The 35 Sexiest Movies of All Time

Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) and Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) are head over heels in love, but their life together is cut short when Sam is murdered by his business partner. Despite his death, Sam's spirit lives on alongside Molly through psychic Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg). Sam may not physically be there by Molly's side, but his ghost is, and Molly can feel everything when the ghost is with her.

There's a reason the scene where Molly is at the pottery wheel with Sam wrapped around her is one of the most iconic and sexiest in film history. It's too good.

In this strange, sensual movie, an American stripper and a London writer (played by Natalie Portman and Jude Law, respectively) fall in love after Portman is hit by a taxi in front of him, and despite the odd start, it turns into a relationship and a novel. Everything seems wonderful until the writer gets bored and transfers his attention to a gorgeous photographer (played by Julia Roberts).

This hot movie, based on the true story of Spain's first same-sex marriage on record, is a passionate tale of the great lengths someone will go to for the one they love. Elisa (Natalia de Molina) and Marcela (Greta Fernández) fall in love in the 1800s, at a time when same-sex relationships were just not allowed.

The two start as friends before realizing the sparks between them simply cannot be ignored. Over the years, their love for each other grows, until Elisa decides to pose as a man so she and Marcela can openly be together as a fake heterosexual couple.

Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, and Adam Rodriguez star as nearly naked hunks gyrating to dance music — do we even need to explain the appeal? Sure, this one is a lot darker than you'd probably expect, but that doesn't make it any less sexy.

This romance drama — which is about a cowboy and a ranch hand (Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger) falling in love and continuing that affair in secret for 20 years — is undoubtedly heartbreaking, but is also undeniably sexy. Honestly, who didn't want to try sex in a tent after watching this one?

In the 2000s classic "Love & Basketball," childhood friends Monica and Quincy both strive to play basketball professionally. They have two different personalities on the court, but off court, they begin to fall in love. However, their aspirations for basketball careers grow tensions between them.

Julianne Moore stars in this erotic thriller as a woman who — when she suspects her husband (played by Liam Neeson) isn't being faithful — hires a call girl (played by Amanda Seyfried) to see if she can tempt him into cheating. Spoiler alert: the call girl ends up tempting them both.

Before "Fifty Shades of Grey," there was "9 1/2 Weeks," which follows the increasingly erotic affair between Wall Street trader John (played by Mickey Rourke) and art gallery assistant Elizabeth (played by Kim Basinger). Make sure to keep yourself hydrated while you watch this one.

While on a trip to Sicily to save her marriage, Laura (Anna-Maria Sieklucka) is kidnapped by Massimo (Michele Morrone), the boss of a Sicilian crime family. He gives Laura 365 days to fall in love with him. And while plenty of this movie is highly questionable — the kidnapping, the consent, etc. — some parts are sexy.

A dominant personality in the bedroom can be incredibly appealing for the right person, and that's exactly what Massimo is for Laura. While this tryst would be a bit more acceptable if it didn't involve kidnapping, the fantasy of being held captive might tickle someone's fancy.

When Jung Ji-Woo receives a package that belongs to her co-worker (and secret crush) Jung Ji-Hoo by mistake, she's surprised to discover a dog leash in the box. While she suspects the leash might not actually be for a dog, she doesn't tell anyone about the contents of Ji-Hoo's package, and her discretion leads Ji-Hoo to tell her his secret: He's into BDSM and in search of a master.

As the pair enter into a three-month, purely business BDSM contract, the nature of their relationship is tested when their dom/sub plays become increasingly intense. Are they really just in a contractual relationship, or can their arrangement become something more? "Fifty Shades of Grey" fans will love this rom-com twist on the franchise's BDSM themes.

When two teens go on a road trip across Mexico with a woman in her late 20s and both begin a sexual relationship with her (as well as with each other), things are bound to get complicated. As well as being nominated for best original screenplay at the Academy Awards and best foreign language film at the Golden Globe Awards, this movie is undoubtedly one of the sexiest flicks of all time.

Based on the short story "Secretary" by Mary Gaitskill, this hilariously perverse film stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as a shy, sensitive woman named Lee who becomes the secretary for an eccentric attorney (played by James Spader) and soon finds herself swept into a wild BDSM relationship that eventually blossoms into something like love. Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey have nothing on these two.

This movie is a coming-of-age romance about a 15-year-old French teen who begins to explore her sexuality with an older art student whom she meets at a lesbian bar. Is it melodramatic? Yes. Is it incredibly intoxicating and very sexy? Absolutely.

When a sexy, mysterious crime novelist (played by Sharon Stone) becomes a murder suspect, she decides to seduce the homicide detective (Michael Douglas) to throw him off her trail. Though the famous leg-crossing scene has since been parodied many times over, there's still nothing like the sexiness of Stone's original move.

In this 2022 Netflix adaptation of the classic (and notoriously banned) book by D. H. Lawrence first published in 1928, an upper-class woman (Emma Corrin) who's woefully unfulfilled in her marriage begins an affair with her working-class gamekeeper (Jack O'Connell). The relationship opens her eyes to new levels of emotional and sexual connection.

A sexually unfulfilled retired schoolteacher (Emma Thompson) rents a hotel room and hires a young sex worker (Daryl McCormack) named Leo Grande to help her make all of her sexual dreams come true and, hopefully, have her first orgasm.

