The 100 Sexiest Movies Of All Time
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, Babygirl.
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.
#100
365 Days (2020)
0%
#100
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In order to save her relationship from falling apart, a woman goes to Sicily, where she meets a dangerous man…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Barbara Białowąs
#99
Original Sin (2001)
12%
#99
Adjusted Score: 14795%
Critics Consensus: Laughably melodramatic, Original Sin features bad acting, bad dialogue, and bad plotting.
Synopsis: Luis (Antonio Banderas) and Julia (Angelina Jolie) are bound together first by matrimony, and then, by fierce love and desire….
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Michael Cristofer
#98
After (2019)
18%
#98
Adjusted Score: 19126%
Critics Consensus: Tepid and tired, After‘s fun flourishes are let down by its generic story.
Synopsis: Tessa Young is a dedicated student, dutiful daughter and loyal girlfriend to her high school sweetheart. Entering her first semester…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Jenny Gage
#97
Elles (2011)
22%
#97
Adjusted Score: 23815%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A journalist (Juliette Binoche) tries to balance the duties of marriage and motherhood while researching a piece on college women…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Małgorzata Szumowska
#96
9 Songs (2004)
23%
#96
Adjusted Score: 25620%
Critics Consensus: The unerotic sex scenes quickly become tedious to watch, and the lovers lack the personality necessary to make viewers care about them.
Synopsis: A man (Kieran O’Brien) reminisces about his steamy affair with an American woman (Margo Stilley) he met at a rock…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Michael Winterbottom
#95
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
25%
#95
Adjusted Score: 38730%
Critics Consensus: While creatively better endowed than its print counterpart, Fifty Shades of Grey is a less than satisfying experience on the screen.
Synopsis: When college senior Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) steps in for her sick roommate to interview prominent businessman Christian Grey (Jamie…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Sam Taylor-Johnson
#94
The Lover (1992)
28%
#94
Adjusted Score: 29462%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Set in 1920s colonial Indochina, a pretty, virginal French teenager (Jane March) meets a handsome Chinese playboy (Tony Leung Ka…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Jean-Jacques Annaud
#93
Adore (2013)
33%
#93
Adjusted Score: 35711%
Critics Consensus: Naomi Watts and Robin Wright give it their all, but they can’t quite make Adore‘s trashy, absurd plot believable.
Synopsis: Two lifelong best friends (Robin Wright, Naomi Watts) each begin a steamy affair with the other’s son, but trouble begins…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Anne Fontaine
#92
In the Cut (2003)
34%
#92
Adjusted Score: 40126%
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.
Synopsis: An English teacher (Meg Ryan) has an affair with a detective (Mark Ruffalo), though she suspects him of murdering a…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Jane Campion
#91
Deep Water (2022)
35%
#91
Adjusted Score: 47702%
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.
Synopsis: Based on the celebrated novel by famed mystery writer Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley), “Deep Water” takes us inside…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Adrian Lyne
#90
Emmanuelle (1974)
38%
#90
Adjusted Score: 38993%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The wife of a French diplomat becomes involved in a series of sexual liaisons after joining her husband in Thailand….
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Just Jaeckin
#89
Elisa & Marcela (2019)
47%
#89
Adjusted Score: 44707%
Critics Consensus: While it may be visually attractive, Elisa & Marcela is an underwhelming melodrama that lacks passion and energy.
Directed By: Isabel Coixet
#88
Kama Sutra (1996)
42%
#88
Adjusted Score: 42508%
Critics Consensus: Kama Sutra refreshingly approaches sensuality from a female perspective, but audiences will be turned off by this romance’s silly plotting.
Synopsis: In 16th-century India, Princess Tara (Sarita Choudhury) is raised alongside her maid Maya (Indira Varma). The two best friends turn…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Mira Nair
#87
Love (2015)
42%
#87
Adjusted Score: 46050%
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.
