol, a line that’s even further blurred with the introduction of Delphine Lasalle. McAvoy dominates as always with a confidence that’s arrogant and alluring.Thor: RagnarokChris Hemsworth’s Thor has arguably been the sexiest addition to the Marvel universe and though he’s lost his golden locks, there’s no denying that he’s still got it.
In fact, some may argue the shorter hair is a better look for the hammer-wielding boy-toy. Beyond just Thor, Ragnarok takes the Marvel series in a less brooding direction, letting the audience indulge in the fun side of comic book movies and, of course, some Tom Hiddleston and Mark Ruffalo action.Girls TripSometimes, there’s just nothing sexier about a group of girls getting together and having fun. Throw in a weekend of debauchery in the Big Easy and you have Girls Trip, featuring a stunning cast of Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish, and Jada Pinkett Smith.
As the ladies enjoy an uninhibited time in New Orleans, the audience gets to watch them explore their wilder sides with some provocative results.King Arthur: Legend of the SwordCharlie Hunnam wields the legendary Excalibur. Really, that’s all you need to know going into this messy take on the Arthurian legend. Guy Ritchie has no problem showcasing Hunnam’s almost boyish charm and good looks, which dominate a film which not even the addition of other easy-on-the-eyes actors such as Eric Bana, Jude Law, and Aidan Gillen can save.Ghost in the ShellThe theatrical take on the Japanese anime may not have dominated the box office, but there likely isn’t a guy out there that took issue with watching Scarlett Johansson parade around in the staple skin-tight costume. If you can get past the convolution of the film, you’ll be treated to a visual spectacle that’s a treat for the eyes.The BeguiledDaughter of Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia, tackles this sensually twisted tale which finds the dreamy Colin Farrell in the company of attractive leading ladies Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning. The sexually charged flick benefits from a slow, sensual burn leads up to a twist ending that’ll have your head spinning and your stomach turningTulip FeverThis scandalous tale brings a lesser-known time period of Dutch history to light as Dane Dehaan and Alicia Vikander share a sexual spark. Artist and subject share an unexpected connection and go against the odds to let their love and future bloom, treating the audience to the eroticism of unforbidden love.BaywatchThis 2017 movie bends the appeal of the original television series, focusing heavily on action and comedy to drive a subpar plot. Viewers, however, may be too enthralled by the raw sex oozing from the screen as Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Priyanka Chopra, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach, and many more enjoy spending a bulk of the movie in revealing bathing suits and making hearts race.Fifty Shades DarkerThe pinnacle of sexuality and one camera angle shy of an XXX rating, Fifty Shades Darker tests the viewer’s ability to see through a paper-thin plot to enjoy the raunchy follow-up to Fifty Shades of Grey.
As expected, the stakes are higher and Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are once again forced to get to know one another on an incredibly intimate level.
The only thing better than watching one of the best sex scenes of all time? Being in one of them—though sometimes, it's probably neck and neck. Watching sex onscreen is a hallmark of the viewing experience (but watching Game of Thrones with your parents is still hard). If you chart a history of sex in movies—as we've done here—you can see a global evolution of mores, a chronicle of evolving tastes, a lessening of hangups. People want sex, and not only in romantic movies with tasteful fade-outs.
We’ve put together the 101 most groundbreaking sex scenes of all time (not unpleasurable work). Many of these films have won; some are classic. Have we forgotten your own favorite? Are we missing any? Let us know.RECOMMENDED: Our list of the 100. Director: Nicolas RoegBedfellows: Julie Christie, Donald SutherlandThe filmWorking with a Daphne du Maurier short story, Roeg gives us Laura (Christie) and John (Sutherland), a married couple who travel from Britain to Venice for his job after losing their young daughter in a drowning accident.The sex sceneIt’s a simple predinner sex scene in a hotel room, but the way Roeg shoots and edits it, and the manner in which the actors perform it, makes it extremely powerful.Why is it so groundbreaking?It just feels so real. It’s also a rare sex scene that chimes in perfect harmony with the film around it.
Their sex feels like both an expression of grief and a welcome respite from it. Most of all, the actors just look like they know what they’re doing.
No wonder they’ve been denying the sex was real ever since.— Dave Calhoun. Director: Ingmar BergmanBedfellows: Bibi Andersson, Liv UllmannThe filmAfter the catatonic breakdown of stage star Elisabet (Ullmann), she and nurse Alma (Andersson) enter into a fluid, mesmerizing power struggle, also a meeting of the minds.The sex sceneIn a semidarkened room, Alma relates a tale of sex on the beach with her girlfriend and a pair of underage boys, an incident with dire consequences.Why is it so groundbreaking?A classic sex scene with no actual sex in it?
That's expert-level, folks. It helps to be Ingmar Bergman, the master director who could wring a heartbreaking monologue out of a shoe. Andersson's matter-of-fact relation of graphic acts makes the scene unbearably hot. The moment was often cut from prints by concerned censors. Famously, Roger Ebert wrote, “The imagery of this monologue is so powerful that I have heard people describe the scene as if they actually saw it in the film.”— Joshua Rothkopf. Director: Ang LeeTentfellows: Heath Ledger, Jake GyllenhaalThe filmBased on Annie Proulx’s story about the love affair between two cowboys, Ang Lee’s beautiful, swooning film starred Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger as range hands who fall in love.The sex sceneIt gets mighty cold up there in the hills of Wyoming. After a night drinking whiskey, the ranchers huddle up for warmth, and thenWhy is it so groundbreaking?Ang Lee put gay sex in the mainstream.
Conservatives accused the film of promoting a gay agenda, but don’t they always? Brokeback Mountain picked up three Oscars from eight nominations in 2006, but not Best Picture (which went to Crash). Some critics, including Roger Ebert, believed homophobia factored in the voting.— Cath Clarke. Director: William HeiseBedfellows: May Irwin, John RiceThe filmAt just 18 seconds long, “The Kiss” (sometimes known as “The May Irwin Kiss”) is one of the earliest films to be shown to the public.
