10 Best Erotic Thrillers With Great Acting, Ranked

It’s unfortunate that the erotic thriller genre is often dismissed as nothing but populist trash, as it’s often that films that detail explicit sexual content require strong dramatic work from their actors. It’s very easy to make fun of critical duds like the Fifty Shades of Day trilogy or Indecent Proposal, but many erotic thrillers aspire to be compelling works of drama that feature insight on the human condition.

While it’s certainly true that many of the best depictions of intimate relationships on screen in recent years have been on television, erotic thrillers that truly rise above their competition generally require great acting from performers who are willing to make the commitment to be vulnerable on screen. These stars risk potential embarrassment, but at their best can do something truly brave and inspiring. Here are the ten best erotic thrillers with great acting, ranked.

10 ‘Dressed to Kill’ (1980)

Directed by Brian De Palma

Dressed to Kill is one of the many instances in which Brian De Palma challenged his actors to give performances that were both playfully tongue-in-cheek and surprisingly intense; it’s a film that rides the fine line between being a seedy work of exploitation and a genuinely introspective examination of gender dynamics. It was particularly interesting to see Michael Caine in the role of a sexual therapist, as many would have associated him with more standard period dramas.

Dressed to Kill is best remembered for the iconic femme fatale performance by Nancy Allen, whose work would have earned her more serious award season buzz if the Academy Awards did not have such an outstanding bias against erotic thrillers. Strong supporting work from Keith Gordon and Ken Baker ensure that Dressed To Kill is a classy affair, despite the inherent scuminess of the material.

Watch on Tubi

9 ‘American Gigolo’ (1980)

Directed by Paul Schrader

American Gigolo is a great character study about masculine anxiety and the dark side of the American dream that features an all-time great performance by Richard Gere, an actor who has never received the affection that he deserved for being one of the most defining leading men of his generation. Although the notion of making a film about male prostitution seemed inherently lurid, writer and director Paul Schrader made a surprisingly earnest examination of the gig economy that makes it expressly relevant today.

Gere was able to show how taxing it was to be judged for one’s body, giving a captivating performance that was surprisingly heartbreaking when it reaches its tragic conclusion. Although a recent television revival starring Jon Bernthal attempted to tell the same story, it didn’t capture the same uniquely haunting qualities of Gere’s nuanced work in the original classic.

Rent on Amazon

8 ‘Body Heat’ (1981)

Directed by Lawrence Kasdan

Body Heat was a bold move for director Lawrence Kasdan as a filmmaker, as his edgy screenplay about a tempestuous affair was far darker and more graphic than anything that he had written for Lucasfilm in The Empire Strikes Back or Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Body Heat succeeds thanks to the excellent chemistry between William Hurt and Kathleen Turner, who are able to convincingly play toxic lovers who are unable to separate their desires for one another. Hurt has played many charming leading men before, but he’s rarely been quite as aggressively affable; comparatively, Turner is able to elevate the “femme fatale” role into a heartbreakingly honest character whose capacity for greed only makes it more difficult for her to form serious relationships with those that she actually cares about. It’s hard to imagine any other stars taking on these iconic roles.

Rent on Amazon

7 ‘Fatal Attraction’ (1987)

Directed by Adrian Lyne

Fatal Attraction became one of the biggest hits of the 1980s for a reason, as the premise of a one-night stand gone awry seemed more terrifying than many of the horror films released that decade. Glenn Close’s performance as a spurned lover who grows obsessive is one of her very best; while it’s easy to see how she was able to seduce men in the first place, she is able to transform into a monstrous villain when the film transforms into a thriller.

Michael Douglas is perfect at playing the complex protagonist of Fatal Attraction, as he isn’t necessarily a character that the audience is intended to sympathize with at every given moment. Although there have been many attempts to revive the property for a new generation, it’s hard to imagine finding a new set of performers that match the sexual chemistry of Douglas and Close in the original.

Watch on Prime Video

6 ‘No Way Out’ (1987)

Directed by Roger Donaldson

No Way Out was a unique spin on the spy movie genre that enveloped erotic elements, and initiated a plot twist that made it only possible to watch once. What’s impressive is that the great romantic chemistry between Sean Young and Kevin Costner is so believable that No Way Out is able to deceive its audience into thinking it’s a straightforward romantic drama before a shocking instance of violence turns it into a deeply disturbing Cold War thriller.