Directed By: Gaspar Noé
#86
The Voyeurs (2021)
44%
#86
Adjusted Score: 45114%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After moving into a beautiful loft apartment in Downtown Montreal, a young couple (Sydney Sweeney and Justice Smith), find themselves…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Michael Mohan
#85
28 Hotel Rooms (2012)
47%
#85
#84
Cashback (2006)
47%
#84
Adjusted Score: 48447%
Critics Consensus: An unlikable protagonist, messy editing, and gratuitous nudity might make audiences ask for their cash back.
Synopsis: Would-be artist Ben (Sean Biggerstaff) realizes he has an extraordinary way of dealing with the tedium of his dead-end job…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Sean Ellis
#83
Summer Storm (2004)
50%
#83
Adjusted Score: 50219%
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.
Synopsis: A teenager comes to terms with his sexuality and his feelings for his best friend over the course of a…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Marco Kreuzpaintner
#82
Sleeping Beauty (2011)
48%
#82
Adjusted Score: 51334%
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.
Synopsis: A college student (Emily Browning) becomes a niche sex worker for a high-end brothel where customers pay to fondle her…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Julia Leigh
#81
Romance (1999)
49%
#81
Adjusted Score: 49997%
Critics Consensus: Romance is a slim look into a woman’s sexual psyche, with sex scenes that slightly excite while exploring human emotions.
Synopsis: A woman (Caroline Ducey) has several affairs, trying to spark the interest of her lover (Sagamore Stévenin), a self-absorbed, male…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Catherine Breillat
#80
How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
50%
#80
Adjusted Score: 52487%
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.
Synopsis: Unlucky-in-love stockbroker Stella (Angela Bassett) jets to Jamaica with her gal pal Delilah (Whoopi Goldberg) for some fun in the…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Kevin Rodney Sullivan
#79
Unfaithful (2002)
50%
#79
Adjusted Score: 55459%
Critics Consensus: Diane Lane shines in the role, but the movie adds nothing new to the genre and the resolution is unsatisfying.
Synopsis: Described by director Adrian Lyne (“Fatal Attraction”) as “an erotic thriller about the body language of guilt.” When Edward (Richard…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Adrian Lyne
#78
Chloe (2009)
52%
#78
Adjusted Score: 58190%
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.
Synopsis: Catherine and David Stewart (Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson) are a well-to-do couple living in a posh area of Toronto, but…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Atom Egoyan
#77
Malena (2000)
54%
#77
Adjusted Score: 56589%
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.
Synopsis: In 1941, Renato was 13 years old and although the world was at war, nothing ever happened in this sleepy…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Giuseppe Tornatore
#76
Anyone But You (2023)
54%
#76
Adjusted Score: 59973%
Critics Consensus: Slick direction and a pair of tremendously watchable stars make Anyone But You a passably fizzy diversion despite a less than scintillating story.
Synopsis: In the edgy comedy Anyone But You, Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) look like the perfect couple, but…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Will Gluck
#75
Cruel Intentions (1999)
54%
#75
Adjusted Score: 59790%
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.
Synopsis: Annette (Reese Witherspoon) unwittingly becomes a pawn in Sebastian’s (Ryan Phillippe) and Kathryn’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) deliciously diabolical wager of…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Roger Kumble
#74
Basic Instinct (1992)
55%
#74
Adjusted Score: 61683%
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.
Synopsis: The mysterious Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), a beautiful crime novelist, becomes a suspect when she is linked to the brutal…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Paul Verhoeven
#73
Querelle (1982)
65%
#73
Adjusted Score: 65925%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In a French bordello, a young sailor meets a murderer who also is his supposed brother. Based on Jean Genet’s…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
#72
Malcolm & Marie (2021)
57%
#72
Adjusted Score: 69552%
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.
Synopsis: Writer/Director Sam Levinson teams up with Zendaya and John David Washington for an achingly romantic drama in which a filmmaker…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Sam Levinson
#71
Jason’s Lyric (1994)
58%
#71
Adjusted Score: 59001%
Critics Consensus: Jason’s Lyric is a sexually charged film whose violent streak weakens or, depending on your perspective, supports the melodrama.
Synopsis: In a violent, drug-infested neighborhood in Houston, Jason (Allen Payne) dreams of something better. He works as a TV salesman…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Doug McHenry
#70
The Hunger (1983)
58%
#70
Adjusted Score: 61439%
Critics Consensus: Stylish yet hollow, The Hunger is a well-cast vampire thriller that mistakes erotic moments for a satisfying story.
