When Fifty Shades of Grey hit theaters in 2015, it quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Based on the bestselling erotic novels by E.L. James, the film follows the sadomasochistic relationship between wealthy businessman Christian Grey and college student Anastasia Steele. Despite receiving mostly negative reviews from critics, Fifty Shades was a massive box office success, grossing over $500 million worldwide.
The film’s popularity proved there was a huge appetite for erotic romance and BDSM-themed movies. In the years since, several other films have tried to capture that same mix of sultry sex scenes and dramatic love stories. If you couldn’t get enough of Christian and Ana’s kinky exploits, here are 20 more movies like Fifty Shades of Grey that will leave you hot and bothered.
1. Secretary (2002)
Starring: James Spader, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Before there was Fifty Shades, there was Secretary. This indie drama stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway, a troubled young woman who takes a job as a secretary for a demanding attorney (James Spader). The two soon embark on a BDSM relationship that is equal parts erotic and emotionally complex.
Secretary takes a more nuanced, realistic look at BDSM than Fifty Shades, exploring the psychological motivations behind the characters’ desires. Gyllenhaal and Spader have sizzling chemistry, and the film’s unique tone balances dark humor with genuine sexiness. It’s a must-watch for any fan of erotic cinema.
2. 9 1/2 Weeks (1986)
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger
One of the original erotic dramas, 9 1/2 Weeks stars Kim Basinger as an art gallery assistant who enters into a steamy affair with a mysterious Wall Street broker (Mickey Rourke). Their relationship revolves around kinky sex games and power dynamics, pushing Basinger’s character to her limits.
While quite tame by today’s standards, 9 1/2 Weeks was considered scandalous when it was released in 1986. The film is stylishly shot and features several memorable erotic scenes, including the famous moment where Rourke seductively feeds Basinger various foods in front of an open fridge. It captures a similar dominant man/submissive woman dynamic as Fifty Shades.
3. Last Tango in Paris (1972)
Starring: Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider
Last Tango in Paris is one of the most controversial erotic dramas ever made. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, the film stars Marlon Brando as a recently widowed American who begins an anonymous sexual relationship with a young Parisian woman (Maria Schneider). The film features lengthy, graphic sex scenes that were extremely explicit for the time.
Last Tango‘s legacy has been marred by the questionable way certain scenes were filmed, including the infamous “butter scene.” However, it remains an important and influential erotic film. Brando gives one of his most raw, vulnerable performances as a man using sex to numb his grief. The movie is more emotionally heavy than Fifty Shades but has a similar air of forbidden lust and sexual exploration.
4. Basic Instinct (1992)
Starring: Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone
The ultimate erotic thriller, Basic Instinct stars Sharon Stone as Catherine Tramell, a brilliant and beautiful crime novelist who becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation. Michael Douglas plays the troubled detective who embarks on a torrid affair with Catherine while trying to prove her guilt.
Directed by Paul Verhoeven, Basic Instinct is a slick, sexy neo-noir full of mind games and plot twists. Stone is magnetic as the seductive femme fatale, including in the notorious leg-crossing scene. While Catherine is more of a dominant figure than Ana in Fifty Shades, both movies share a fascination with the dangerous allure of sex and power.
5. Lust, Caution (2007)
Starring: Tang Wei, Tony Leung
Lust, Caution is an espionage thriller with an erotic twist from acclaimed director Ang Lee. Tang Wei stars as a young woman in 1940s Shanghai who is recruited to seduce and assassinate a powerful political figure (Tony Leung) by posing as his mistress. As she falls deeper into her role, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur.
The film is gorgeously crafted, with lush cinematography and period details. But it is most memorable for its intense, NC-17 rated sex scenes between Wei and Leung. Their relationship is a complex web of deception, desire, and danger. Like Fifty Shades, Lust, Caution explores themes of submission and control against a backdrop of forbidden love.
6. Unfaithful (2002)
Starring: Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Olivier Martinez
In this sensual thriller, Diane Lane plays Connie, a married woman living a quiet suburban life – until a chance encounter with a sexy French book dealer (Olivier Martinez) draws her into a passionate affair. Her infidelity threatens to destroy her marriage to Edward (Richard Gere) and unravel her entire life.
Directed by Adrian Lyne (9 1/2 Weeks, Fatal Attraction), Unfaithful simmers with sexual tension and impending doom. Lane is phenomenal as a woman torn between lust and guilt, and her chemistry with Martinez is off the charts. While not as explicitly erotic as Fifty Shades, the film captures a similar sense of sexual obsession and its consequences.
7. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman
The final film from legendary director Stanley Kubrick, Eyes Wide Shut follows a Manhattan doctor (Tom Cruise) who descends into a surreal underworld of sex and mystery after his wife (Nicole Kidman) admits to having fantasies about another man. His night-long odyssey includes infiltrating a bizarre masked orgy.
Eyes Wide Shut is a dreamlike, deliberately paced erotic drama with gorgeous cinematography and unsettling imagery. Cruise and Kidman (then a real-life married couple) are captivating as a pair whose relationship is tested by temptation and jealousy. Like Fifty Shades, it’s a movie that generated a lot of hype for its sexual content but offers compelling ideas beneath the titillation.