The brilliant work from Young and Costner is reason enough to see the film, but No Way Out also includes strong supporting performances from several venerable character actors. Gene Hackman is perfectly cast as a deceitful United States politician who gets in too deep when his secrets are revealed; it’s one of the most captivating villainous performances that he has ever given.

Watch on MGM+

5 ‘Sea of Love’ (1989)

Directed by Harold Becker

Sea of Love became a massive comeback vehicle for Al Pacino, who had suffered from a period of critical decline in the 1980s after appearing in several all-time classics (including two Best Picture winners) in the previous decade. Pacino finally began leaning into his eccentricities as an actor by playing an eccentric New York detective determined to track down a serial killer that is targeting single men.

As fun as it was to see Pacino chew the scenery by going all over-the-top, Sea of Love provided a breakout role for Ellen Barkin, who managed to hold her own against Pacino as an enigmatic woman suspected of being involved in the crime. The cat-and-mouse game between the two stars is certainly electrifying, and helps to elevate Sea of Love beyond its inflammatory sex scenes into a surprisingly potent examination of male anxiety.

Rent on Amazon

4 ‘Unfaithful’ (2002)

Directed by Adrian Lyne

Over a decade after making one of the most financially successful erotic thrillers of all time with Fatal Attraction, Adrian Lyne delivered another successful and influential addition to the genre. The timeless and ever-underrated Diane Lane delivered an Oscar-nominated, career-best performance as a New Yorker whose marriage enters a dangerous free fall after she has a fling with a stranger (Olivier Martinez).

Though Lane’s performance was indeed a masterclass and deserved all the praise it received, Richard Gere really is every bit as good here. As the emotionally wounded husband, it’s a role and performance that subverts so many of the expectations of the poor schmuck (“fall guy”) in these kinds of movies. Together, Lane and Gere are pretty much perfect in a movie that’s uneven but very much worth watching.

Watch on Apple TV

3 ‘The Last Seduction’ (1994)

Directed by John Dahl

The Last Seduction was a wild reinvention of the con artist story that gave Linda Florentino a dynamic breakout role, which probably would have earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress had the film not aired on HBO before its theatrical release. Nonetheless, The Last Seduction is essentially a heist caper in which Florentino stars as a woman who leverages her sexuality to reduce her targets to fools.

The Last Seduction is much funnier than it is given credit for, as Peter Berg is absolutely hilarious as a clueless fool who becomes involved in a crime conspiracy. However, the film also features standout work from Bill Pullman, who erases all memories of his more charismatic work in Spaceballs and Independence Day with his role as an abusive partner who finally gets what’s coming to him in one of the film’s more satisfying moments.

Watch on Prime Video

2 ‘Wild Things’ (1998)

Directed by John McNaughton

Wild Things is so much better than it’s often dismissed as being, as the infamous sex scenes are really a way to intrigue an audience and get them invested in a clever riff on neo-noir storytelling that has a lot to say about the class divide. Neve Campbell’s work as a femme fatale who disguises herself as a victim is simply brilliant, as she always proves to be one step ahead of the viewer.

Matt Dillon gives one of his slimiest and most hilariously evil performances as a character that the audience simply loves to hate, and Denise Richards does some of her best work as a privileged student who uses her wealth to avoid any serious repercussions for her actions. The chemistry between this trio is what drives the tension in Wild Things, but strong supporting work from Kevin Bacon and Bill Murray help the film’s unique world feel even more expansive.

Watch on Netflix

1 ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ (1999)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Eyes Wide Shut is one of the many masterpieces made by Stanley Kubrick, but perhaps received the most attention for casting real-life partners Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as a couple that begins suspecting each other of infidelity. While Eyes Wide Shut became a fixation of conspiracy theorists because of its focus on secret societies in New York City, the most captivating moments in the film are those when Cruise and Kidman are able to represent what it’s like to be in the midst of a toxic relationship.

Eyes Wide Shut can be interpreted as both a legitimate exploration of latent forces of power and an imagined fantasy brought upon by jealousy, and it’s to the credit of Cruise and Kidman that the film is able to be so compelling while staying true to Kubrick’s ambiguous intentions regarding what it actually means.

Rent on Apple TV

KEEP READING: The Best Erotic Thrillers of All Time, Ranked