Director: Nagisa OshimaBedfellows: Tatsuya Fuji, Eiko MatsudaThe filmOshima’s 1976 masterpiece—the crown jewel of a career hell-bent on upsetting the establishment—recounts the true story of the all-consuming sexual obsession that blossomed between a hotel owner and his new employee in 1936 Tokyo.The sex sceneHow do we pick just one? A marvel of escalation, In the Realm of the Senses is an almost constant stream of increasingly perverse sex acts. To isolate any moment from the maelstrom of deviant (and unsimulated) behavior would be arbitrary by default. Nevertheless, we’d argue the sequence that most pushes the boundaries occurs when Kichizo (Fuji) inserts a hard-boiled egg into the vagina of his new bride, Sada (Matsuda), in full view of the people serving them dinner. He then instructs Sada to squat like a hen and lay the egg on the floor before he eats it. In most films, the pain that Sada experiences would immediately classify the act as sexual assault, but In the Realm of the Senses renders our judgments irrelevant.Why is it so groundbreaking?Even for generations raised on free Internet porn, the acts on display in Oshima’s movie are still taboo. In the Realm of the Senses was the first nonpornographic film to include blow jobs, and there’s a very graphic one prior to the scene of food insertion.
But it’s only when you watch that egg disappear that you begin to comprehend the full extent of the film’s transgression.— David Ehrlich. Director: Paul VerhoevenBedfellows: Sharon Stone, a short skirt, a bunch of drooling detectivesThe filmSharon Stone stars as writer Catherine Tramell, a noirish femme fatale suspected of murdering a music mogul with an ice pick during a bondage sex session.The sex sceneEven if you haven’t seen the film, you know the scene: Stone is being questioned by five cops and she’s eating them alive. Dressed to kill in a slinky white suit, she basically performs a striptease, slipping off her jacket as she bats their questions aside.
Finally she uncrosses and recrosses her legs, showing them—and us—that her lips are sealed (sorry).Why is it so groundbreaking?The scene is one of the most controversial and iconic of the 1990s. Basic Instinct was championed by feminist critic Camille Paglia, who argued that it features “one of the great performances by a woman in screen history.” Others called it misogynist.— Cath Clarke.
Director: Martin ScorseseBedfellows: Willem Dafoe, Barbara HersheyThe filmBluntly adapting Nikos Kazantzakis’s novel of the same name, Scorsese’s most controversial film portrays the Son of God as a fallible man, liable to the vices and temptations with which all human beings must contend.The sex sceneWhile nailed to the cross, an angel appears to Jesus and leads him on a guided hallucination of the life he might have lead. That life includes Jesus fathering a child with Mary Magdalene, and it turns out that sex is the best way to do that. Sure, it’s all a dream, and thus rather theologically protected, but that didn’t stop people from losing their minds over it.Why is it so groundbreaking?It’s Jesus Christ having sex. That’s not exactly what he’s known for.— David Ehrlich. Director: Frank CapraNot-quite-bedfellows: Claudette Colbert, Clark GableThe filmA slapstick comedy starring Claudette Colbert as a spoiled heiress running away to elope with the wrong guy. Clark Gable is the disgraced reporter she meets on the bus to New York City.
Her plan changes.The sex sceneNo sex here, just a tricky situation: Colbert and Gable are forced to spend the night together in a hotel room (pretending to be husband and wife) when their bus breaks down. Gable hangs a sheet between their twin beds for modesty’s sake.Why is it so groundbreaking?Because sheet or no sheet, this was the era of Hays Code censorship, intended to stamp any whiff of misbehavior.— Cath Clarke. Director: Gustav MachatyBedfellows: Hedy Lamarr, Aribert MogThe filmCzech director Machaty’s overheated melodrama about an impotent husband, a frisky young wife and the beau who spots her skinny-dipping made an international icon of 19-year-old Hedy Kiesler. Customs burned an uncensored print, but it didn’t stop MGM’s Louis B.
Mayer from signing up the starlet, renaming her Hedy Lamarr and launching a new Hollywood goddess.The sex sceneHedy’s much-cut nude swimming brought her notoriety, though even more groundbreaking is a semiclothed love scene, where the camera rests on her face as passion mounts. Note also the highly symbolic string of pearls falling to the floor.Why is it so groundbreaking?It’s nothing less than the first onscreen female orgasm.— Trevor Johnston. Director: Bernardo BertolucciFloorfellows: Marlon Brando, Maria SchneiderThe filmBertolucci’s steamy tale of two strangers meeting in a Paris flat for impersonal sex remains a byword for confrontational coupling onscreen.The sex sceneBrando pins Schneider facedown on a hardwood floor and indulges his fondness for dairy products in an unforgettable fashion. You’ll never look at cinema sex—or read the word “unsalted”—the way same again.Why is it so groundbreaking?A pipe bomb of an art film, Last Tango in Paris will always be controversial. Even at its 1972 debut at the New York Film Festival, there were screams, walkouts, calls for banning and weeks of media handwringing on TV and in print. More recently, a 2013 clip of a Bertolucci confessing to not telling Schneider ahead of time about the butter moment (“he had to rape her in a wayI wanted her to feel, not to act”), caused a massive outcry online. With even its own director admitting to guilt over the scene, it’s understandable for the sexual violence to be a deal-breaker for even the most open-minded viewer.