Synopsis: John (David Bowie) is the lover of the gorgeous immortal vampire Miriam (Catherine Deneuve), and he’s been led to believe…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Tony Scott
#69
The Dreamers (2003)
59%
#69
Adjusted Score: 64485%
Critics Consensus: Though lushly atmospheric, The Dreamers doesn’t engage or provoke as much as it should.
Synopsis: In May 1968, the student riots in Paris only exacerbate the isolation felt by three youths: an American exchange student…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Bernardo Bertolucci
#68
Henry & June (1990)
60%
#68
Adjusted Score: 61333%
Critics Consensus: Henry & June celebrates sensuality and passion, though the portentous filmmaking drags it down by a large degree.
Synopsis: A literary love triangle is explored in this film, which was the first to earn an NC-17 rating. While traveling…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Philip Kaufman
#67
Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986)
60%
#67
Adjusted Score: 61826%
Critics Consensus: 9 1/2 Weeks‘ famously steamy sex scenes titillate though the drama unfolding between the beddings is relatively standard for the genre.
Synopsis: Two strangers, Wall Street trader John (Mickey Rourke) and art gallery assistant Elizabeth (Kim Basinger), become involved in a new…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Adrian Lyne
#66
Something New (2006)
60%
#66
Adjusted Score: 63986%
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.
Synopsis: Career-minded Kenya McQueen is set up on a blind date with architect Brian Kelly, but backs out when she realizes…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Sanaa Hamri
#65
Bitter Moon (1992)
63%
#65
Adjusted Score: 65451%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An alcoholic writer (Peter Coyote) in a wheelchair recalls his sexy wife (Emmanuelle Seigner) for an English aristocrat (Hugh Grant)…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Roman Polanski
#64
The Reader (2008)
63%
#64
Adjusted Score: 71067%
Critics Consensus: Despite Kate Winslet’s superb portrayal, The Reader suggests an emotionally distant, Oscar-baiting historical drama.
Synopsis: Michael Berg (David Kross), a teen in postwar Germany, begins a passionate but clandestine affair with Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet),…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Stephen Daldry
#63
Crash (1996)
64%
#63
Adjusted Score: 68079%
Critics Consensus: Despite the surprisingly distant, clinical direction, Crash‘s explicit premise and sex is classic Cronenberg territory.
Synopsis: “Crash” is about the strange lure of the auto collision, provoking as it does the human fascination with death and…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: David Cronenberg
#62
Wild Things (1998)
64%
#62
Adjusted Score: 71439%
Critics Consensus: Wild Things is a delightfully salacious, flesh-exposed romp that also requires a high degree of love for trash cinema.
Synopsis: When teen debutante Kelly (Denise Richards) fails to attract the attention of her hunky guidance counselor, Sam (Matt Dillon), she…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: John McNaughton
#61
Intimacy (2001)
66%
#61
Adjusted Score: 67961%
Critics Consensus: Acted out with both physical and psychological nakedness by its two leads, Intimacy is an unflinchingly honest look at alienation.
Synopsis: A man (Mark Rylance) wants to know more about the nameless woman (Kerry Fox) with whom he has weekly trysts….
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Patrice Chéreau
#60
Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story) (2015)
67%
#60
Adjusted Score: 67893%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Two young girls turn their after-school hangouts into group hook-ups and start a swinging party craze in their school….
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Eva Husson
#59
The Pillow Book (1996)
68%
#59
Adjusted Score: 71444%
Critics Consensus: The Pillow Book is undeniably sensual and visually ravishing, but the film’s narrative lacks the hypnotic pull of its imagery.
Synopsis: A Japanese model (Vivian Wu) who likes lovers to adorn her body with calligraphy falls for an erotic Englishman (Ewan…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Peter Greenaway
#58
Closer (2004)
67%
#58
Adjusted Score: 73926%
Critics Consensus: Closer’s talented cast and Mike Nichols’ typically assured direction help smooth a bumpy journey from stage to screen.
