Before there was easy access to Netflix porn, most people learned how ~SeX sTuFf~ works by watching people do it on the big screen. The ingredients for Clichéd Movie Sex™: dramatic kissing, flashes of skin in the dark, a sexy musical overture, the art of implication, and walking around draped in a sheet afterward (which we're pretty sure nobody has ever done). Truly realistic sexual imagery is, unfortunately, hard to come by in mainstream film—but there are, in fact, movies with super-realistic (and even real!) sex scenes to show ya how it's done, and we've rounded up some of the very best.
Sex scenes in movies almost always lack the nuance, communication, and awkward clean-up that inevitably happens in real-life sex, but there are a few sexy diamonds in the rough. From the I-can't-believe-it's-not-sex scenes that'll have you sweating up a storm to the 100 percent unsimulated scenes that'll make you choke on your damn popcorn, we've got 'em all. Here are all the real sex in movie scenes (that you can stream right now) with better depictions of sex than you probably saw in your sex ed class. Warning: lots of nudity ahead, obviously.
Annette (2021)
What happens when a comedian (Adam Driver) and a renowned opera singer (Marion Cotillard) fall in love? A lil professional jealousy takes a deadly turn—but not before some outrageously hot sex scenes, like a particularly wild one that includes oral sex mid-song.
Deadly Illusions (2021)
In the mood to watch Kristin Davis (aka Charlotte from Sex and the City) receive oral sex from her character's nanny in the kitchen? Then pls turn your attention to this admittedly terrible but undeniably entertaining flick.
Queen of Hearts (2019)
This Danish drama follows the v twisty love affair between a successful lawyer and her husband's estranged son from another relationship after he comes to live with them, and yeah, many those sex scenes are 100 percent real.
Below Her Mouth (2017)
Perhaps the hottest lesbian movie of all time, Below Her Mouth shows what happens when a young woman engaged to a man begins an affair with a female roofer, and it's FILLED with oral sex scenes, artful porn, and masturbation.
Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
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, following two young men on a road trip across Mexico with a woman who makes things reeeeeal complicated for 'em.
365 DNI (2020)
While there are some hiiiighly questionable aspects of this movie (the kidnapping, the consent, etc.), there's no denying that this thriller—which involves a woman being held captive by a Sicilian mob boss and told she has a year to fall for him—has some extremely steamy moments.
The Concubine (2012)
Set in South Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, The Concubine tells the story of a nobleman's daughter and the love triangle that forms between her, a servant, and the man who will someday become king. V hot indeed!
Stranger by the Lake (2013)
In this modern-day Hitchcockian thriller from France, a man cruising for sex in the woods surrounding a nude beach meets a handsome guy to whom he is instantly attracted—even when he accidentally sees him drowning another man in the lake. It's got nudity aplenty and even some scenes of unsimulated sex that were shot using body doubles.
Bedways (2011)
When a woman recruits her actor friends to shoot an ~artsy~ film about modern sexuality, things get real kinky real fast (and yes, those sexy scenes are v much unsimulated).
Burnt Money (2001)
Set in 1965 Argentina, Burnt Money tells the true story of Angel and Sam, two lovers who turn to crime, bank robbery, and even murder when times got tough. It's like Bonnie and Clyde, but sexier.
Starlet (2012)
In Starlet, an aspiring young actress in the adult film industry develops an unlikely friendship with an 85-year-old woman, but what's real wild about this movie is the very real penetrative sex scene that occurs.
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
This cinematic classic is about a car crash victim who tries to piece together her fragmented memories with the help of an aspiring Hollywood actress. The best part of this thriller: the sexual chemistry between Naomi Watts and Laura Harring is scary good.
God's Own Country (2017)
An unhappy young farmer from Yorkshire falls for a Romanian migrant worker in this gorgeously shot film, and though the sex scenes start out rough and hard, they soon give way to tender, intimate interactions between the two men.
Boys Don't Cry (1999)
It's rare to see representation of sex involving transgender individuals onscreen, which is just one of the reasons why between the lovemaking scene between trans man Brandon and his love interest, Lana, in Boys Don't Cry is so special.
High Art (1998)
When a straight art-world ingenue crosses paths with a famed, reclusive photographer, the two women form an instant bond...and it isn't long before a wine-fueled dinner turns into a sensual evening together.
Bound (1996)
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, ofc, and that's exactly what happens in this v steamy neo-noir crime thriller.
Secretary (2002)
This wildly perverse flick centers around a shy, sensitive woman named Lee who becomes the secretary for an eccentric attorney and soon finds herself swept into a wild BDSM relationship. TBH, Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey have nothing on these two.