But there’s no denying the rawness of both performances in that moment; one could argue that Schneider suffered hugely for it, so to reject the movie is to reject her sacrifice. More crucially, the scene is dramatically motivated: a primal exchange of power and vulnerability. It’s as complex as the entire movie.— Joshua Rothkopf. Director: Lawrence KasdanBedfellows: Kathleen Turner, William HurtThe filmA decade before launched the era of the mainstream erotic thriller, Lawrence Kasdan reinvented film noir for a sophisticated modern audience with this sweaty tale of scheming femmes fatales.The sex sceneAfter chasing her around for days like a puppy in heat, Hurt’s smug lawyer Ned Racine finally tracks temptress Matty Walker (Turner) to her lair. Enticed by her come-hither eyes (“You’re not too smart, are you?
I like that in a man”), he smashes a window and dives into her waiting arms.Why is it so groundbreaking?Most movies use sex either as cheap titillation or as a form of punctuation. In Body Heat, it’s all about character.
These characters are both playing roles here: he, the mad-with-lust macho man; she, the shrinking coquette. The thing is, only one of them knows it’s all an act.— Tom Huddleston. Director: Larry ClarkBedfellows: Leo Fitzpatrick, Sarah HendersonThe filmClark’s disturbingly frank study of middle-class teens running wild in NYC is still shocking two decades later.The sex sceneIn the film’s very first scene, self-proclaimed “virgin surgeon” Telly (Fitzpatrick) talks his way into deflowering his latest victim, an unnamed 12-year-old girl. His gruesome voiceover (“fucking is what I love”) makes the moment even more unsettling.Why is it so groundbreaking?Because it still feels completely, unnervingly real. Future director Harmony Korine was just 19 when he penned the script and the result proved hugely controversial, with Clark accused of flirting with child pornography.
Whatever your take on it, Kids walks a striking balance between beauty and horror.— Tom Huddleston. Director: Gerard Damiano (as Jerry Gerard)Bedfellows: Linda Lovelace, Harry ReemsThe filmPossibly the most famous X-rated film of all time, comedic sex-romp Deep Throat stars 23-year-old Lovelace as a woman who discovers her clitoris is in her throat.The sex sceneLinda is unable to orgasm, so she pays a visit to a psychiatrist, Dr. Young (Reems)—a real kook but horny as hell. He discovers her unusual condition. His solution? A technique called “deep throat.” He suggests Linda practice on him.Why is it so groundbreaking?Deep Throat brought hard-core sex to the mainstream.
Celebs like Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson and Truman Capote went to see it, as did millions more. The clampdown— Deep Throat was banned in certain parts of the U.S.—only fueled the phenomenon. Shot for $25,500 (of mob money), it made an estimated $500 million at the box office. Years later, the film was still making headlines when Lovelace claimed that her then-husband Chuck Traynor forced her into taking part.— Cath Clarke. Director: Hal AshbyBedfellows: Ruth Gordon, Bud CortThe filmThis is the hippyish story of what happens when depressive, death-obsessed rich boy Harold (Cort) meets Maude (Gordon) an optimistic, happy-go-lucky 79-year-old.The sex sceneDirector Hal Ashby’s original script included a full-blown sex scene between Harold and Maude, but the studio put its foot down. So we have to make do with a postcoital scene.
While Maude sleeps, Harold sits up in bed blowing bubbles.Why is it so groundbreaking?Without Harold and Maude, there would be no Rushmore or Almost Famous. And when was the last time you saw a movie that treated the sexual desires of a woman over 60 as something other than the butt of a joke?— Cath Clarke. Director: Alfred HitchcockBedfellows: Cary Grant, Eva Marie SaintThe filmCary Grant is the debonair ad man mistaken for a secret agent by a group of foreign spies in Hitchcock’s espionage thriller. Eva Marie Saint is the platinum blond he meets on the run.The sex sceneIt’s the most famous double entendre in cinema: On cross-country train, Grant and Saint snuggle in a sleeper car. Grant pulls her up on to the bed just Hitch cuts to the train plunging into a tunnel.
Geddit?Why is it so groundbreaking?For its sheer audacity alone. In 1959, such things were simply not allowed. And this is a scene that leaves a lasting impression: Without North by Northwest, we wouldn’t have all those crude Airplane! sight gags.— Cath Clarke. Director: Trey ParkerBedfellows: Two puppetsThe filmSouth Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone tackle the War on Terror through the medium of herky-jerky all-strings-attached puppetry.The sex sceneHaving been recruited by the titular forces of truth, justice and heavy weaponry, greatest-actor-of-his-generation Gary finds himself attracted to his quip-happy comrade, Lisa. It’s not long before the two of them are getting together for a night of steamy and surprisingly flexible passion.Why is it so groundbreaking?In a scene seemingly designed to set creator Gerry Anderson spinning in his grave, these two perverted Pinocchios run the gamut of eye-opening acrobatic indulgence.
Insert your own “getting wood” joke here.— Tom Huddleston. Director: Stephen FrearsBedfellows: Daniel Day-Lewis, Gordon WarneckeThe filmThis mid-1980s London-set British comedy tackles issues of race, sexuality and politics with a pleasingly light touch as it tells the story of Omar (Warnecke), a young British-Pakistani man seduced by the capitalist dream—David Ehrlichspite his father being a left-wing radical. That’s not all he’s seduced by: He falls for Johnny (Day-Lewis), a local roughneck whose aggression and racism mask tenderness.The sex sceneWhen Omar’s uncle opens a gleaming new laundry, Omar and Johnny fall into each other’s arms in the back room as the opening party kicks off next door.Why is it so groundbreaking?Frears presents an interracial, same-sex relationship as nothing special: not an issue, not a dilemma—just fun, youthful and impulsive.— Dave Calhoun. Director: Nagisa OshimaBedfellows: Charlotte Rampling, a chimpanzeeThe filmHaving brushed aside sexual taboos with Empire of the Senses, Japanese maverick Oshima subsequently posited a bourgeois wife’s love affair with our nearest animal relative (courtesy of vivid prosthetic costumery). Aware that our imaginations are filthier than anything they could put onscreen, the filmmakers deliver an urbane comedy of manners facilitated by Rampling’s ability to seem like she’s always up for anything.The sex sceneWhen hubby discovers Rampling in her secret Parisian love nest, he pulls back the sheets to reveal her simian playmate.Why is it so groundbreaking?How many comedies about bestiality are there?— Trevor Johnston. Director: Rob ReinerBoothfellows: Meg Ryan, with an audience of Billy CrystalThe filmUp there with Some Like it Hot and Annie Hall, this is one of the all-time rom-com greats.