Synopsis: Alice (Natalie Portman), an American stripper who has moved to London, meets Dan (Jude Law) on the street. While looking…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Mike Nichols
#57
Shortbus (2006)
69%
#57
Adjusted Score: 73817%
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.
Synopsis: John Cameron Mitchell’s SHORTBUS explores the lives of several emotionally challenged characters as they navigate the comic and tragic intersections…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: John Cameron Mitchell
#56
Newness (2017)
71%
#56
Adjusted Score: 71002%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In Los Angeles, two millennials navigating a social media-driven hookup culture begin a relationship that pushes both emotional and physical…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Drake Doremus
#55
Sex and Lucia (2001)
71%
#55
Adjusted Score: 72878%
Critics Consensus: Beneath the gratuitous nudity lies a complex and visually striking movie.
Synopsis: After learning that her boyfriend, Lorenzo (Tristán Ulloa), a talented but troubled writer, may have committed suicide, the beautiful Lucía…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Julio Medem
#54
Dirty Dancing (1987)
72%
#54
Adjusted Score: 79271%
Critics Consensus: Like its winsome characters, Dirty Dancing uses impressive choreography and the power of song to surmount a series of formidable obstacles.
Synopsis: Baby (Jennifer Grey) is one listless summer away from the Peace Corps. Hoping to enjoy her youth while it lasts,…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Emile Ardolino
#53
Lust, Caution (2007)
73%
#53
#52
The Piano Teacher (2001)
74%
#52
Adjusted Score: 76712%
Critics Consensus: Though it makes for rather unpleasant viewing, The Piano Teacher is a riveting and powerful psychosexual drama.
Synopsis: Erika Kohut teaches piano at the Conservatory in Vienna. In her early forties, she lives at home, cooped up with…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Michael Haneke
#51
Young & Beautiful (2013)
74%
#51
Adjusted Score: 77168%
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.
Synopsis: Isabelle (Marine Vacth), a 17-year-old student, loses her virginity during a quick holiday romance. When she returns home, she begins…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: François Ozon
#50
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
76%
#50
Adjusted Score: 84301%
Critics Consensus: Kubrick’s intense study of the human psyche yields an impressive cinematic work.
Synopsis: After Dr. Bill Hartford’s (Tom Cruise) wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met,…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
#49
High Art (1998)
76%
#49
Adjusted Score: 78487%
Critics Consensus: A surprisingly sultry performance from Ally Sheedy elevates High Art from pretentious melodrama to compelling — if still a little pretentious — romance.
Synopsis: Syd (Radha Mitchell), a low-level editor at a photography magazine eager to establish herself, discovers her neighbor is the once-celebrated…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Lisa Cholodenko
#48
Nymphomaniac: Volume I (2014)
76%
#48
Adjusted Score: 85115%
Critics Consensus: Darkly funny, fearlessly bold, and thoroughly indulgent, Nymphomaniac finds Lars von Trier provoking viewers with customary abandon.
Synopsis: Joe, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who is discovered badly beaten in an alley by an older bachelor, Seligman, who takes her…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Lars von Trier
#47
Babygirl (2024)
77%
#47
Adjusted Score: 85298%
Critics Consensus: Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson memorably smolder together in Babygirl, with writer-director Halina Reijn’s clinical gaze keeping this sexually frank thriller more provocative than prurient.
Synopsis: A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Halina Reijn
#46
Betty Blue (1986)
78%
#46
Adjusted Score: 80052%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A would-be writer (Jean-Hugues Anglade) falls for an unpredictable woman (Béatrice Dalle), then he slowly realizes that she is going…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Jean-Jacques Beineix
#45
Secretary (2002)
77%
#45
Adjusted Score: 82068%
Critics Consensus: Maggie Gyllenhaal impresses in this romantic comedy with a kinky twist.
Synopsis: Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a young woman with a history of severe emotional problems, is released into the care of…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Steven Shainberg
#44
Magic Mike (2012)
78%
#44
Adjusted Score: 88204%
Critics Consensus: Magic Mike‘s sensitive direction, smart screenplay, and strong performances allow audiences to have their beefcake and eat it too.
