Five steamy movies perfect for a ‘Netflix and Chill’ weekend
The best “Netflix and chill” movies are not always romances, and that’s generally for the best. No, really. How many candlelit love stories can you sit through before you experience that same tingling feeling for the billionth time? Hence, this week, we have steamy movies with a thrilling background.
Think about it, erotic thrillers have always understood the assignment better. Something fishy is usually going on, and it makes attraction a lot more furtive and a little nasty, which probably is why you are here. Bad judgement in movies always makes this interesting… For us.
But that’s the only way these erotic thrillers earn their keep, really, because once attraction starts clouding judgement, you are not just watching two people fancy each other; you are waiting to see who loses the plot first.
And that is the sweet spot for this list: desire with a bit of jeopardy, where nobody gets to have their cake and eat it.
Five steamy movies perfect for a ‘Netflix and Chill’ weekend
Basic Instinct (Paul Verhoeven, 1992)
Like we even need to say anything about this one! Basic Instinct is probably one of the best-known examples of the erotic thriller, and it opens with an ice-pick murder. Guess what follows: bad decisions.
Nick Curran, Michael Douglas’ San Francisco detective, is investigating crime novelist Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), whose latest book happens to describe a murder remarkably similar to the one now sitting on his desk. You see the problem already, don’t you? Apparently, Nick does too… and still sleeps with her.
From there, the sex and the investigation become impossible to prise apart, which is exactly what Catherine wants. She keeps Nick interested, keeps him guessing and, frankly, has him making an absolute hash of professional boundaries. And while you are getting all that steam, half the fun is finding yourself in Nick’s position, trying to decide whether Catherine is a killer playing with him or simply enjoying the fact that everyone thinks she might be. Either way, you keep watching.
Room in Rome (Julio Medem, 2010)
Well… this one does not exactly beat around the bush. Room in Rome tells the tale of two women, Alba (Elena Anaya) and Natasha (Natasha Yarovenko), who, after a chance meeting in the city, retreat to a hotel room where curiosity turns into intimacy.
In the beginning, it’s just a one-night adventure, but then it peels back, layer after layer, because both women are hiding and embellishing things and, at times, talking absolute nonsense just to keep the other guessing. The bedroom is the most interesting part here because there are both confessions and fights going on. One minute they are flirting; the next, they are testing each other’s stories and wondering what is actually true.
You know the saying: the night is darkest before dawn. Here, dawn is the problem. Because once morning arrives, someone has to leave, and when that reality hits, there is nothing left but pain.
Deadly Illusions (Anna Elizabeth James, 2021)
Now, Deadly Illusions is not exactly a triumph of the erotic-thriller genre. In fact, calling this Netflix film a bit of a train wreck would be more accurate. But you never know; sometimes that is the appeal.
Kristin Davis plays Mary Morrison, a successful novelist who hires Grace (Greer Grammer) as a nanny while she wrestles with her next book. And then comes the convenient attraction, as not long before, Mary is fantasising about her, which then turns into flirting with boundaries she absolutely should not be touching.
Things get crazy when that thin line between fantasy and reality blurs and jealousy enters the room. Soon enough, the plot begins throwing twists around like confetti. Does it all hold together? Good heavens, no. But if you enjoy steamy melodrama with steam and twists, there are worse ways to spend an evening.
Love and Leashes (Park Hyun-jin, 2022)
Now it’s time to let some Korean romance into the list, and this one is unexpectedly romantic. Love and Leashes starts with an office mix-up involving a dog collar, which is certainly an odd way to discover that your colleague has a submissive streak he has been keeping very, very quiet.
Ji-woo (Seohyun) finds out about Ji-hoo’s (Lee Jun-young) private tastes by accident, but instead of recoiling, she gets curious. And from there, the two begin exploring a consensual dominant-submissive relationship with rules and some negotiation. But don’t worry, it’s not like this kink is some dark little secret dragged out for shock value. You actually watch these two figure each other out and stumble over their feelings.
Simple Passion (Passion simple) (Danielle Arbid, 2020)
We now head to the romantic land of France with Simple Passion, although don’t go in expecting candlelight dinners from this Netflix movie. Hélène (Laetitia Dosch), a university lecturer and single mother, becomes consumed by an affair with Alexandre (Sergei Polunin), a married Russian diplomat who enters her life whenever it suits him and disappears just like that. You already know this arrangement is hurtful, but before you feel sorry for Hélène, know that she does too.
Still, she waits for his calls and rearranges her days around his visits. Most of us have done that for someone; it’s just that this time, it has a lot of steam involved. Alexandre barely has to promise her anything. Guess desire is all she needs.
With Simple Passion, you are not just watching two people fall in love… You are watching one woman realise she is losing herself and continue anyway.