Sally (Ryan) and Harry (Crystal) stay friends for over 12 years—through traumas, break-ups and divorce—before they realize they’re made for each other.The sex sceneNot a sex scene, per se. We’re talking about the famous fake orgasm in Katz’s Deli, in which squeaky-clean Ryan reaches a screaming climax (presumably over the pastrami).Why is it so groundbreaking?Female orgasms had always been a no-no in the movies. Scriptwriter Nora Ephron ingeniously dodged the problem by taking the climax out of the bedroom. And without her masterpiece of script, stuffed with one-liners and heartfelt life lessons, we’d have no Knocked Up.— Cath Clarke. Director: Adrian LyneBedfellows: Kim Basinger, Mickey RourkeThe filmAn ’80s version of, Lyne’s soft-core erotic classic chronicles the brief relationship between a wealthy Wall Street arbitrator (Rourke, still human) and the young art-gallery employee (Basinger) he bends to his will.The sex sceneToday, the kids call it “sploshing.” Revisiting a foodie motif from earlier in the film, Rourke sits Basinger at the foot of his refrigerator and begins feeding her all sorts of squishy, gooey foods (anything that you wouldn’t want to eat in bed is fair game). Basinger slurps strawberries out of Rourke’s hand as the Newbeats’ “Bread and Butter” plays over the soundtrack. It’s all fun and games until Rourke switches to honey and the two lovers begin tasting each other.Why is it so groundbreaking?Featuring the sex scene that launched a thousand imitators, Nine 1/2 Weeks did for food what Marilyn Monroe did for blonds.— David Ehrlich.
Director: Spike LeeBedfellows: Lee, Rosie PerezThe filmA Bedford-Stuyvesant block explodes on the most sweltering day of the summer, as a local pizzeria becomes a magnet for racial tensions.The sex sceneLong before the movie eases into its more serious register, delivery boy Mookie (Lee) goes AWOL from his route, teasing girlfriend Tina (Perez) with dripping ice cubes skillfully applied to bared parts of her body.Why is it so groundbreaking?The scene, no doubt, gave plenty of couples a few new ideas. It's also a perfectly judged comic interlude—a refresher, if you will—in a tightly plotted drama. But for all the nudity on display, it never feels gratuitous. Rather, it's a crucial reminder of the joys we have to live for.— Joshua Rothkopf.
Director: John Cameron MitchellOrgyfellows: Too many participants to nameThe filmDetermined to make a place for sex in cinema outside of pornography, John Cameron Mitchell created this panorama of sexual problems and possibilities centered around an underground salon in New York City.The sex sceneIn the midst of a citywide power outage, everything comes together in a final climax of togetherness. The characters arrive one by one, wordlessly smiling at each other and approaching one last sexual burst. A band arrives, the tempo quickens, and the room spins. Happiness is a chorus and an orgy.Why is it so groundbreaking?Explicit, unsimulated sex isn’t always pornography.
All of Shortbus makes this argument. The point here is sex as character development, as metaphor, as art. It’s something filmmakers shouldn’t be afraid of.— Daniel Walber. Director: Hal AshbyBedfellows: Jane Fonda, Jon VoightThe filmAshby’s antiwar drama escaped from the colossal shadow of by virtue of its intimate focus on the blossoming affair between an army wife and the paraplegic soldier she meets when her husband is serving in Vietnam.The sex sceneIn what Variety described at the time as “a masterpiece of discreet romantic eroticism,” Sally (Fonda) and Luke (Voight) finally consummate their burgeoning romance. His handicap is the elephant in the room, but it does nothing to diminish the quality of their sex—in fact, Sally enjoys her first orgasm.Why is it so groundbreaking?The Vietnam War returned a generation of American men back to their lives with devastating wounds, physical and otherwise. Coming Home was the first film to confront this epidemic, targeting men at their most sensitive areas in order to illustrate that they may be wounded, but they’re still alive.— David Ehrlich. Director: Paul Thomas AndersonBedfellows: Mark Wahlberg, Julianne MooreThe filmLaunching PTA into the firmaments, this epic rise-and-fall saga of big-dicked, small-brained Dirk Diggler depicts the porn industry’s comedown into the age of home video.The sex sceneFor his first sex scene, Diggler (Wahlberg) is paired with veteran porn icon Amber Waves (Moore).
As the astonished crew witnesses the emergence of a major new talent, Amber’s warm maternal instincts help put her young costar at ease. The movie is full of professional penetration, but this scene—the Big Bang at the beginning of Dirk’s new life—is unique for its sweetness.Why is it so groundbreaking?Released just before the Internet pulled porn into its most popular incarnation, Boogie Nights arrived at the perfect time to make adult movies feel cool again. The film is hardly a blind endorsement for the industry, but watching an actor of Moore’s caliber disappear into a scene like this introduced a little sincerity into smut.— David Ehrlich. Director: Tinto Brass, Bob Guccione, Giancarlo LuiBedfellows: Anneka di Lorenzo, Lori WagnerThe filmHere’s a Hollywood curiosity: a historical drama chronicling the depraved reign of the Roman emperor who fell in love with his sister.
It all looks so proper on paper, with literary heavyweight Gore Vidal writing the script and British thespians Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren, Peter O’Toole and Sir John Gielgud starring. But Caligula was bankrolled to the tune of $10 million of by Penthouse boss Bob Guccione, who, unhappy with the film, secretly filmed explicit scenes after the shoot wrapped.