Duck Butter (2018)
In a spontaneous effort to experiment with the boundaries of intimacy and romance, Naima (Alia Shawkat) and Sergio (Laia Costa) agree to be together for 24 hours, having sex on the hour. As you might guess, fast-tracking true intimacy is a messy business, and all does not go according to plan. But you can expect recurring, emotionally charged, realistic lesbian sex scenes.
Blue Valentine (2010)
There's a reason this drama was nearly slapped with an NC-17 rating: The realistic AF sex scenes between Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams will make your damn jaw drop.
Last Tango in Paris (1972)
A movie WAY ahead of its time, Last Tango in Paris initially received an X rating, though it’s subsequently been reclassified as NC-17. It follows Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider through a sexual relationship for the ages, and just do yourself a favor and watch it, okay?
Don't Look Now (1973)
Another movie way TF ahead of its time: Don't Look Now, which tells the story of grieving parents who lost their daughter on a trip to Venice that takes a really weird, sexy turn. It's still unclear whether Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland simulated their sex scenes or not because they're so damn convincing.
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
Ofc we had to include this notoriously racy flick, which follows the sexual power dynamics between shy literature student Anastasia Steele and broody billionaire Christian Grey, who draws her into his world of intense sexual pleasures. Pro tip: Follow this one up with the two sequels if you want a triple dose of sexiness.
Shame (2011)
This psychological drama (which tells the story of a sex addict who's forced to confront his addiction after his sister moves in) is far from an easy watch or a sexy good time, but the intense sex scenes def leave little to the imagination.
Desert Hearts (1985)
Looking for some tender lovemaking between a sophisticated East Coast divorcée and a Nevada ranch girl? Right this way pls.
Unfaithful (2002)
This thriller revolves around a husband and wife whose relationship grows strained as the husband becomes increasingly suspicious of his wife's faithfulness...probs because she is 100 percent cheating on him. That scene where Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez have hot, hot sex that culminates in Lane's character crying and orgasming at the same time? Art.
Belle de Jour (1967)
Despite being released over 50 years ago (!!), this arthouse drama remains one of the best BDSM movies ever created, following a bored housewife who visits a visits a high-class brothel and begins to work as a prostitute.
Adore (2013)
When two adult BFFs begin affairs with each other's sons, disaster is imminent from the very beginning—but that's what makes this movie so damn fun. Of course, things get even more complicated when their romantic trysts transform into actual love.
After We Collided (2020)
While the first movie in the After trilogy (which has a PG-13 rating) is pretty chaste, After We Collided is strictly rated R, which means things get a lot steamier between college student Tessa Young and bad boy Hardin Scott.
Pasolini (2014)
A biographical film about the final days of Italian film director Pier Paolo Pasolini may not sound super sexy—that is, until you hear learn that there's an extended, unsimulated fellatio sequence in this one.
Basic Instinct (1992)
When a sexy, mysterious crime novelist becomes a murder suspect, she decides to seduce the homicide detective to throw him off her trail. This '90s classic raised the bar on realistic movie sex scenes, and it's just as hot now as it was 30 years ago.
Newness (2017)
Nicholas Hoult stars in this romantic drama as a Los Angeles-based pharmacist who starts up a fiery relationship with a physical-therapy assistant he met on a dating app, never expecting real intimacy will develop between them after they have sex (though FYI, they have a LOT of it).
Original Sin (2001)
Set in late 19th century Cuba when the country was still under Spanish rule, this erotic historical romance is seriously fiery—and yes, all those (very realistic) sex scenes between Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas will definitely get ya horned up.
Black Swan (2010)
Yes, this one is more terrifying than sexy, but if you're not still thinking about that sex scene between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis (who play prima ballerinas duking it out for a starring role), then you need to watch this one again.
Lie With Me (2005)
The premise is simple: Two people meet at a nightclub, they begin a casual but intensely carnal relationship, and complications arise. And though this movie was totally panned upon its release, the sex scenes are, for the most part, entirely genuine and totally unsimulated, so...it's worth checking out.
A Perfect Ending (2012)
When a repressed woman who’s never experienced an orgasm is introduced by her friends to a female prostitute, her (sex) life is changed forever—and jsyk, about 50 percent of this movie revolves around Rebecca in bed receiving her "education" from Paris.
Circumstance (2011)
In Circumstance, two young women growing up in upper-class Tehran explore their burgeoning sexuality together, and it's a gorgeous look into the underground world of Iranian youth culture.
