The Fifty Shades series, beginning with Fifty Shades of Grey, was one of the most widely mocked of the 2010s, consisting of three films released between 2015 and 2018, based on three books all published in 2011 and 2012. The novels were considered guilty pleasures by some readers and bafflingly awful by others, though it could well have been the case of there being no such thing as bad publicity, given the notoriety got people talking.
As such, a trashy trilogy of erotic novels became a cultural phenomenon, and then the movie adaptations proved similarly successful (at least when it comes to the box office; neither the book nor the film series did well critically). Whether they’d like to admit it or not, some people are undeniably interested in finding other movies like Fifty Shades of Grey. Movies like the Fifty Shades trilogy are likely to provide more silly romantic drama and thrills, though there are also quality movies based around erotic/sexual themes that more or less show the right way for such things to be handled in film. For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey, or anyone wanting comparable films (because of similar themes, smuttiness, or to scratch a so-bad-it’s-good itch), the following movies may well be worth cautiously recommending.
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‘In the Realm of the Senses’ (1976)
You know you’re doing something right as a provocative/challenging filmmaker if you direct something in 1976 and, nearly 50 years later, it’s still quite shocking, not to mention worthy of an NC-17 rating. This is the case for In the Realm of the Senses, which could be called an erotic drama in the sense that sex plays a big part in the narrative, but as for whether it’s titillating… well…
In the Realm of the Senses is probably more disturbing than anything else, but one’s mileage may vary. It explores a sexual relationship that begins intensely and only grows more so as the film progresses, with things gradually getting more and more violent, not to mention psychologically harrowing. It’s a lot to take in and then sit with, once the film’s over, but you do have to admire the confidence and commitment found in something like this.
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‘Summer with Monika’ (1953)
Causing a stir in 1953, but being relatively tame by today’s standards, Summer with Monika is still worth mentioning as a significant film within the category of movies that can be described as “erotic.” It was an early Ingmar Bergman film, and far from one of his best, but nonetheless contains compelling qualities, telling the story of a young man and woman pressured into living together after the latter becomes pregnant.
What was initially just a “Summer” begins to look like a lifetime, which naturally causes drama and emotional turmoil for the two main characters. Summer with Monika was daring for its time and still feels pretty effective as a drama about societal pressures and the fragility of love, especially as the latter relates to young people who might still be trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives.
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‘Room in Rome’ (2010)
If it had been made more recently, Room in Rome probably would’ve caused more of a stir and been more controversial. As it stands, it came out in 2010, and wasn’t seen by very many people either… so, hey, maybe it would’ve come and gone had it been made in 2025, too. As for the plot? There really isn’t any plot. It’s kind of like Before Sunrise, but with gratuitous nudity.
The two lead characters are attractive women who meet in a hotel room and spend a lot of time naked and/or having sex. It’s directed by a man, and that – if not criticized in 2010 – would’ve made Room in Rome open to lots of criticism if made in more recent times. Defenders might call it a purely sensual film, while others might say it’s too close to being a feature-length excuse to show lots of sex and nudity. Does the truth lie somewhere in between? Does anyone care?
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‘Crash’ (1996)
David Cronenberg has made his fair share of movies appropriate for sickos, with Crash feeling overall like one of his most twisted and provocative. It follows the lives of various people who have what most would consider to be an unusual fetish: that of car accidents; people who seem to become sexually aroused by either the idea of cars crashing, or actually being involved in accidents.
It’s empathetic on top of being disturbing, and there’s an unusual atmosphere present throughout Crash that’s easy to appreciate when you’re watching it, but harder to properly put into words once it’s over. It’s certainly not a film for the faint of heart, by any means, but anyone after a character-focused drama that’s unafraid to explore a darker side of sexuality might well find Crash intriguing.
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‘Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!’ (1989)
Antonio Banderas has collaborated with Robert Rodriguez many times, sure, but he’s also been a favorite actor of Pedro Almodóvar. Almodóvar caused a stir with the release of Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, which was one of his first films to find some degree of international success, and it also provided a fairly early role for Banderas, who plays a disturbed young man named Ricky.