These days we can choose between the arty and hard-core versions.The sex sceneFrom the latter cut, naturally, comes the famous lesbian scene, starring Penthouse Pets Anneka di Lorenzo and Lori Wagner, who engage in a three-minute romp with zero relevance to the plot.Why is it so groundbreaking?Caligula was panned by critics, Variety calling it “a moral holocaust.” Banned in the U.K. For 30 years, the film is now a cult classic. Helen Mirren described it as “an irresistible mix of art and genitals.” In 2005, the artist Francesco Vezzoli made a trailer for a fake remake starring Mirren and Milla Jovovich.— Cath Clarke.
Director: Fred ZinnemannBeachfellows: Deborah Kerr, Burt LancasterThe filmAs the U.S. Navy prepares to meet a date with destiny at Pearl Harbor, an upstanding officer (Lancaster) gets a in a little too deep with his CO’s wife (Kerr).The sex sceneTheir relationship reaches its onscreen climax during a day at the beach, as these two illicit paramours get freaky in the sand. There’s no actual action, just a discreet fade to black.Why is it so groundbreaking?It’s not just the sight of an unmarried couple making out like a pair of slippery sea otters. The scene itself is also surprisingly steamy for classic-era Hollywood, with those skimpy costumes and all that crashing metaphorical surf.— Tom Huddleston. Director: John WatersBedfellows: Cookie Mueller, Danny MillsThe filmThere's only room in Baltimore for one person to claim the title of Filthiest Person Alive. Will it be Divine's Babs Johnson or jealous sleazoids the Marbles?The sex sceneCookie (Mueller) infiltrates the pink trailer and hooks up with Crackers (Mills), a taste-challenged layabout.
Their sex is wild, no doubt enhanced by the presence of a live, squawking chicken that gets crushed in between the wildly humping duo.Why is it so groundbreaking?Pink Flamingos remains one of the most controversial films ever made—particularly for a moment at the very end that has nothing to do with sex. (We won't poop on anyone's pleasure by ruining it.) But the chicken-sex scene is impossible to forget, no doubt contributing to the movie's notoriety and world-wide bannings.— Joshua Rothkopf. Director: Steven ShainbergBedfellows: Maggie Gyllenhaal, James SpaderThe filmA hard-charging lawyer (Spader) hires an unstable young assistant (Gyllenhaal) who turns the tables on him in a sadomasochistic relationship conducted after hours.The sex sceneViewers are treated to some rather sweet body-worshipping by film's end, but most remember it for Gyllenhaal bent over a desk, slowly sliding down her panties.Why is it so groundbreaking?Consensual dominance and submission is the undercurrent of many indie films. Impressively, though, Secretary does double duty: It celebrates the occasionally violent intimacy between two partners while somehow launching the career of a fully empowered female actor, Gyllenhaal, who's never less than confident. Will have to be extra impressive to eclipse this.— Joshua Rothkopf. Director: Stanley KubrickBedfellows: Lots of naked extrasThe filmStanley Kubrick’s final movie follows a wealthy Manhattan doctor (Tom Cruise) as he embarks on an unfulfilled sexual odyssey after learning that his wife (Nicole Kidman) was once tempted by a sailor.The sex sceneFor a movie about sex, Eyes Wide Shut doesn’t have all that much of it—if anything, the hero’s journey into the New York night is an epic tour of missed opportunities. Be that as it may, apparently there was still too much sex for the MPAA, who slapped the film with an NC-17.
Warner Bros.’ solution? Obscure much of the iconic orgy sequence with dark CGI silhouettes. Kubrick had only been in his grave a few months, but it’s safe to assume he was already rolling in it.Why is it so groundbreaking?Digitally altering a sex scene without the informed consent of the film’s director sets a mighty dangerous precedent.
Even worse are the flourishes that future filmmakers have since agreed to: Remember Leslie Mann’s computer-generated breasts in? Follow-up question: Remember The Change-Up?— David Ehrlich. Director: Adrian LyneBedfellows: Diane Lane, Olivier MartinezThe filmA wealthy suburban NYC couple dissolves when wife Connie (Lane) finds herself drawn to the libidinous charms of French used-books-seller Paul (Martinez).The sex sceneThe movie is loaded with illicit trysts but the sexiest thing in Unfaithful is Lane's flushed face as she rides Metro-North home, the memories of a sweaty afternoon playing in her head.Why is it so groundbreaking?Director Lyne made his reputation with, so it's nice to see him giving the power (and our sympathies) to a noncrazy female for a change. There's also something daring about demoting Richard Gere to the role of cuckold. For her sensitive portrayal, Lane got all the way to a Best Actress Oscar nomination.— Joshua Rothkopf.
Director: Russ MeyerBedfellows: Edy Williams, David GurianThe filmRocking girl group the Carrie Nations heads to L.A. To make their fortune, but the wild party scene and its attendant pleasures prove a distraction to discipline.The sex sceneRapacious pornstar Ashley St. Ives (Williams) puts the moves on band manager Harris (Gurian), sidling up to him in a Rolls-Royce, inviting him to the back seat and shedding her panties for some shrieky, orgiastic coupling.Why is it so groundbreaking?Recently name-checked by a blushing Martin Scorsese in, this Roger Ebert-scripted melodrama scores comical points for interjecting brand consciousness in the squealing ('There's nothing like a Rolls!' Boobs king Meyer made racier movies than this, but Dolls hits the cult G-spot.— Joshua Rothkopf. Director: Wong Kar-waiBedfellows: Tony Leung, Leslie CheungThe filmWong won Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival for this romantic whirlwind, starring Leung and Cheung as two Hong Kong expats living in Buenos Aires.The sex sceneThe two leads are in bed on a hot South American night.