Body Heat (1981)
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.
Moonlight (2016)
This coming-of-age drama about a young Black man growing up in Miami may not seem super steamy, but it's actually chock-full of sex that never seem gratuitous. Hottest scene of all: when Kevin and Chiron reunite at the beach after years apart and just can't wait to get it on.
Needle Boy (2016)
Just a head's up: This Danish flick about a 23-year-old loner who's convinced he's evil is dark AF. But if you're looking for some unsimulated sex scenes that'll make your toes curl, then here ya go.
Romance (1999)
In Romance, a sexually frustrated woman engages in a series of affairs in order to win back the interest of her self-absorbed model lover, and phew, are those (apparently very real) sex scenes HOT.
Elles (2012)
When a journalist who’s writing an article about prostitution gets involved with some of her sources, abundant nudity and sexual romps ensue, which is why this French flick is so fun (and also rated NC-17).
Lust, Caution (2007)
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.
Bang Gang: A Modern Love Story (2016)
As the title suggests, this sexy French romp is all about young people who decide to start up a swinging club together, and it's just as wild as you'd expect.
Love & Other Drugs (2010)
Come for the surprisingly sweet love affair between a pharmaceutical rep and a Parkinson's patient, stay for the unbelievably hot sex scenes between Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway.
Betty Blue (1986)
While this cult French classic might not have shocked French audiences, it definitely got the attention of American viewers (especially since it opens with a sex scene between the titular Betty and her handyman lover).
Weekend (2011)
This drama follows two men who meet at a club on a Friday and—though one of them is set to begin a two-year art course in Oregon on Monday—they begin an intense, erotic two-day love affair. Here for it!
Antichrist (2009)
Be warned: This movie is majorly shocking/disturbing/gory, but it's chock-full of explicit sex scenes and even a few close-up shots of penetrative sex (featuring body doubles, not the real actors), so if that's your kinda thing, then you'll wanna check this one out.
Sex and Lucía (2001)
When a beautiful woman learns that her boyfriend may have taken his own life, she escapes to a remote Spanish island, where she meets a hot scuba diver, as well as her boyfriend's ex-lover, and the three of them develop a deeply complicated bond. Prepare yourself for gratuitous nudity to the max.
Rust and Bone (2012)
In Rust and Bone, a former killer-whale trainer who loses her legs in a gruesome accident regains her strength and confidence with the help of a boxer, who doesn't limit his training sessions with her to the gym, if ya know what we mean. ;)
Beyond the Lights (2014)
Set in the world of entertainment, this one follows an up-and-coming young artist and the relationship that develops between her and the police officer assigned to be her bodyguard—which, as you can probs guess, doesn't stay professional for long.
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Anyone who doesn't get turned on by this flick's famous sex scene between Viola de Lesseps and William Shakespeare (as played by Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes) is just kidding themselves.
Little Ashes (2008)
Robert Pattinson and Javier Beltrán didn't actually have sex as painter Salvador Dalí and the poet Federico García Lorca in this biopic, but Pattison did actually masturbate on camera in order to achieve his very realistic O-face. The commitment!
Sexual Chronicles of a French Family (2012)
In the mood for something on the lighter side? This dramedy follows a family who decides to open up about their sexual experiences with one another after the youngest son is caught masturbating in class, and the fact that it has two versions (a softcore and a hardcore) is pretty telling.
Wild Things (1998)
This notoriously raunchy '90s flick follows two unlikely friends brought together by the desire to take down the same guy—and eventually, by their desire for each other. It's SUUUPER raunchy and features a threesome that people are still talking about over 20 years later.
The Handmaiden (2016)
In this South Korean erotic thriller, a Korean con man and an orphaned pickpocketer work together to seduce and swindle a young Japanese heiress out of her inheritance. This movie may be a work of art, but it also offers more sexually explicit scenes than you could ever imagine.
Monster's Ball (2001)
This erotic drama (which earned Halle Berry an Oscar, FYI) is full of sexy moments, but the hottest has got to be the one where racist executioner Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) is t-o-t-a-l-l-y focused on bringing Berry's character to climax.
Enter the Void (2010)
Just a word of advice: Pls don't watch this trippy-ass film (which includes a VERY long sequence with hardcore sex) before bedtime, mmkay?
Swimming Pool (2003)
This erotic thriller follows a crime writer who's sent by her publisher to his French country home to relax, never expecting that she'll develop a strange, voyeuristic relationship with his free-spirited daughter. The sex scenes in this one are almost as shocking as the twist ending.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman star in this sex-filed drama as a couple who become dangerously involved in a world of sexual rituals and secret societies. Yes, this movie revolves around AIDS, child prostitution, adultery, secret sex societies, and drugs—but that doesn't stop this '90s flick from being suuuuper hot.