Essentially, the plot revolves around Ricky kidnapping an actress he once had sex with, and this premise somehow leads to some degree of comedy alongside being more intense/dramatic. Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! is pretty bizarre and hard to recommend to everyone, though it commits to its premise in an uncompromising and therefore somewhat admirable way, and overall feels like the kind of movie that doesn’t really care what you think. So, good for Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
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‘Zandalee’ (1991)
If you’ve ever wanted to see Nicolas Cage take part in a movie with a similar premise to The Room (and execution that’s honestly not much better), then Zandalee is the movie for you. Cage plays a man whom one woman decides to have an affair with, as she’s gotten bored with her usual partner, which naturally leads to emotional turmoil, melodrama, and chaos.
It’s one of the best bad Nicolas Cage movies, giving the actor ample opportunities to overact while also being ridiculous across the board; not simply because of Nicolas Cage being in it. Zandalee is a mess and a largely forgotten one, at that, but those after a very specific type of overwrought 1990s cheese will likely find a great deal to appreciate here, even if such appreciation is ultimately ironic.
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‘Cat People’ (1982)
A remake/reimagining of a classic gothic horror movie released exactly 40 years earlier, 1982’s Cat People is very much a different sort of beast, being sleazier, more explicitly violent, and decidedly more in your face. One’s mileage will vary on whether this was the right approach to take when updating an understated and quietly effective horror movie, but at the very least, both Cat People movies stand apart.
Narratively, this Paul Schrader-directed version centers on a woman with a dark past/secret involving large predatory cats, with such an unusual “condition” dramatically affecting her romantic life. Cat People is pretty wild stuff, and the eroticism can be laughably much, but it has a distinct style/feel it’s going for and achieves it all the way, making for a strange but somewhat engrossing viewing experience.
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‘Killing Me Softly’ (2002)
Definitely not to be mixed up with 2012’s Killing Them Softly, 2002’s Killing Me Softly is quite the infamous title, starring Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes at a time when they were relatively well-known… though perhaps this film didn’t help their careers going forward. It’s a 21st-century take on the erotic thriller genre, following a woman as she tries to deal with growing suspicions about her husband’s past.
He’s had a complex history with previous partners, leading to paranoia and general distrust, all of which is supposed to grow more intense and passionate… but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Killing Me Softly is certainly one of the lesser-known erotic thrillers of its time, and has generally been forgotten to time, except by those who’ve survived watching it and have lived to tell the tale.
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‘The Boy Next Door’ (2015)
The Boy Next Door has a rather generic title, and there’s also little about the premise that inspires a great deal of excitement or anticipation of something unique. Essentially, the main plot focuses on a woman who’s going through problems with her marriage, and what happens when she begins to take an interest in a younger man who’s recently become her next-door neighbor.
Surprising absolutely no one, this man isn’t who he initially appears to be, and that’s before taking into account the fact that having the affair in the first place leads to consequences with the initial marriage. Watching The Boy Next Door, one feels a little bad for Jennifer Lopez being stuck in a leading role like this, because very few people would’ve been able to turn in a good performance with what she (and the other cast members) of the film were given.
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‘American Gigolo’ (1980)
A couple of years before Cat People, Paul Schrader also directed the rather erotically charged and intense American Gigolo, a film that happened to get a 2022 TV adaptation that sort of came and went. This 1980 film was noteworthy for being one of Richard Gere’s first starring roles, and also for featuring the Blondie song “Call Me,” which nowadays might actually be more well-known than the film itself.
Narratively, American Gigolo concerns an escort whose clients are generally older women, and what happens when he finds himself the suspect in a murder he swears he had nothing to do with. Perhaps it’s somewhat of an erotic thriller, but American Gigolo also emerges as something of a crime/mystery movie as a result of this plot development; not a great one, sure, but it’s got style, and the bold early 1980s aesthetics certainly pack a punch, too.
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