What makes a sex scene sexy? Moreover, what makes a good sex scene? This has become a particularly thorny issue in recent years, as detailed descriptions of what goes on behind the scenes of the films we love complicate our relationship with their unforgettable moments.
Over the past 17 years, the world of cinema has gradually moved away from the male gaze, which for many years served as the default reference point for love, sex and everything that happens between people. There are a number of sex-positive, LGBT-friendly filmmakers emerging who make the sex scenes very intense and dynamic.
These are the moments that Indie Wire critics highlighted when they compiled a list of the 20 best sex scenes in cinema of the 19th century.
Secretary (2002)
The film details the blossoming sadomasochistic relationship between timid, shy secretary Lee and her extremely demanding boss Gray. When Mr. Gray speaks out against the development of their relationship, Lee is unwilling to give up his love. They turn the choice to be together into a truly tender love scene.
American Honey (2016)
The audience is presented with the story of an unhappy romance between a girl named Star and an adventurer named Jake. They become very close while traveling across the country in search of money and fun. On one particularly bad day, Jake saves Star. This gallant act ends with the couple driving off into the sunset in a stolen car. There they finally succumb to the force of attraction between them. The hazy, sensual, sexy scene is as exciting as it is dangerous.
Weekend (2011)
Andrew Gaig’s intimate and sensitive debut features at least two lavish sex scenes. One Friday after a night out with friends, Russell goes to a gay club in Nottingham and meets Glen there. The new lovers write their shared memories of that first night together. The rougher details become more intimate in the absence of others.
Her (2013)
The virtual love story from director Spike Jonze is one of the most influential, despite its digital component. Theodore and Samantha’s first “physical” meeting consists of talking about what he would do if they actually ended up together.
The screen goes dark as his descriptions become more detailed, allowing us to imagine the scenario as it is. “You feel real,” Theodore says before they begin. After all, what else matters?”
Squad America: World Police (2004)
Two members of the eponymous counter-terrorism organization engage in the most picturesque puppet sex imaginable. At first, with quiet sensuality, and then somewhat hyperbolically, they sing of their love. This scene is a good reminder that sex scenes can be very funny.
Love (2015)
The film has some of the most spectacular sex scenes ever filmed, but none of them were as erotic as the original trio. Filmed with a pulsating energy that captures the sensual attraction between the characters. The director creates a sex scene that seems like it could be a model for all of his characters’ relationships.
Anomalisa (2015)
Charlie Kaufman’s characters are deeply dangerous and flawed. These people are dolls who perform oral sex, feel uncomfortable, sweet and, most importantly, hope. You might not expect the sex scene in this movie to blow your mind. After all, two damaged souls finally realize that they have a chance for a deep human connection.
Gone Girl (2014)
Rosamund Pike stars in a fiendish sex scene from which she emerges as the sole survivor. The main characters have been married for five years now. During the anniversary celebration, one of the heroes of the occasion disappears. Traces of a struggle and a whole chain of clues were found in the house – every year the wife organized a “treasure hunt” for her husband.
Carol (2015)
Left at a quiet motel in Iowa, Carol stands behind Teresa and looks at her in the mirror before leaning forward and giving her a passionate kiss. She puts Teresa into bed, running her hands and lips over Teresa’s body. The scene is full of passion as the women just can’t get enough of each other, their bodies and hair tangled, their mouths pressed against each other, breathing out pure ecstasy.
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
A story about first love, filled with eroticism and romance at every turn, in which you can find the biblical forbidden fruit, which in the film represents not only the romance between Elio and Oliver, but also a ripe peach. The ripening of this fruit rhymes with Elio’s key awareness of his own sexuality.
Swimming Pool (2003)
François Ozon’s film resembles an erotic dream. But what makes it so sexy is the line that often blurs between what is secret desire and overt voluptuousness.
This is a dynamic in relation between a middle-aged British author and a sexually uninhibited French girl. In this scene, the camera explores the young woman’s glistening body, as if gently stroking her. We see the shadow of the main character standing over her, her eyes closed, she is masturbating…
Tiger Country (2000)
Farrell and his friends sneak into a strip club, where they encounter two incredibly thirsty young ladies. Roland announces that he has rented a hotel room where everyone is going to “fuck until the war is over.” It doesn’t last that long, but the four actors really get to have sex over and over again. This will help them understand that there is something better in this life than killing.
Moonlight (2016)
A very personal, almost intimate story that is devoid of impudence or vulgarity. This movie is, first of all, a call for understanding, and not the imposition of a categorical point of view. Sharon is a teenager experiencing her first sexual encounter.
The scene of their meeting becomes more a culmination of bliss than a culmination of passion. It’s a subtle moment of quiet peace for Sharon and perhaps the first moment he’s been allowed to truly lose himself in his own skin.
Dreamers (2003)
Three kids escape the hustle and bustle of Parisian student chaos by staying locked in their siblings’ apartments and playing every movie sex game possible. Matthew and Isabelle finally become close and take each other’s virginities. The further they dive, the more they distance themselves from the outside world.
Mulholland Drive (2001)
In Betty and Rita’s long-awaited love scene, we see that not only do they want each other, but on some cellular level that they can never fully understand, they cannot exist without each other. This scene conveys passive passion and frantic melancholy at once. The fact that there isn’t a single thread of clothing between them only makes the balancing act more impressive.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
On a Wyoming ranch in the 1960s, cowherd Jack and cook Ennis develop a strong bond with each other after drinking whiskey. Jack beckons Ennis into his tent. But Ennis faces a real mental battle in anticipation of intimacy. Yet he gives himself to Jack, whom he truly desires.
Blue Valentine (2010)
The soured romance between Dean and Cindy is explored through a series of flashbacks that paint a portrait of a very real relationship. In one of the film’s most intense sex scenes, Cindy lies on the edge of the bed, trembling as Dean slowly removes his boots one by one, removes his underwear and fondles her. There is no nudity in this scene, but instead we see Cindy’s pleasure, hearing her gasps and moans mixed with Dean’s muffled exhales.
And Your Mom Too (2001)
At the beginning of the film, the sexual confidence of the characters Julio and Tenoch is shown to be comical in comparison with the experienced Luisa. After this, the company reunites at the bar. And there, unlike the previous scenes, we see a passion that can burn, and an incredible unity of the guys, which can bring new aspects to their lives.
The Handmaiden (2016)
The film’s greatest intrigue is the relationship between Lady Hideki and her maid, and how they navigate their way through their hierarchical roles. The sex scene slowly builds around the two women’s ability – through dialogue – to become increasingly vulnerable and free from each other. Scenes with two women in the same bed take up about 40 minutes of the film’s running time. And it’s not sexy, but incredibly revealing.
The Life of Adele (2013)
Every moment of the sex scenes in this film are combined into one long hot sequence, leaving the viewer with warmth and an overall feeling of sensuality. The film is imbued with naturalism and all three of its languid lesbian sex scenes deserve medals. He captured the essence of female gay sex – inventive, spontaneous and unsurpassed in its intimacy.