Room in Rome (2010)
In this erotic flick, two women meet by chance during a trip to Rome and engage in a night of pleasure in a hotel room. That's it. That's the movie.
Out of Sight (1998)
Starring Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney, this crime drama follows the unexpected romance that unfolds between a notorious bank robber and a federal marshal. Their affair forces them to risk everything, but once you see these two together, you'll understand why they take the risk.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
This romance drama—which is about a cowboy and a ranch hand (Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger) falling in love and continuing their affair in secret for 20 years—is undoubtedly heartbreaking, but also undeniably sexy. Chances are you'll wanna try having sex in a tent after watching this one.
Much Loved (2015)
In addition to addressing the issue of prostitution in Morocco (where it got banned, FYI), this movie gets very real with several unsimulated sex scenes.
Chloe (2010)
"Hot" doesn't even begin to describe the sex scenes in this erotic thriller, which follows a woman who hires an escort to tempt the husband she suspects is cheating. Spoiler alert: The escort ends up seducing them both.
Boogie Nights (1997)
So this '70s-set movie is literally about an up-and-coming (lol) porn star with a giant penis—obv it's going to have lots of sexy scenes. And while there's plenty of professional penetration, the first sex scene between Mark Wahlberg and Julianne Moore is surprisingly tender.
Love & Basketball (2000)
This '00s classic follows childhood friends and aspiring professional basketball players Monica and Quincy, who have two v different personalities on the court but begin to fall in love outside of the game. The first time they ~make love~ (which is set to "This Woman's Work") is just perfection.
Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)
Though it comes with heartbreaking drama, Blue is the Warmest Color also includes some of the sexiest, most honest depictions of lesbian sex. It's no surprise that some critics were wary of the film’s borderline pornographic, unusually long sex scenes—it definitely looks like Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos are having sex for real (even though they aren't).
8mm 2 (2005)
What happens when a couple is blackmailed after participating in a threesome? They must dive into underworld of pornography to delete the evidence, ofc. And while this supposed sequel doesn't have anything to do with the 1999 Nicolas Cage snuff film thriller 8mm, it definitely does have some unsimulated sex scenes (as well as tons of snippets of real porn).
9 1/2 Weeks (1986)
9 1/2 Weeks follows the increasingly erotic affair between a Wall Street trader and an art gallery assistant, and if you're wondering why everyone was positively SHOOKETH when this came out in the '80s, then just give it a watch.
Disobedience (2018)
When a New York photographer returns to her Orthodox Jewish hometown in London and is reunited with her childhood crush, Esti, it isn't long before things get hot 'n' heavy between them. Rachel Weisz + Rachel McAdams = one of the hottest on-screen couples of all time, no?
Wetlands (2014)
This darkly funny coming-of-age movie is def unlike anything you've ever seen before (and just a warning: the infamous pizza masturbation scene may turn you off from pizza for a while).
Otto; or Up with Dead People (2008)
Maybe a German art house flick about a sensitive zombie having an identity crisis isn't your cup of tea, but the very real sex scenes in this one might just pique your interest.
The Photograph (2020)
Yes, this one looks like your typical romance: The daughter of a late photographer meets a journalist while seeking answers about her mother, the daughter and the journalist fall in love, etc. But it's the fire chemistry between Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield (as well as their even more fiery love-making scenes) that make this one a horny watch.
Nymphomaniac (2013)
In the mood for a v explicit four-hour art porn film? Here ya go. Lars Von Trier’s controversial two-part Nymphomaniac left many critical of where to draw the line between film and pornography—because, well, the sex scenes featured real body doubles having real sex. The actors’ faces were then CGI-matched onto the body doubles. Wild!
A l'aventure (2010)
You can look forward to many explicit sex scenes in this raunchy French film, which follows a sexually unfulfilled young woman who learns to orgasm though hypnosis (and the fact that just the trailer is age-restricted should tell ya something).
Corinne Sullivan is an Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers a variety of beats, including lifestyle, entertainment, relationships, shopping, and more. She can tell you everything you need to know about the love lives of A-listers, the coziest bedsheets, and the sex toys actually worth your $$$. She is also the author of the 2018 novel Indecent. Follow her on Instagram for cute pics of her pup and bébé.
Lauren is a writer and editor from Texas. She has written for the Daily Dot and NYMag.com, and still gets excited when it snows.