First they kiss, with an explicit passion somewhat unprecedented in the filmography of a director whose masterpieces are frequently more about longing. Then they grow mad together. It is as abruptly erotic as their relationship, rocking in bed with reckless abandon.Why is it so groundbreaking?Leung was a huge star in Hong Kong at the time, and had never done something quite so transgressive as starring in a gay romance. Pop star Cheung, on the other hand, had not yet publicly acknowledged his bisexuality. The same year that Happy Together played Cannes, he would tell a concert audience about his relationship with Daffy Tong Hok-Tak, the man who would remain his partner until Cheung’s untimely death in 2003.— Daniel Walber. Director: Ken RussellBedfellows: Oliver Reed, Alan BatesThe filmD.H.
Lawrence’s 1920 novel about the love lives of two sisters is given a sensual spin by British director Russell (working with pioneering gay playwright Larry Kramer).The sex sceneIt’s become infamous: Rupert (Bates) and Gerald (Reed) sit in a drawing room next to a roaring fire. Gerald: “I have a feeling that if I don’t watch myself, I’ll do something silly.” Next thing you know, they’re wrestling each other nude, rolling on the floor and slapping each other. “Was it too much for you?” asks Gerald at the end.Why is it so groundbreaking?It’s not actually sex, but the metaphor is so strong it’s almost laughable these days. At the time, though, this must have seemed pretty trangressive. Russell gave us the ultimate movie bromance before anyone had even invented the word.— Dave Calhoun.
Director: Just JaeckinBedfellows: Sylvia Kristel and various othersThe filmThis hugely popular slice of 1970s French erotica tells of Emmanuelle (Kristel), an expat living in Thailand who liberally sleeps with men and women—mostly for our pleasure, of course.The sex sceneIt’s more the buildup of sex scenes that made Emmanuelle such a hot property. Moments of masturbation, several lesbian scenes and a shot of a woman smoking a cigarette with her vagina fell foul of the censors.Why is it so groundbreaking?It’s the life the film had, and the imitators it spawned, that wins it a place on this list. Swimming in the wake of the more respectable, it brought soft-core porn into the mainstream and lent respectability to big-screen erotica, even if most critics thought it was poorly made and questionable in its intentions.— Dave Calhoun. Director: John CarpenterBedfellows: P.J. Soles, John Michael GrahamThe filmCarpenter’s low-budget thriller about a faceless serial killer with a taste for teens may not have been the first slasher flick, but its huge success popularized the genre.The sex sceneWhen chatty high-schooler Linda (Soles) and her boneheaded boyfriend Bob (Graham) get down to business in her parents’ bed, they have no idea that a killer is lurking downstairs.
To paraphrase, at least they get off before they get offed.Why is it so groundbreaking?Whether Carpenter intended it or not, Halloween marked a key moment in the rollback of the ’60s dream. No longer were sybaritic, sexually promiscuous teens something to be celebrated. In an increasingly conservative era, their indecency would instead lead to an abrupt and bloody death, with only the virginal heroine spared.— Tom Huddleston. Director: Crispin Glover and David BrothersBedfellows: Steven C. Director: Eiichi YamamotoBedfellows: Aladdin, MiriamThe filmOsamu Tezuka, creator of and a true legend of Japanese animation, cowrote this epic Arabian Nights fantasy tracing the misadventures (mostly sexual) of happy-go-lucky Aladdin, who tangles with a bodaceous slave girl, a clothes-shedding redheaded female warrior, and a whole island of naked nymphs. The psychedelic visuals suggest that hallucinogens had made their way to Tokyo by 1969.The sex sceneHaving rescued curvy Miriam from being sold to the highest bidder, Aladdin gets her alone and the animation turns extremely trippy: Think purple skin tones and lots of floral motifs.Why is it so groundbreaking?A mind-blowing precursor to today’s hentai subgenre.— Trevor Johnston. Director: David CronenbergBedfellows: James Spader, Holly HunterThe filmDavid Cronenberg’s darkly comic adaptation of J.G.
Ballard’s 1973 novel explores the subversive sexual potential in car wrecks.The sex sceneThere are a number of appropriate moments in this edge-of-madness, edge-of-genius antidrama. But the scene in which Spader rubs himself up against the stitched wound of fellow accident victim Hunter’s leg in a car park has to be the most worryingly memorable.Why is it so groundbreaking?Wound sex. Do we really need to expound on that? Okay, fine: Cronenberg has always concerned himself with perversions of the flesh. His deeper idea, still provocative, is that we’d come to enjoy those perversions and not hold them at arm’s length. In a movie expressly about a death cult, Cronenberg weds tortured flesh with glittering metal in a way that’s unnerving.— Joshua Rothkopf. Director: Paul WeitzBedfellows: Jason Biggs, Shannon ElizabethThe filmThis chirpy high-school virgin-com follows four pals desperate to get their respective rocks off before graduation.The sex sceneWe could have gone for the scene that gave American Pie its title, because—let’s face it—the sight of a teenager screwing baked goods remains pretty groundbreaking.
But instead we prefer the moment where Jim (Biggs) is seduced by his flexible East European houseguest (Elizabeth), but sadly steps off the love train a stop or two early.Why is it so groundbreaking?Singlehandedly delivering raunchy teen sex comedies to the doorstep of the 21st century, the visionary centerpiece scene of American Pie didn’t just cement the movie as the Risky Business of its generation, it also anticipated how the Internet would change sex forever. (If not necessarily for better. Sorry, Jim).— David Ehrlich. Director: Derek CianfranceBedfellows: Ryan Gosling, Michelle WilliamsThe filmDerek Cianfrance’s hipster drama gives us the the five-year marriage between Dean (Gosling) and Cindy (Williams), moving back and forth in time, seeing how the couple came together and fell apart.The sex sceneIn the happier early days, Dean goes down on Cindy: Gosling pulls down Williams’s panties and shoves his face in there.Why is it so groundbreaking?Oral sex (of the man going down on a woman variety) has always been a taboo in Hollywood. The MPAA slapped a NC-17 rating on Blue Valentine for its cunnilingus scene. That, according to Ryan Gosling, was blatant sexism and misogyny: “There's plenty of oral sex scenes in a lot of movies, where it's a man receiving it from a woman, and they're R-rated. Ours is reversed and somehow it's perceived as pornographic.”— Cath Clarke.
