35 nude movies that basically feel like porn
Full-frontal nudity, anyone?
Contrary to what it might sound like, there is a difference between porn and nude movies. While porn — the ethical kind, pls — is produced to show you everything (and can sometimes be unrealistic, let’s be honest), nude movies are regular movies starring your favourite actors with plots that have less to do with sex but that still feature a ton of full-frontal nudity. Plenty of films might show some side boob, sex scenes, or ultra-hot make-out sessions, but for nights when you’re craving something a little naughtier, we rounded up a list of nude movies with a pearl-clutching amount of nakedness, for your literal viewing pleasure.
A disclaimer, before you — and your vibrator — dive in: all of these films are racy, but not all of them are particularly fun. They range from funny, to scary, to controversial. We included high- and low-budget films, mainstream commercial films, horror flicks, screwball comedies, and more. There are older films starring (occasionally naked) people you’ve never heard of, modern films you’ve read plenty of juicy gossip about, and everything in between — including straight sex, gay sex, and plenty of sex where people try to figure out where they fall on that spectrum. The one thing they all have in common? A whole lot of naked movie stars.
So when you’re craving something porn-y but not exactly porn, keep this list in your back pocket (or, you know, your bookmarks bar) and you’ll have 35 (!!) options to choose from. There’s something for everyone here, trust.
Killing Me Softly (2002)
Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes star in an erotic thriller about a woman named Alice (Graham), who leaves her boyfriend for a stranger named Adam (Fiennes) with whom she had a thrilling sexual encounter. Chaos ensues with she finds out that his relationship history isn’t exactly what he claimed it to be, forcing Alice to wonder if she didn’t jump into a relationship with Adam too quickly.
The Neon Demon (2016)
This psychological horror follows a young model played by Elle Fanning as she fends off creepy bosses and jealous, blood-thirsty older models. Have no fear: there’s lots of nudity mixed in with the gore!
9 1/2 Weeks (1986)
Passages (2023)
Passages offers an ultra-hot queer take on the love triangle after a film director (Franz Rogowski) meets a hot teacher (Adèle Exarchopoulos, who you may remember from another film on this list, Blue Is the Warmest Color). However, there’s just one problem. He’s married to a man (Ben Whishaw). What a fresh take on cheating, huh?
The film has multiple hot sex scenes that often also successfully depict gay sex, such as one between two men that’s over two minutes of uninterrupted footage that’s been praised for being hot but not exploitative. Love that for all of us!
Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
Alfonso Cuarón’s breakout effort, Y Tu Mamá También, follows an extremely sexy road trip between two teenage boys (Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna) and an older woman (Maribel Verdú and she’s in her 20s). The film set a record for the highest box office opening in Mexican cinema.
Caligula (1979)
What Roger Ebert once called “sickening, utterly worthless, shameful trash” is another woman’s treasure! Look, the film might not be outstanding, but the erotic fiction portrayed in Caligula is hot to the max. When in Rome, do as the Romans do… and get naked as heck.
Antichrist (2009)
Not for the faint of heart, Lars Von Trier’s Antichrist will have you wondering if you’re aroused or if you just peed a little out of fear. If you don’t mind a truly disturbing premise accompanying your nudity, this one’s for you.
Crash (1996)
Did you know there’s a name for being sexually aroused by disasters? It’s symphorophilia, and it’s the crux of this bizarre but utterly memorable 1996 erotic film starring James Spader.
Spun (2003)
What’s better than sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll? Sex, drugs, and Jason Schwartzmann. Roll that up into a black comedy, add in Brittany Murphy, and you’ve got yourself a winner.
9 Songs (2004)
Unsimulated sex acts (when actors actually have sex instead of perfoming it) are the name of the game in 9 Songs. This underrated favorite of the early aughts made a splash with its daring sex scenes and its lively music. You’ve been warned.
Lust, Caution (2007)
Ang Lee directed this moody period thriller about a young woman in Shanghai during WWII who was hired to seduce and assassinate an official of the Japanese government. It’s slow, sensual, and of course, very naked.
Wetlands (2013)
Playful, quirky, and *very* steamy, this German romance has zero shame. You’ll go from shaving a booty to kissing a cute nurse in what feels like no time at all. Consider it a must-watch.
Q (Desire) (2012)
Love and loss come together (and cum together) in this strange-but-lovely erotic French drama about a woman who copes with the death of her father by having sex with a seemingly endless stream of partners.
Shame (2011)
Michael Fassbender plays a deeply disturbed sex addict in Steve McQueen’s psychological drama featuring Carrie Mulligan, who plays Fassbender’s sister. There’s lots of sex and plenty of nudity in this story, though fair warning: the plot is anything but uplifting.
Blue Valentine (2010)
Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling star in this most horny of films that follows the nonlinear narrative of their characters’ marriage and relationship. It’s a beautifully told tale of love and loss, plus they have a lot of sex. Win win!
Deadly Illusions (2021)
Kristin Davis has made waves with the Sex And The City reboot And Just Like That…, which kicked off in December 2021. But just a few months before the show’s release, she starred in thriller drama Deadly Illusions, a very nude film that features her character, Mary Morrison, lusting after the nanny she hires to take care of her kids. Critics don’t rave about this film, but nothing beats watching prudish Charlotte receive oral sex from a lady in her kitchen.
Magic Mike (2012)
Yes, shockingly, this comedy-drama about male strippers features lots of sustained nudity. Come for Channing Tatum’s washboard abs, stay for Matthew McConaughey in a leather vest.
The Concubine (2012)
This erotic romantic historical film is set in South Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, which lasted from 1392 to 1910. For fans of Game Of Thrones, watch as Jo Yeo-jeong, of Parasite fame, forms a love triangle with two men who are vying for her love — and her body!
Love (2015)
Erotic drama art film? Say no more. This French movie gained notoriety right away for its prolific use of unsimulated sex. When the film was released, NPR estimated that “roughly half of Gaspar Noe’s Love consists of raw, unsimulated sex acts – presented in 3D, no less.”
But while NPR notably hated the film, you’ll love watching Aomi Muyock, Karl Glusman, and Klara Kristin being extremely naked together for extended periods of time as they navigate the murky gray area between non-monogamy and infidelity.
Room In Rome (2010)
This Spanish erotic drama chronicles one night shared between two women who meet while on separate trips to Rome. Most of the film takes place in a hotel room, where the women are, of course, very naked and very handsy.
Emma Glassman-Hughes (she/her) is a freelance writer for Cosmopolitan and a part-time editor at the Boston Globe. She was formerly a staff writer at Elite Daily, where she covered sex, intimacy, and queer topics. She is a graduate student at Boston University, where she’s pursuing a master’s in journalism with an emphasis on narrative and investigative reporting. She has a Twitter but her website is way more fun.
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