5 Movies That Prove Erotica and Thriller Go Great Together

Mixed genres movies sometimes turn into actual gems. But we are not talking about similar bunch of them thrown together, like when it is a crime drama with thriller elements. What makes it interesting when the genres that are not so easy to mix are blended together.

For example, horror comedy is one of our favorites, and it does get a lot of praise. But there’s one subgenre that is totally underrated, and that is erotic thriller. Not everyone understands the power of such movies, probably thinking of it as some sort of 50 Shades franchise equivalent.

Here are 5 stunningly good thrillers in which sex serves not as a means of thirsty entertainment, but as a powerful narrative tool.

1. Chloe (2009)

We have decided to start with something sort of familiar to make you feel safe here. The movie directed by Atom Egoyan in 2009 wasn't quite welcomed upon release, but no one denied the star-studded cast of the movie deserved praise: Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, and Amanda Seyfried gave amazing captivating performances as deeply-flawed characters.

The story is simple, yet full of magnetizing suspense and unexpected plot twists. A woman is desperate to find out whether her husband is cheating on her and hires a girl to spy on him. But she ends up connected to the girl herself.

2. Body Heat (1981)

More than 40 years ago Lawrence Kasdan released this thriller featuring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner. Forbidden lust, attempted murder, and almost hallucinating reality are at the center of this movie, making Kasdan's script one of the best in the entire noir genre, and this movie a staple in this subgenre.

During an almost deadly heat, a shady lawyer is picked up by a married woman, after which they begin a passionate affair. But her rich husband seems to be in the middle of it, so they decide to kill him and start plotting a scheme. But will they go through with it?

3. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Stanley Kubrick’s famous movie may not be all about murders and chasings, but the spooky suspense created in the film is all you need to call it a thriller. And Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’s performances as a drowned apart and flawed married couple seeking for lust is something that drives viewers to the movie even 25 years after release.

“I loved this movie. I love that Kubrick told this little drama between a husband and wife, which deals with simple but real struggles within a marriage. Where a man behaves as a man will, and a wife sets him straight, reminds him of his obligations and of the good things in his life. I really didn't think Kubrick had it in him,” Redditor koopelstien said.

4. Bound (1996)

The Wachowski sisters are world-famous for The Matrix, but before they became sci-fi geniuses, they created this steamy, dangerous, and critically acclaimed film. At the center of the thriller is a queer relationship between two young women, who decide to plot a scheme to score some cash.

The movie is a mix of everything a perfect thriller should have, with an added pinch of mob story and the real partnership on the surface.

5. Elle (2016)

Watching Elle is definitely an unforgettable experience. At the center of the movie is the one and only Isabelle Huppert, playing a successful woman who is attacked in her own home. The unknown man raped her and left her be, after what she turned into an obsessed power-seeking creature, ready to punish the one who did her wrong.