Director: William FriedkinClubfellows: Al Pacino, Richard Cox, James RemarThe filmWilliam Friedkin’s tawdry detective thriller stars Al Pacino as an undercover cop on a mission to uncover a killer in New York City’s gay leather scene. Inevitably, he gets in too deep.The sex sceneBefore anything untoward happens to the bewildered straight-boy lead, Friedkin features explicit sex in the leather clubs of NYC’s then-infamous Meatpacking District. While the director claims 40 minutes were cut (including footage taken in real sex clubs), the finished film does include shots lifted from gay pornography.Why is it so groundbreaking?Cruising has always had a troubled reputation and was protested by the gay community upon its release.
Over the years, that tide has somewhat turned: The movie is a landmark of gay representation, despite the plot’s more formulaic gestures. Cruising’s dark mood persists in the imagination.— Daniel Walber. Director: Ken RussellBedfellows: A lot of nunsThe filmRussell’s enduringly controversial masterpiece revisits the severe religious hysteria of 17th-century France, where a priest is bequeathed control of a small rural city only to find himself the defendant in a witchcraft trial.The sex sceneThe local nuns, convinced that they have been possessed by the devil, are having their demons exorcised by a witch hunter. But when their psychosomatic condition remains unresolved, they promptly descend into an orgiastic fever, some of them using a giant crucifix as a dildo, commencing a sequence that has since become known as the Rape of Christ.Why is it so groundbreaking?Russell’s defenestration of the church remains one of the most ruthless attacks on organized religion the cinema has ever seen. By using unfettered sexual mania as the catalyst for his jeremiad, Russell insured that he would whip viewers into a frenzy on par with the one he was depicting onscreen (albeit a frenzy of a different kind). The scene was cut by Warner Bros.
Before they submitted the film to the British Board of Film Censors, and subsequently thought to be lost—until several decades later, film critic Mark Kermode found the missing footage while researching a documentary on Russell.— David Ehrlich. Director: Ralph BakshiBedfellows: A randy cat and three bitches (literally—they’re dogs)The filmRalph Bakshi’s adaptation of Robert Crumb’s raunchy comic strip is a crazy romp through gritty 1970s New York City and the first animated feature to ever receive an X rating.The sex sceneFritz picks up three women (well, anthropomorphic lady dogs) in Washington Square Park and takes them to a chill party happening around the corner in a friend’s apartment. Fritz successfully seduces the bunch in private, but it isn’t long before the rest of the guests find their way in.Why is it so groundbreaking?There’s a lot in Fritz the Cat that hasn’t exactly aged well, particularly its Tarantino-but-brasher statements on race relations.
Yet most of that comes later. The madcap, sexually explicit opening sequences are lively, entertaining and refreshing beacons of dangerous adult content in the world of feature animation.— Daniel Walber. Director: Michael WinterbottomBedfellows: Kieran O’Brien, Margo StilleyThe filmA love story?
Or a porn film? Michael Winterbottom’s indie romance has been called both for its portrayal of a twentysomething couple in London having sex (real-life rather than simulated) and then going out to gigs.The sex sceneTake your pick.
The film splits half and half between sex and nonsex (the latter heavy on concert footage). Possibly the most memorable sex scene is a foot job in the bathtub.Why is it so groundbreaking?9 Songs is the most sexually explicit mainstream ever made in the U.K., with star O’Brien becoming the first man to be shown ejaculating. It caused a furor, but here’s Winterbottom, defending the film at Cannes: “Books deal explicitly with sex, as they do with any other subject. Cinema has been extremely conservative and prudish.
Part of the point of making the film was to say, ‘What’s wrong with showing sex?’”— Cath Clarke. Director: Vasili PichulBedfellows: Natalya Negoda, Andrei SokolovThe filmPichul’s nihilistic drama, an enduring emblem of the Soviet Union during perestroika, follows a wild Russian girl as she falls in love with a man whom her family violently disapproves of.The sex sceneVera (Negoda) straddles atop of Sergei (Sokolov) in a hostel room, rocking back and forth on top of him as they coolly discuss the recent lunch at which she had introduced him to her parents. Vera informs Sergei that she told them she was pregnant, and continues riding him while he tries to suss out whether or not Vera was lying to her family.Why is it so groundbreaking?The reasons why Little Vera caused such a stir are largely contextual—the scene where a topless Vera gets into some cowgirl action with the man of her dreams flew in the face of puritanical censors.
Though it’s quite chaste by today’s standards, it was considered the most blunt and unvarnished sex scene the Russian cinema had ever produced. More than anything, it’s the casualness with which Vera treats the encounter that shocks people most.— David Ehrlich. Director: The WachowskisBedfellows: Gina Gershon, Jennifer TillyThe filmThe Wachowskis’ small-scale crime thriller unites two women—a convicted thief and a mobster’s wife—in pursuit of $2 million and a new life together.The sex sceneCorky (Gershon) and Violet (Tilly) fall into love and lust at first sight. It’s not long before they end up on Corky’s mattress, out of the sight of Violet’s blowhard husband.Why is it so groundbreaking?Who is the femme fatale in a film noir with two female leads and a male villain? That’s hard to say, yet considering the question is one of Bound’s delicious attractions. (Even further, who’s butch and who’s femme?) Increasingly, this early entry in the Wachowskis’ filmography seems like the essential text in interpreting the siblings’ fluid way with gender and power.— Joshua Rothkopf.