This erotic drama revolves around an aspiring writer and professional calligrapher with an odd fetish: writing on the human body. When her unhappy marriage reaches a boiling point, she escapes to Hong Kong, where she becomes a fashion model and engages in affairs with men willing to write on her body — until she finds her perfect match in an Englishman who allows her to write her stories on him.

When a corrupt lawyer and a married woman begin a passionate affair, the lawyer makes a plan to kill off his lover's husband with the help of one of his criminal clients. Unsurprisingly, things don't go exactly to plan, but that just makes this neo-noir thriller ever hotter.

Nola Darling is indecisive of what kind of man she wants. So, she settles on three . . . at the same time. Between the rich narcissist Greer Childs, stable family man Jamie Overstreet, and comical super nerd Mars Blackmon, Nola just can't pick one. They all seem to have something to give.

"Lust Stories" tells the story of four Indian women as they navigate modern love, courage, and relationships. The movie comes from four different directors and shares stories from all different stages of life, from years-long marriages to experiencing new sexual partners.

What happens when a woman fresh out of prison and a mobster's girlfriend begin a passionate love affair? They concoct a plan to rob that mobster of $2 million, of course, and that's exactly what happens in this neo-noir crime thriller.

In this movie, a manipulative telemarketing manager named Bridget decides to escape both her money troubles and her marriage by convincing her doctor husband to sell stolen pharmaceutical cocaine, then fleeing to Chicago with the profits. There she begins a sexual affair with a new man, whom she tricks into murdering her husband back in New York. We're not sure there's ever been a sexier, eviler villain than Bridget Gregory.

Anastasia Steele subs for her roommate to interview businessman Christian Grey. Grey finds himself infatuated with Anastasia and draws her into his world of intense sexual pleasures, which at times overstep Ana's boundaries.

This French film tells the story of a steamy lesbian romance between an aristocrat and a painter. Complete with gorgeous beach imagery and slow-burning attraction, it's a prime example of just how truly sexy period dramas can be.

In this period drama, King Henry VIII falls in love and is expecting a child with his mistress Mary, but Mary's sister, Anne, falls for Henry. What ensues is an incredibly dramatic and tangled-up love story.

This sexy film adaptation stars Gabrielle Union and Keith Powers in a forbidden-fruit situation when the two coworkers mix business and pleasure (in more ways than one). If you're a fan of Tia Williams's "The Perfect Find" novel, good news: the love scenes are just as spicy on screen as they are in the book.

"Passages" features Franz Rogowski, Ben Whishaw, and Adèle Exarchopoulos in a twisted and strange love triangle. While the three try to figure out where their relationships stand, they end up having a lot of steamy sex. It's a thoughtful and interesting exploration of relationship dynamics where the sexual chemistry on display is key to the drama.

This thriller stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane as a husband and wife whose relationship grows strained as the husband becomes increasingly suspicious of his wife's faithfulness. This movie seriously puts the "passion" in crime of passion.

Ryan Phillippe and Sarah Michelle Gellar may play step-siblings in this '90s classic, but that doesn't stop them from having major chemistry. Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair round out the cast as two of Phillippe's virginal conquests, and we guarantee that kissing scene between Gellar and Blair isn't one you'll soon forget.

This notoriously raunchy '90s flick follows two unlikely friends (played by Neve Campbell and Denise Richards) brought together by the desire to take down the same guy — and eventually, by their desire for each other. It's deliciously salacious and features a threesome that people are still talking about over 20 years later.

Set in 1968 Paris during the student riots, this dream-like romantic drama tells the story of an American exchange student who bonds with two Parisian twins and, when the twins' parents go away for a month, they invite Matthew to stay at their place. The result: a twisted love triangle that gets more complicated and erotic by the minute.

Set during During World War II, this sexy espionage drama follows a secret agent who's tasked with seducing — and then killing — an official who works for the Japanese puppet government in Shanghai. However, her mission becomes trickier when she engages in a wild love affair with him instead.

In this French thriller, a man cruising for sex in the woods surrounding a nude beach meets a handsome guy to whom he is instantly attracted — even when Franck accidentally sees his new love interest, Michel, drowning another man in the lake. The result is a modern-day Hitchcockian film that is both darkly humorous and irresistibly erotic.

Loosely based on Anaïs Nin's French book of the same name, this 1990 flick was the first movie ever to earn an NC-17 rating, so you know it's hot. "Henry & June" revolves around a love triangle involving author Henry Miller, his openly bisexual wife, June, and Anaïs Nin, who carries on an affair with both Henry and June. As you might expect, a little bit of tension develops, and not just the sexual kind.

This 1996 Indian film starring "Lost"'s Naveen Andrews and "And Just Like That"'s Sarita Choudhury, tells the coming of age of a princess and her servant. Through personal tragedy and triumph, "Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love" follows Maya and Tara's sexual awakening.

Corinne Sullivan is a former PS contributor.

Hedy Phillips is a PS contributor.

Charlotte Kho is a writer originally from Washington D.C. who spends her time watching classic Rom-Com movies, exploring art museums, and hunting for the best pizza in New York City.