Sex scenes, we've seen a few. The first times that seldom bear resemblance to anyone's real first time. The quick-my-wife-is-out-of-town humpfests that turn us on and off at the same time. The perfect lighting and unrealistic, synchronized orgasms. They make it all look so easy, don't they?
Not that we're complaining. A great cinematic sex scene can really get us going, even if it involves positions straight out of Cirque du Soleil. Who doesn't feel a little warm when "Take My Breath Away" comes on? Who else believes that Michael Douglas must be able to make a woman (or Matt Damon) orgasm from 10 feet away?
Next time you and bae are looking for a little sexual inspiration, consider consulting one of these steamy scenes. Try not to pull a muscle.
Working Girl (1988)
Ok, this is less of a sex scene and more of a foreplay moment, but oh my god if you can keep from sinking into your couch with lust, I salute you. Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) is posing as her boss (Sigourney Weaver) when she meets hot investment broker Jack Trainor (Harrison Ford). The sparks fly after the two put together the deal of a lifetime, and the two end up back at Jack's apartment, where he barely is able to close the door before ripping his shirt off. Literally.Lust, Caution (2007)
Based on a 1979 novella by Eileen Chang, Ang Lee's pre-World War II spy film earned an NC-17 rating in the U.S. due to its explicit and graphic sex scenes, which reportedly took over 100 hours to shoot.
Midsommar (2019)
This clip doesn't do Midsommar's sex scene any justice. You will just have to suck it up and watch the horror break-up movie. Just know that the wailing is far from the strangest part.Long Shot
(2019)
Despite the controversy surrounding certain logistics of this sex scene, a Seth Rogen-Charlize Theron sex scene is remarkable on its own.
Two Moon Junction
(1988)
The daughter of a senator runs away with a rugged carnival worker. This premise definitely work as a romance novel, but lucky for us, it's not. We get to see each encounter between straight-laced girl and long-haired man played out in vivid color.
Call Me By Your Name
(2017)
There isn't an extended sex scene in CMBYN, but each moment Elio (Timothee Chalemet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer) share the screen, it's sexy.
Casino Royale
(2006)
Being a Bond girl is usually fatal, but at least comes with the perk of some very, very hot sex.
Elena Undone
(2014)
Elena Winters is married to a preacher, but that doesn't stop her from falling in love with the lesbian writer Peyton Lombard.
In the Realm of the Senses
(1976)
This Franco-Japanese movie about an intense, power-drenched relationship between a servant and her employer features unstimlated sex.
Boogie Nights
(1997)
Unsurprisingly, Boogie Nights, a movie about a porn star's rise to fame, is full of sex. In this scene, Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) is paired with veteran porn actress Amber Waves (Julianne Moore) for his very first shoot.
American Pie
(1999)
Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) used a cheat sheet when going down on his girlfriend, Victoria (Tara Reid). Literally. He had a notebook page that said, "Rocking the tongue tornado" and a series of diagrams.
The Mountain Between Us
(2017)
Idris Elba. Rugged. Unclothed. On a mountain. It's all we ever wanted!
Stranger by the Lake
(2013)
This French thriller begins with an encounter between two strangers at a popular hookup spot in the French countryside. Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps) and Michel (Christophe Paou) have sex, and set up the power dynamic of danger and lust which will be taken to extreme heights during the rest of the movie.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
(1994)
After heroically rescuing a woman's shih tzu, Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) is treated to a reward that isn't monetary. In this ridiculous and raunchy scene, Jim Carrey flaunts his brand of goofy physical comedy. You get to decide whether or not it's funny.
Irresistible
(2006)
This is one trope of a sex scene. A younger woman (Emily Blunt) seduces her married boss, Craig (Sam Neill). The twists that come after, spurred by the relationship between Mara (Blunt) and Craig's wife, Sophie (Susan Sarandon), are the more compelling aspects of the film.
Blue Lagoon
(1980)
It's alarming to think that Brooke Shields was only 14 during the filming of this controversial movie about two Victorian kids left stranded on an island following a shipwreck. They come of age in paradise.
From Here to Eternity
(1953)
Next time you go to the beach, try reenacting the kiss to end all waterlogged kisses. In this scene, Sgt. Warden (Burt Lancaster) succumbs to an affair with his superior's wife, Karen (Deborah Kerr).
The Little Hours
(2017)
In this indie film, three sexually naive 14th-century nuns try to seduce a strapping young servant in a variety of hilarious, awkward contortions. There's a sex scene a minute, but the funniest is when Kate Micucci's character, poisoned on belladonna, goes after the servant with vigor.
Map to the Stars
(2014)
In this surreal moment in cinema history, Julianne Moore seduces her cab driver, played by Robert Pattison. She literally asks him, "Do you want to fuck my holes?" And they he pulls over by the side of the road.
Monster's Ball
(2001)
Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) and Leticia (Halle Berry) are an unlikely pair. He, a prison guard. She, the wife of the prisoner he just executed. Still, they seek each other out — as is clear in this scene, where Hank goes down on Leticia.
Wild Things
(1998)
Two girls in a pool, and so a legendary movie sex scene is born.