Director: Dusan MakavejevBedfellows: Nancy Godfrey, Jim BuckleyThe filmU.S.-shot documentary footage combines with a madcap satire of modern Belgrade in this uncategorizable art-house favorite. Themed around the sexual and political theories of Wilhelm Reich, its heady mix includes Soviet propaganda clips, upsetting material filmed in insane asylums and even a psychotic Russian ice skater.The sex sceneMost notorious is when artist Godfrey makes a plaster cast of Screw editor Buckley’s erect penis.Why is it so groundbreaking?Buckley’s not-unimpressive member became the first ever to make it through the British film censors, though the film’s one and only U.K. TV showing two decades later saw his manhood hilariously masked by superimposed animation.— Trevor Johnston. Director: Derek Jarman and Paul HumfressBedfellows: Ken Hicks, Janusz RomanovThe filmGay British darling Jarman, working with Humfress, retells the story of St.
Sebastian on location in sunny Sardinia, entirely in Latin and with a homoerotic porn sheen lent to the whole affair.The sex sceneTwo men make love in the water and we see a flash of an erection. As an act of rebellion, it was a happy accident, as Jarman recalled: “We left in the hard-on during editing and the censor unknowingly passed it because it was at the bottom of the screen and we showed it to him in the wrong screen ratio.”Why is it so groundbreaking?Remember that homosexual acts were only decriminalized in the U.K. Eight years prior.
Sebastiane is frank and unapologetic about nudity and gay relationships, and proudly depicts same-sex lovemaking as fun and sensual.— Dave Calhoun. Director:Bedfellows: Dunham, David CallThe filmPre- Girls, this is the film that got Lena Dunham noticed. She writes, directs and stars as Aura, a twentysomething woman stuck in that who-am-I-and-what-am-I-doing? Postcollege phase.The sex sceneThey meet at work. She’s a hostess. He’s a chef and has a girlfriend. She lives with her mom.
So they go to a construction site and do the deed in a giant metal pipe, doggy style. Romantic it ain’t. “You don’t have AIDS, do you?” she asks when it’s all over.Why is it so groundbreaking?Trailblazing the way for Girls, this sex is frank and honest.
Lena Dunham is on a mission to normalize sex and in Tiny Furniture, it’s realistically awkward and embarrassing in a way we can all relate to.— Cath Clarke. Director: Paul VerhoevenPoolfellows: Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlanThe filmImpulsively violent drifter Nomi (Berkley) heads to Las Vegas, where she's enraptured by the nude dance shows and money—but there's always a cost.The sex sceneCasino big shot Zack (MacLachlan) has his eye on the hustling blond, an opportunity she seizes as they head to a private swimming pool. The splashy floundering that ensues is a high-point of ridiculously unreasonable expectations.Why is it so groundbreaking?This scene, like many in Showgirls, unifies the audience in a heightened state of hilarity.
It's not meant to be funny, but primo cheese like this is rare. Verhoeven's mainstream riskiness—no matter how tawdry—now seems like a thing of the past. He somehow managed to get his NC-17 ass-terpiece into malls, which is saying something.— Joshua Rothkopf. Director: Lisa CholodenkoBedfellows: Radha Mitchell, Ally SheedyThe filmMitchell plays Syd, a straight art-world ingenue who becomes tangled up in the tense emotional web of Lucy (Sheedy), a famous and reclusive photographer in Cholodenko’s debut feature.The sex sceneA trip out of the city for inspiration leads to a late night of wine and physical connection, in which Lucy coaxes Syd through sex. The “first gay experience” setup makes it lovably awkward and the performances give it beauty.Why is it so groundbreaking?What could feel clumsy is instead a triumph of apprehension and an almost eerie sense of foreboding (supplied by original music from Shudder to Think).
It’s a confident scene, a sign of strong vision early in Cholodenko’s filmography and perhaps a career-best moment from Sheedy.— Daniel Walber. Director: Alfred HitchcockBedfellows: Janet Leigh, John GavinThe filmAlfred Hitchcock’s genre-defining thrill-kill flick is most famous for its unforgettable shower scene, but there’s more here than meets the eye.The sex sceneIn a film crammed with Hollywood firsts—the early death of the heroine, the suggestion of necrophiliac incest, the practical use of a toilet—it’s the opening scene of unmarrieds Leigh and Gavin sharing a bed that really got moral watchdogs barking.Why is it so groundbreaking?The “offense” here is so minor to modern eyes, today’s viewer can almost miss it. After all, this a consensual couple, nuzzling in a hotel room, neither of them nude.
But for two actors to be in a single bed together was, in its own way, a quiet revolution in post–Hays Code Hollywood. Hitchcock knew he needed to supply heat and attraction to motivate the criminality to come.— Joshua Rothkopf. Director: Lars von TrierBedfellows: Willem Dafoe, Charlotte GainsbourgThe filmVon Trier’s tribute to Tarkovsky is a classic tale of parental tragedy: A young couple retreats to a wood cabin to cope with the loss of their child, they make friends with a self-cannibalizing fox, and then the woman destroys everyone’s genitalia with a rock and a pair of scissors.The sex sceneAntichrist opens with a balletic slow-motion sequence in which Mom and Dad (Gainsbourg and Dafoe) are too busy making love in the shower to notice their young son wander out of his crib and plummet out the window to his death. But, like, the sex looks really good.Why is it so groundbreaking?Antichrist wasn’t the first time that penetration had been graphically depicted in a theatrically released film (hell, it wasn’t even the first time that Von Trier had done it), but there’s something strikingly confrontational about the black-and-white classicism with which Antichrist depicted it. While it may first appear as though the scene demonizes the lustful mania of sex—not just any sex, married people sex—Von Trier’s stylization is eventually revealed to be the first arrow in the director’s quiver aimed at the nature of physical intimacy and its itinerant psychoses.— David Ehrlich.