Synopsis: By day, Mike (Channing Tatum) makes ends meet any way he can — handyman jobs, detailing cars or designing furniture….
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh
#43
Take This Waltz (2011)
79%
#43
Adjusted Score: 84255%
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.
Synopsis: A young woman (Michelle Williams) is torn between the husband (Seth Rogen) that she loves and a new man (Luke…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Sarah Polley
#42
Shame (2011)
79%
#42
Adjusted Score: 88008%
Critics Consensus: Boasting stellar performances by Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, Shame is a powerful plunge into the mania of addiction affliction.
Synopsis: Successful and handsome New Yorker Brandon (Michael Fassbender) seems to live an ordinary life, but he hides a terrible secret…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Steve McQueen
#41
A Good Day to Be Black & Sexy (2008)
80%
#41
Adjusted Score: 17954%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In six vignettes from Los Angeles, the subject of sexuality and relationships within the black community shatters stereotypes about black…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Dennis Dortch
#40
Live Flesh (1997)
80%
#40
Adjusted Score: 82534%
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.
Synopsis: Victor (Liberto Rabal) goes to meet Elena (Francesca Neri) for a date. Elena, uninterested, tells Victor to leave the apartment…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Pedro Almodóvar
#39
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
80%
#39
Adjusted Score: 88426%
Critics Consensus: A beguiling tragicomedy, Vicky Cristina Barcelona charms with beautiful views of the Spanish city and a marvelously well-matched cast.
Synopsis: Americans Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) arrive in Spain for a summer vacation at a friend’s (Patricia Clarkson)…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Woody Allen
#38
I Am Love (2009)
81%
#38
Adjusted Score: 86066%
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.
Synopsis: At a dinner — during which her husband, Tancredi (Pippo Delbono), learns that he and his son Edoardo Recchi Jr….
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Luca Guadagnino
#37
House of Tolerance (2011)
84%
#37
Adjusted Score: 84385%
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.
Synopsis: A young woman begins a new life at the Apollonide bordello, a high-class brothel in Paris….
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Bertrand Bonello
#36
Swimming Pool (2003)
83%
#36
Adjusted Score: 88165%
Critics Consensus: A sensual thriller with two engaging performers demanding our undivided attention.
Synopsis: When uptight British writer Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) has difficulty with her new detective novel, her publisher, John Bosload (Charles…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: François Ozon
#35
Atonement (2007)
83%
#35
Adjusted Score: 91853%
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.
Synopsis: This sweeping English drama, based on the book by Ian McEwan, follows the lives of young lovers Cecilia Tallis (Keira…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Joe Wright
#34
In the Realm of the Senses (1976)
84%
#34
Adjusted Score: 88370%
Critics Consensus: Sexual taboos are broken and boundaries crossed In the Realm of the Senses, a fearlessly provocative psychosexual tale.
Synopsis: A former prostitute (Eiko Matsuda), now working as a servant, begins a torrid affair with her married employer (Tatsuya Fuji)….
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Nagisa Ôshima
#33
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
84%
#33
Adjusted Score: 93885%
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.
Synopsis: A dark-haired woman (Laura Elena Harring) is left amnesiac after a car crash. She wanders the streets of Los Angeles…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: David Lynch
#32
Disobedience (2017)
84%
#32
Adjusted Score: 95492%
Critics Consensus: Disobedience explores a variety of thought-provoking themes, bolstered by gripping work from leads Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, and Alessandro Nivola.
Synopsis: New York photographer Ronit Krushka flies to London after learning about the death of her estranged father. Ronit is returning…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Sebastián Lelio
#31
Black Swan (2010)
85%
#31
Adjusted Score: 98429%
Critics Consensus: Bracingly intense, passionate, and wildly melodramatic, Black Swan glides on Darren Aronofsky’s bold direction — and a bravura performance from Natalie Portman.
Synopsis: Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina whose passion for the dance rules every facet of her life. When the company’s…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Darren Aronofsky
#30
Love & Basketball (2000)
85%
#30
Adjusted Score: 89292%
Critics Consensus: Confident directing and acting deliver an insightful look at young athletes.