The Brown Bunny
(2003)
The Brown Bunny gained notoriety for featuring unsimulated oral sex between Chloe Sevigny and Vincent Gallo. But this scene of an under-the-table blowjob during grace is funny and mischievous.
Fear
(1996)
A rollercoaster and The Sundays' cover of "Wild Horses" make Nicole's (Reese Witherspoon) first sexual experience pretty freaking fantastic. Pity her boyfriend (Mark Wahlberg) is a total monster.
Pretty Woman
(1999)
The poor pianist who had to tickle those ivories the next day could not be reached for comment.Anna Karenina
(2012)
This steamy scene between Keira Knightley and Aaron Taylor-Johnson should make you regret not paying more attention to Tolstoy in school.Jamón Jamón
(1992)
Current marrieds Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz didn't start dating until 15 years after filming this explosive sex scene. Also: How hilarious is the reaction of the other café patrons?The Roommate
(2011)
Technically, Leighton Meester and Danneel Harris are only kissing here, but there's something so erotic about their lip gloss banter and eagerness to take things to the next level.Unfaithful
(2002)
Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez demonstrate the undeniable power of soggy make-up sex.Indochine
(1992)
Our Uber driver would not stand for this. By the way, Vincent Perez's character also has an affair with Éliane's (Catherine Deneuve) adopted Vietnamese daughter, Camille. What's French for super-messy?Alfie
(2004)
In which Jude Law and Nia Long copulate on a pool table, conveniently ignoring the fact that she's his best friend's girl, and that it's impossible to walk away from this without a nasty case of felt burn.Laurel Canyon
(2002)
Nothing says awkward (but still kinda hot) like making out in the pool with your future mother-in-law and her boyfriend. Allow Kate Beckinsale, Frances McDormand, and Alessandro Nivola to show you how it's done.Risky Business
(1983)
If you could not follow Rebecca De Mornay and Tom Cruise's lead on the G train during rush hour, that'd be great.Taking Lives
(2004)
Look away, Brad. Watching Ethan Hawke force Angelina Jolie to suck on his fingers might be a little unsettling.Derailed
(2005)
This extramarital tryst between Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston soon goes very, very badly. Still, there's something about the wet hair and soggy shirts that makes their foreplay fun to watch.The Unbearable Lightness of Being
(1988)
Though there's no shortage of sex scenes in this film adaptation of Milan Kundera's novel, it's this interaction between Juliette Binoche and Lena Olin (as Tereza and Sabina, respectively) that feels the most intimate and sensual.Swimfan
(2002)
When your stalker accidentally drops the L word during swimming pool sex... and you already have a lovely girlfriend. Awkward. Take it away, Erika Christensen and Jesse Bradford.Incendiary
(2008)
This otherwise heart-wrenching drama includes this saucy striptease, which proves that inviting someone over for fish fingers is hotter than it sounds. Alas, you only get a snippet of the action between Michelle Williams and Ewan McGregor in this clip.Crimson Peak
(2015)
Think Taylor Swift will watch Tom Hiddleston's spicy sex scene (complete with a bare bum) with Mia Wasikowska in this gothic thriller and wonder where things went wrong? The action gets underway at about the 4-minute mark.The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
(2011)
Rooney Mara's Lisbeth Salander basically jumps Mikael Blomkvist's (Daniel Craig) bones in this saucy scene. Let's hear it for girls on top.Undertow
(2009)
Also known as Contracorriente, this Peruvian film captures the clandestine relationship between a married fisherman with a baby on the way and the dreamy artist he can't resist.Nina Takes a Lover
(1994)
Ladder sex can be risky. Then again, so is cheating on your husband with a tall, dark, and handsome photographer.Out of Sight
(1998)
If you like your conversation with a little more action, you'll love this sex scene between bank robber Jack (George Clooney) and U.S. Marshal Karen (Jennifer Lopez).Revolutionary Road
(2008)
When they're not squabbling and bemoaning their suburban existence, Frank and April Wheeler (dynamic duo Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) manage to squeeze in some hot sex on the kitchen counter.Out of Time
(2003)
Denzel Washington and Sanaa Lathan prove that you don't have to take your clothes off to have a good time (oh no). You just need a strong back and a willingness to suffer a splinter or two.Legends of the Fall
(1994)
The hair. The bum. The name Tristan. Just overlook the fact that Julia Ormond (Susannah) went on to play Brad Pitt's daughter in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.Marie Antoinette
(2006)
We definitely would have paid more attention in world history class if we'd known how steamy Marie Antoinette's (Kirsten Dunst) sex life was. And yes, Jamie Dornan's Axel von Fersen is infinitely sexier than Christian Grey.Troy
(2004)
There's a thin line between love and hate. Briseis' (Rose Byrne) attempt to kill Achilles (Brad Pitt) results in the two making sweet, gentle love.The Hunger
(1983)
In the 1995 documentary The Celluloid Closet, Susan Sarandon said the script originally called for her character to be drunk before having sex with Catherine Deneuve's character. But, being Sarandon, she asked to have the script changed so she would only drink one glass of wine beforehand."You wouldn't have to get drunk to bed Catherine Deneuve," Sarandon says, in the doc. Clearly.