Credit: Netflix

‘Netflix and Chill’ has become such a well-worn phrase that people barely spare a thought for the Netflix part anymore. Show us otherwise! But, come on, the film still matters. Pick something dull, and before long, you are both wondering who thought this was a good idea in the first place. Doesn’t sound ideal, does it?

And if you go a little deeper, you’ll realise there is steaminess, and then there are films that will make you take a glance at the person beside you and feel proud of your choice. Still, that flicker of awkwardness can be half the fun, provided the film actually knows what it’s doing and doesn’t leave you wishing you’d played it safe.

But that’s the hardest part. Plenty of films promise heat, tonnes of it, and then give you a half-baked cake or swing in a totally opposite direction and start taking themselves so seriously that the mood is gone before anything interesting happens.

So, rather than faff about scrolling through a million options, watch these five films that will keep you floating in that rollercoaster of story and steam, and then you decide when to hit pause, wink, wink!

Five steamy movies perfect for a ‘Netflix and Chill’ night

Fall for Me (Sherry Hormann, 2025)

Have you ever booked a nice little escape only to make a bad romantic decision while you were there? Fall for Me takes that premise and gives it a nastier twist. It starts when Lilli goes to Mallorca to visit her sister, only to become suspicious of the man she plans to marry. Fair enough. Then Lilli meets nightclub manager Tom, and, well, all the detective work gets distracted. Before you know it, the fatal attraction comes meandering, including a beach encounter that became one of the film’s most talked-about scenes after its Netflix release. Spicy!

Coming back to the story, Tom has far more to do with Lilli’s family troubles than she realises. Hence, every time things sizzle up between them, you have that delicious little advantage of knowing something is very much off. You’d be surprised to know that the film had a frosty critical reception, despite the fact that it pulled 16.5million views in its first four days. Well, who doesn’t like a little bit of holiday trouble?

Addicted (Bille Woodruff, 2014)

Did that sound like poor judgment to you? Wait till you meet Zoe in Addicted. She has a husband and the sort of life most people can only dream of. Then she meets artist Quinton, sleeps with him and discovers that, apparently, one affair is not enough. Oh, here we go, the same old rigmarole… However, make it steamy. Before long, her sex life has become something she can no longer pretend is under control. So the steamy scenes are not just there for decoration; the whole plot hinges on Zoe going back for more. Again. And again. Justifies the title well, don’t you think?

Addicted comes from erotic-fiction author Zane’s bestselling novel, which told Zoe’s story from inside her head. Zane later explained that adapting it meant finding ways to put those private urges on screen rather than leaving them in internal monologue. The result is fascinating. The film is far more interested in temptation than restraint. Subtle? Oh, please. But if you clicked on an article about Netflix and Chill films, was subtlety ever really the assignment?

Madame Claude (Sylvie Verheyde, 2021)

The next watch consists of someone who treats sex less like a highly profitable business model. That’s right: enter Madame Claude. And before you ask, yes, she was real. Fernande Grudet, better known as Madame Claude, ran an elite prostitution network in France during the 1960s and became notorious for serving wealthy, well-connected clients. History mixed with debauchery… How about that!

The Netflix film takes you to a world where Claude’s operation gives her access to circles far beyond the bedroom. Then a wealthy young woman comes in and starts upsetting the balance Claude has worked so carefully to maintain. Oh, here we go. There is plenty of nudity, naturally, but the more interesting thing is how transactional the intimacy feels. Attraction is there, sure, but someone is nearly always getting something out of it. And that’s exactly what gives the film its edge. By this point, you are wondering who is playing whom.

Blue Is the Warmest Color (Abdellatif Kechiche, 2013)

Oh, the feeling of being completely consumed by someone you are in love with! If that’s your idea of a ‘Netflix and Chill’ watch, Blue Is the Warmest Color is your holy grail. It follows Adèle, who is still figuring herself out when she meets Emma, an older art student with blue hair. That one encounter turns into a relationship that, before long, has completely taken over her life.

But if you are in just for the steam, know that the film does not stop at desire. The relationship keeps going, but you watch two people change at completely different speeds in real time. Now that’s what screws things up. You see, the film is three hours long, so the attraction has plenty of room to mutate into something else. Then came Cannes, where it won the Palme d’Or and the jury extended the honour to both lead actresses.

Ride or Die (Ryūichi Hiroki, 2021)

And if three hours sounds a bit too heavy, you might want to pick something a bit simpler. However, Ride or Die is not that, absolutely not. Rei, our protagonist, realises that Nanae, the woman she has loved since school, is being abused by her husband. Nanae asks for help, and Rei responds by killing him. Yup, she kills him. In short, we are not exactly starting from a healthy place. The two women run away together, but escaping a murder turns out to be easier than working out what they actually are to each other.

The film comes from Ching Nakamura’s manga Gunjo, which Netflix adapted into a live-action film in 2021. The intimacy is frank, but don’t expect the sex scenes to give you a break from all the emotional mess these two women cause. No such luck. That is what makes Ride or Die such a weird Netflix and Chill pick: sensual one minute and serious the next. Tread lightly.