Five steamy movies perfect for a ‘Netflix and Chill’ night
What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase “Netflix and chill”? Mention it, and everyone knows exactly the sort of film you mean. Not always a romance, but also not always an erotic thriller. Just the movies that have enough tension and attraction with a sprinkle of emotions.
What’s amazing is how different these films can be from each other. One might revolve around a whirlwind romance, and another might look like a mystery at first before pulling the rug from under you and revealing something much darker.
And that’s usually what separates the memorable ones from the films you forget about five minutes after the credits roll. Intimacy on its own was never enough, and it never will be. The stories that stick with you are the ones where every conversation has a lot to say, even before the actors speak. In “Netflix and Chill” movies, people react to the buildup.
And that’s what makes the following Netflix films so special, because they make desire feel like a good thing. They also show attraction and complicated relationships from all types of angles. So if you fancy a film night with a bit more intensity, these are the ones you’ll want to have on your watchlist.
Five steamy movies perfect for a ‘Netflix and Chill’ night
Rebecca (Ben Wheatley, 2020)
What if we told you that one of the most important characters in Rebecca never actually appears on screen? You would probably assume we are exaggerating, right? Well, we aren’t. Rebecca is a story of a young woman who meets wealthy widower Maxim de Winter. While staying in Monte Carlo, the two hit it off straight away, and before she knows it, she is married and moving into his massive estate, Manderley. Sounds like she has landed on her feet, doesn’t it? Well, if it sounds too good to be true, that’s because it probably is.
The chemistry between the two leads does a lot of the heavy lifting, especially in those early scenes when everything feels romantic and a bit like a fairytale. But once the new Mrs de Winter arrives at Manderley, she starts realising she’s not the only woman taking up space in Maxim’s life. Rebecca, his late wife, might be gone, but nobody seems capable of letting go of her. The staff still talk about her, and Mrs Danvers, the housekeeper, treats Rebecca like some sort of legend. So yeah, there is romance here, and there is plenty of tension between the central couple, but there is also a proper gothic mystery running through the middle of it all. So watch this erotic horror at your own risk.
Elisa & Marcela (Isabel Coixet, 2019)
Unlike most of the films on this list, Elisa & Marcela is based on a true story, and that makes the romance hit even harder. The film tells the story of Elisa Sánchez Loriga and Marcela Gracia Ibeas, two women who meet as students in Spain towards the end of the 19th century and fall for each other over time. The problem is they are living in a world that gives them next to no freedom to live openly as a couple, so just being together means fighting against legal and social pressure.
What follows is as much a story about determination as it is romance. Elisa ends up taking on a male identity so the pair can marry, a decision inspired by real historical events. In fact, Elisa and Marcela became one of the first same-sex couples to marry in Spain, which makes their story important well beyond the film itself. Director Isabel Coixet shoots the whole thing in black and white, giving it a timeless feel that suits the story down to the ground. The romance stays front and centre, so don’t think that this is just a historical watch. However, the historical backdrop does give the whole thing an extra weight. If you want to watch an erotic yet empowering movie, this is the one.
White Girl (Elizabeth Wood, 2016)
Very few films on Netflix have sparked as much debate as White Girl, and it doesn’t take long to see why. Here, we have a college student named Leah spending the summer in New York City. After meeting Blue, a charismatic drug dealer from her neighbourhood, she gets pulled into his world. Initially, it starts as an attraction, but before you know it, it turns into a relationship that puts both of them in situations that get riskier by the minute. One thing about Leah is that she doesn’t spend much time thinking things through. Decisions here seem to create bigger problems than before, and that’s mainly the hook. As drugs and messy relationships pile up, the film goes into some very questionable phases.
What sets White Girl apart from a lot of steamy dramas is that it makes you fall in love with the mess. It’s not interested in giving you a neat, polished romance. No sir. Instead, it is about desire, the passion. That’s one of the reasons it became one of the most talked-about indie films of its year, and why it becomes a perfect film for your “Netflix and chill” night.
You Get Me (Brent Bonacorso, 2017)
You Get Me starts with Tyler Hanson, a high-school lad who has a brief split from his girlfriend, Ali. During that break, he spends a passionate night with a mysterious girl called Holly. The next day, he gets back together with Ali and figures the whole thing is behind him. The thing here is that it isn’t. Before long, Holly starts turning up everywhere. She transfers to Tyler’s school and works her way into his friendship group. Crazy, right? This lady is determined to stay part of his life no matter what.
It all looks like a simple love triangle, but then it turns into something darker. The idea of suspense in the film is huge, but it never loses sight of the attraction and tension driving the story. Bella Thorne’s performance as Holly is impeccable as she keeps you guessing about what she is capable of right until the end. If you like your romance mixed with danger, this Netflix film is worth a look.
The Next 365 Days (Barbara Białowąs and Tomasz Mandes, 2022)
At this stage, the 365 Days franchise hardly needs introducing. It has become one of Netflix’s most talked-about collections of romantic dramas, mainly because nobody seems able to agree on what they make of it. The Next 365 Days picks up after the events of the previous film and carries on the story of Laura and Massimo. Their marriage is still on shaky ground, but things get even messier when Nacho comes back into Laura’s life. As she is pulled between two very different men, she starts questioning her loyalty and desires.
But let’s be honest, the plot was never the main attraction here, and the third film sticks with that formula. The focus stays on the romantic drama and the chemistry between the central characters, all very, very erotic. Whether people love it or hate-watch it, one thing’s certain: they have watched this. So if you have watched the first two parts of the film and are sceptical about this one, we think you should give The Next 365 Days a try because this film was made while keeping “Netflix and Chill” into heavy consideration.