8. The Handmaiden (2016)
Starring: Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri
This sumptuous erotic thriller from South Korean director Park Chan-wook transposes the events of the novel Fingersmith to 1930s Korea under Japanese colonial rule. A young pickpocket named Sook-hee is hired as a handmaiden to wealthy heiress Lady Hideko but is secretly involved in a plot to defraud her. However, the two women soon develop an unexpected bond that turns into a sensual love affair.
The Handmaiden is a visually stunning, labyrinthine tale of deception and desire. The romance between the two leads is tender and erotic, punctuated by several tastefully shot lesbian sex scenes. While the plot is very different from Fifty Shades, both films share luxurious settings and a fascination with sexual power dynamics.
9. Nymphomaniac (2013)
Starring: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgard, Shia LaBeouf, Uma Thurman
Always a provocateur, Danish director Lars von Trier explores the topic of sex addiction in this two-part erotic epic. Charlotte Gainsbourg stars as Joe, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who recounts her sexual history to the man (Stellan Skarsgard) who rescues her after a beating. Her erotic journey is depicted in a series of stylized, sometimes disturbing vignettes.
Nymphomaniac is far more graphic and experimental than Fifty Shades, featuring lots of unsimulated sex and boundary-pushing scenarios. But at its core, the film is a serious examination of sexuality, shame, and the ways trauma shapes us. Gainsbourg fearlessly throws herself into the challenging role, crafting a complex portrait of a woman whose desires consume her.
10. Blue is the Warmest Color (2013)
Starring: Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos
This French coming-of-age drama caused a sensation upon its release due to its lengthy, intensely realistic lesbian sex scenes. But beyond the headline-grabbing eroticism, Blue is the Warmest Color is a beautifully acted, emotionally raw love story.
Adèle Exarchopoulos plays a teenager who falls for an older art student (Léa Seydoux), discovering her sexuality and sense of self in the process. Their relationship is passionate but volatile, captured in intimate, unvarnished detail.
Blue is more understated than the glossy Fifty Shades but is just as impactful in depicting the life-changing power of desire. Exarchopoulos and Seydoux give incredibly vulnerable performances, fearlessly exposing themselves on screen both physically and emotionally.
11. Bound (1996)
Starring: Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon
Before they made The Matrix, the Wachowskis wrote and directed this stylish neo-noir thriller with a lesbian twist. Gina Gershon plays Corky, an ex-con who starts a secret affair with her neighbor Violet (Jennifer Tilly), the girlfriend of a violent mobster. The two women hatch a plan to steal millions from the mafia and run away together.
Bound is a taut, sexy crime drama that subverts the male gaze often seen in erotic thrillers. The central romance between Corky and Violet is portrayed with heat and tenderness, making you root for them to get away with their scheme. Gershon and Tilly have scorching chemistry in their intimate scenes. While less kinky than Fifty Shades, Bound similarly centers female desire and sexual agency.
12. The Duke of Burgundy (2014)
Starring: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Chiara D’Anna
This arthouse drama explores a BDSM relationship between two lesbian entomologists. Cynthia (Sidse Babett Knudsen) and Evelyn (Chiara D’Anna) engage in elaborate sadomasochistic rituals, with Cynthia as the dominant partner and Evelyn as her submissive. But as the film unfolds, it becomes clear their roles are not as fixed as they seem.
The Duke of Burgundy is a mesmerizing, surreal film that delves into the psychological dynamics of BDSM. The erotic scenes are stylized and dreamlike, focusing more on the characters’ emotional states than graphic details. Like Fifty Shades, it portrays a kinky relationship but with a more experimental and subversive approach.
13. Crash (1996)
Starring: James Spader, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas
Not to be confused with the 2004 Oscar winner, this controversial erotic thriller is one of the most bizarre films of the 90s. Directed by David Cronenberg, Crash follows a group of people who get sexual gratification from car accidents. After a car crash, a film director (James Spader) and his wife (Holly Hunter) start hanging out with a cult-like group of “crash fetishists” who recreate famous celebrity car wrecks.
Crash is a challenging, transgressive film that pushes the boundaries of the erotic thriller genre. The fetishistic obsession with car crashes is portrayed in a detached, clinical way that is both disturbing and darkly humorous. While far more extreme and highbrow than Fifty Shades, Crash similarly explores the outer limits of sexual desire and the ways people use pain and danger to feel alive.
14. The Piano Teacher (2001)
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Benoît Magimel
This unsettling erotic drama stars Isabelle Huppert as Erika, a repressed piano teacher who embarks on a sadomasochistic affair with her much younger student Walter (Benoît Magimel). As their relationship intensifies, Erika’s dark sexual urges and self-destructive behavior start to consume her.
Directed by Michael Haneke, The Piano Teacher is a bleak but brilliant character study of a deeply troubled woman. Huppert gives a fearless performance as Erika, conveying the character’s inner turmoil and twisted desires. The film’s depiction of BDSM is far more confronting and less romanticized than Fifty Shades, delving into the psychological toll of repression and shame.