Synopsis: Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) are two childhood friends who both aspire to be professional basketball players. Quincy,…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Gina Prince-Bythewood
#29
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989)
86%
#29
Adjusted Score: 90145%
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.
Synopsis: When churlish mobster Albert Spica (Michael Gambon) acquires an upscale French restaurant in London, he dines there nightly, effectively scaring…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Peter Greenaway
#28
Blue Valentine (2010)
87%
#28
Adjusted Score: 95544%
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.
Synopsis: Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) live a quiet life in a modest neighborhood. To the casual observer, everything…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Derek Cianfrance
#27
Bound (1996)
87%
#27
Adjusted Score: 91555%
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.
Synopsis: Sparks fly when Violet (Jennifer Tilly) sets eyes on Corky (Gina Gershon) in an elevator. Violet is the girlfriend of…
[More]
[More]
#26
Titanic (1997)
88%
#26
Adjusted Score: 106514%
Critics Consensus: A mostly unqualified triumph for James Cameron, who offers a dizzying blend of spectacular visuals and old-fashioned melodrama.
Synopsis: A society girl abandons her haughty fiance for a penniless artist on the ill-fated ship’s maiden voyage….
[More]
[More]
Directed By: James Cameron
#25
From Here to Eternity (1953)
88%
#25
Adjusted Score: 101662%
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.
Synopsis: At an Army barracks in Hawaii in the days preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor, lone-wolf soldier and boxing champion…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Fred Zinnemann
#24
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
88%
#24
Adjusted Score: 97693%
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.
Synopsis: In 1963, rodeo cowboy Jack Twist and ranch hand Ennis Del Mar are hired by rancher Joe Aguirre as sheep…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Ang Lee
#23
Desert Hearts (1985)
90%
#23
Adjusted Score: 92185%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A New York professor (Helen Shaver) divorces her husband and has an affair with another woman (Patricia Charbonneau) in 1959…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Donna Deitch
#22
My Golden Days (2015)
91%
#22
Adjusted Score: 93998%
Critics Consensus: My Golden Years is a complex, well-acted coming-of-age drama.
Synopsis: A middle-aged anthropologist (Mathieu Amalric) reminisces about family, school adventures, a student trip to the USSR and the love (Lou…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Arnaud Desplechin
#21
A Royal Affair (2012)
90%
#21
Adjusted Score: 94784%
Critics Consensus: A Royal Affair is a lavish and sumptuous costume drama with a juicy story to back it up.
Synopsis: A young queen falls in love with her physician, and they start a revolution that changes their nation forever….
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Nikolaj Arcel
#20
Y tu mamá también (2001)
90%
#20
Adjusted Score: 97007%
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.
Synopsis: The lives of Julio and Tenoch, like those of 17-year old boys everywhere, are ruled by raging hormones, intense friendships,…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón
#19
In the Mood for Love (2000)
92%
#19
Adjusted Score: 99743%
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.
Synopsis: In 1962, journalist Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and his wife move into a Hong Kong apartment, but Chow’s…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Kar-Wai Wong
#18
Ex Machina (2014)
92%
#18
Adjusted Score: 106038%
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.
Synopsis: Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) a programmer at a huge Internet company, wins a contest that enables him to spend a…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Alex Garland
#17
Boogie Nights (1997)
94%
#17
Adjusted Score: 98916%
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.
Synopsis: In the San Fernando Valley in 1977, teenage busboy Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg) gets discovered by porn director Jack Horner…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson
#16
Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
94%
#16
Adjusted Score: 96418%
Critics Consensus: Stylish, seductive, and clever, Stephen Frears’ adaptation is a wickedly entertaining exploration of sexual politics.
Synopsis: The Marquise de Merteuil (Glenn Close) and the Vicomte de Valmont (John Malkovich) display the petty jealousies and jaded insouciance…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Stephen Frears
#15
She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
94%
#15
Adjusted Score: 96730%
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.
Synopsis: Beautiful Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) can’t decide what kind of man she wants to date, so she decides to…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Spike Lee
#14
The Last Seduction (1994)
94%
#14
Adjusted Score: 97319%
Critics Consensus: Like Body Heat, The Last Seduction updates film noir techniques for a modern era, imbuing this erotic film with ’90s snark.