15. Elles (2011)
Starring: Juliette Binoche, Anaïs Demoustier, Joanna Kulig
This provocative French drama stars Juliette Binoche as Anne, a journalist writing an article about female student prostitution. As she interviews two young women (Anaïs Demoustier and Joanna Kulig) about their experiences as sex workers, Anne starts to question her own sexuality and bourgeois lifestyle.
Elles is an intimate, female-focused exploration of sex and power dynamics. The film features several graphic erotic scenes but frames them through the female gaze. Like Fifty Shades, it delves into the complexities of sexual relationships and the ways money and class impact desire. Binoche is terrific as a woman grappling with her own repressed urges and dissatisfaction.
16. The Lover (1992)
Starring: Jane March, Tony Leung
Based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Marguerite Duras, The Lover is a lush, erotic coming-of-age tale set in 1920s French Indochina. Jane March plays a teenage girl who enters into a passionate affair with an older, wealthy Chinese man (Tony Leung). Their relationship is forbidden due to the age gap and racial prejudice of the time.
Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, The Lover is a sensual and visually stunning film that captures the heat and beauty of its exotic setting. March and Leung have electric chemistry, and their sex scenes are intimate and tastefully shot. While more romantic than Fifty Shades, the film similarly depicts an innocent young woman exploring her sexuality with an experienced older man.
17. Henry & June (1990)
Starring: Fred Ward, Uma Thurman, Maria de Medeiros
This erotic historical drama explores the famous love triangle between writers Henry Miller (Fred Ward), his wife June (Uma Thurman), and French author Anaïs Nin (Maria de Medeiros) in 1930s Paris. Nin finds herself drawn into the Millers’ bohemian lifestyle and kinky sexual exploits, including a lesbian affair with June.
Henry & June was the first film to receive an NC-17 rating in the US due to its explicit sexual content. The movie is a fascinating portrait of three artistic, sexually adventurous people who pushed the boundaries of relationships and self-expression. While not as overtly BDSM-focused as Fifty Shades, it captures a similar sense of erotic exploration and unconventional desire.
18. Exotica (1994)
Starring: Bruce Greenwood, Mia Kirshner, Elias Koteas
This enigmatic Canadian drama is set in and around a high-end strip club called Exotica. The film follows the intersecting lives of a troubled businessman (Bruce Greenwood) who is obsessed with a young stripper (Mia Kirshner), the club’s DJ and emcee (Elias Koteas), and a smuggler who is also a pet shop owner (Don McKellar).
Directed by Atom Egoyan, Exotica is a mesmerizing puzzle box of a film that slowly reveals the characters’ dark secrets and hidden connections. The movie is more atmospheric than overtly erotic, but it seethes with repressed desire and voyeuristic tension. Like Fifty Shades, it explores the ways people use sex and fantasy to cope with pain and trauma.
19. In the Realm of the Senses (1976)
Starring: Eiko Matsuda, Tatsuya Fuji
Perhaps the most sexually explicit film on this list, In the Realm of the Senses is a controversial Japanese erotic drama based on a true story. Set in 1930s Japan, it depicts the intense sexual relationship between Sada Abe (Eiko Matsuda), a former prostitute working as a maid, and Kichizo Ishida (Tatsuya Fuji), her married employer. As their affair becomes increasingly obsessive and sadomasochistic, the lovers retreat into their own world of transgressive desire.
Directed by Nagisa Oshima, In the Realm of the Senses features lengthy, unsimulated sex scenes that are still shocking by today’s standards. But the film is more than just pornography; it’s a powerful exploration of the destructive potential of all-consuming passion. Like Fifty Shades, it portrays a BDSM relationship that eventually goes too far, blurring the lines between pleasure and danger.
20. The Hunger (1983)
Starring: Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon
This stylish erotic horror film stars Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie as Miriam and John, a vampire couple with a taste for kinky sex and blood. When John starts rapidly aging, they seek help from a gerontologist named Sarah (Susan Sarandon). Miriam seduces Sarah, drawing her into a dangerous love triangle.
Directed by Tony Scott, The Hunger is a visually dazzling film that oozes gothic eroticism. Deneuve is the ultimate seductive femme fatale, radiating icy sensuality as the bisexual vampire. The movie’s most famous scene is a steamy lesbian encounter between Deneuve and Sarandon, which was quite risqué for a mainstream film at the time. While more of a horror movie than Fifty Shades, The Hunger similarly centers forbidden desire and dark sexual obsession.
These 20 movies like Fifty Shades of Grey offer a diverse range of erotic thrills, complex relationships, and psychological intrigue. From classic erotic dramas to contemporary BDSM romances, these films explore the depths of human sexuality and the intricacies of desire. Whether you’re drawn to the forbidden, the taboo, or the emotionally charged, these movies are sure to satisfy your craving for sensual, thought-provoking cinema. So dim the lights, settle in, and prepare to be seduced by the captivating world of erotic film.