Synopsis: Looking to escape her unhappy marriage, villainous femme fatale Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) convinces her husband, Clay (Bill Pullman), to…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: John Dahl
#13
Out of Sight (1998)
94%
#13
Adjusted Score: 100393%
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.
Synopsis: Meet Jack Foley (George Clooney), the most successful bank robber in the country. On the day he busts out of…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh
#12
Stranger by the Lake (2013)
94%
#12
Adjusted Score: 98134%
Critics Consensus: Sexy, smart, and darkly humorous, Stranger by the Lake offers rewarding viewing for adult filmgoers in search of thought-provoking drama.
Synopsis: Franck falls in love with Michel, an attractive, potent and lethally dangerous man….
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Alain Guiraudie
#11
Carol (2015)
94%
#11
Adjusted Score: 109940%
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.
Synopsis: Aspiring photographer Therese spots the beautiful, elegant Carol perusing the doll displays in a 1950s Manhattan department store. The two…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Todd Haynes
#10
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
95%
#10
Adjusted Score: 115390%
Critics Consensus: Call Me by Your Name offers a melancholy, powerfully affecting portrait of first love, empathetically acted by Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer.
Synopsis: It’s the summer of 1983, and precocious 17-year-old Elio Perlman is spending the days with his family at their 17th-century…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Luca Guadagnino
#9
Fallen Angels (1995)
95%
#9
Adjusted Score: 95848%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An assassin (Leon Lai Ming), his boss, an entrepreneur (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and two women cross paths in Hong Kong after…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Kar-Wai Wong
#8
Belle de Jour (1967)
95%
#8
Adjusted Score: 102125%
Critics Consensus: The radiantly filmed Belle de Jour entrances even as it resists easy interpretations.
Synopsis: Beautiful young housewife Séverine Serizy (Catherine Deneuve) cannot reconcile her masochistic fantasies with her everyday life alongside dutiful husband Pierre…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Luis Buñuel
#7
Weekend (2011)
95%
#7
Adjusted Score: 97887%
Critics Consensus: It may be a chamber piece but Weekend‘s revelations on modern sexuality expand far beyond the modest setting.
Synopsis: A gay man’s (Tom Cullen) weekend-long encounter with an artist (Chris New) changes his life in unexpected ways….
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Andrew Haigh
#6
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)
96%
#6
Adjusted Score: 100549%
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.
Synopsis: Ann (Andie MacDowell) is trapped in a sexually and emotionally unfulfilled relationship with her husband, John (Peter Gallagher), a successful…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh
#5
The Handmaiden (2016)
96%
#5
Adjusted Score: 106658%
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.
Synopsis: With help from an orphaned pickpocket (Kim Tae-ri), a Korean con man (Ha Jung-woo) devises an elaborate plot to seduce…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Park Chan-wook
#4
Body Heat (1981)
96%
#4
Adjusted Score: 100211%
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.
Synopsis: Shyster lawyer Ned Racine (William Hurt) begins a passionate affair with Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner), wife of a wealthy Florida…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Lawrence Kasdan
#3
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
97%
#3
Adjusted Score: 114908%
Critics Consensus: A singularly rich period piece, Portrait of a Lady on Fire finds stirring, thought-provoking drama within a powerfully acted romance.
Synopsis: In 1770 the young daughter of a French countess develops a mutual attraction to the female artist commissioned to paint…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Céline Sciamma
#2
Moonlight (2016)
98%
#2
Adjusted Score: 117594%
Critics Consensus: Moonlight uses one man’s story to offer a remarkable and brilliantly crafted look at lives too rarely seen in cinema.
Synopsis: A look at three defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young black man growing up in Miami. His…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Barry Jenkins
#1
Gloria (2013)
100%
#1
Adjusted Score: 105506%
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.
Synopsis: An aging divorcee (Paulina García) embarks on an intense affair with a man (Sergio Hernández) she picked up at a…
[More]
[More]
Directed By: Sebastián Lelio
