We’re all looking for strange and entertaining things to watch right now, which is why an unexpected, fun, and completely ridiculous 2015 erotic thriller has found a new audience on Netflix. Knock Knock is a remake of 1977’s Death Game and stars Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas. It’s currently the streamer’s second most popular film. If you’re one of the millions who’ve enjoyed–or enjoyed laughing at–the outrageous flick about a hard working dad seduced by two sexy young women and are looking for more saucy and (and sometimes silly) distraction, then you’ve come to the right place.
Voltage Pictures
The erotic thriller is one of the most delightfully dark and sensual subgenres so I’ve curated a list of 15 of the best, wildest, and sexiest films that you can stream now!
Masquerade
Where to Watch: HBO
I’m starting off with a Rob Lowe double bill here. First up is this 1988 masterpiece of seedy betrayal starring the brat-packer alongside Meg Tilly and Kim Cattrall. Tilly plays a young and naive heiress who falls for Lowe’s yacht captain who may or may not have designs on her money. This fits into the little appreciated but powerful erotic thriller sub-subgenre: the yachting thriller. Big ships, bigger twists, and some seriously wonderful sweaters, this is an underseen gem.
Bad Influence
Where to Watch: HBO
In this flick, Lowe teams up with another peak ’80s / ’90s heartthrob, James Spader. Wow. I love James Spader so much and he’s very close to his hottest here. Michael (Spader) is a high powered analyst who can’t escape his low self esteem. That is, until he meets Alex (Lowe). Enigmatic and handsome, Alex has some interesting ideas to help Michael find his confidence. Though at first it seems like a match made in heaven, Alex has a (very, very) dark side which threatens to put everything Michael cares about at risk. This is unadulterated ’90s neo-noir fun!
Body of Evidence
Where to Watch: Hoopla
Madonna, Julianne Moore, and Willem Dafoe are all in top form in this noirish erotic oddity. Madge plays a woman accused of killing her OAP husband via vigorous sex and cocaine—scandal! Dafoe stars as her defense attorney who wants to believe she’s innocent… so that he can continue his sordid affair with her. Classic gaudy erotic thriller stuff here with the added magic of Dafoe.
Cruel Intentions
Where to Watch: HBO
If you grew up in the ’90s then chances are this was a formative sexy movie for you. Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Reese Witherspoon are killin’ it in this hot and heavy prep school reimagining of Dangerous Liaisons. Step-siblings Kathryn (Gellar) and Sebastian (Phillipe) engage in a nasty game of sexual experimentation focused on the famed playboy seducing a virginal Witherspoon. Of course, things all change when he falls in love.
Blown Away
Where to Watch: Prime Video
The two Coreys— Haim and Feldman—team up in this lesser seen made-for-TV movie. Don’t let the fact that it was made for TV make you think this isn’t a serious erotic thriller, though. Honestly, I’m still shocked it got shown at all as it gets pretty wild. The Coreys star as off-season ski workers who get caught up with a hot rich girl who wants them to kill her daddy.
The Handmaiden (Ah-ga-ssi)
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Easily the sexiest of the films on our list, The Handmaiden is also a magnificent piece of cinematic artistry. Park Chan-Wook directs this perfect adaptation of Sarah Water’s queer period novel The Fingersmith. Moving the action to Japanese-occupied Korea, a simple setup hides something truly surprising as a con man—and the pickpocket he’s hired to help him—tries to seduce a wealthy heiress in order to steal her money. I just can’t overstate how good this is.
Dream Lover
Where to Watch: Prime Video
James Spader returns to our list thanks to this excellent ’93 black widow story. Madchen Amick is the dangerous woman who seduces Spader and dedicates herself to driving him mad. Showcasing her brilliance as femme fatale, Amick is a joy to watch. Spader is as hot and disheveled as you want him to be, and Dream Lover is a perfect erotic ’90s watch.
Swimming Pool
Where to Watch: Netflix
Charlotte Rampling is a national treasure and she shines in this sultry summer thriller. An author (Rampling) heads off to her publisher’s villa to try and make headway on her new book. It should be just the break that she needs but her plans are waylaid by the arrival of a young woman (Ludivine Sagnier) who claims to be the daughter of the very publisher who sent her there. Sexy, strange, surreal, and totally wonderful, this is a truly great addition to the erotic thriller canon.
The Boy Next Door
Where to Watch: Free on Peacock
I’ll be honest—this movie isn’t particularly erotic or thrilling, but it is incredibly entertaining. Jennifer Lopez stars in this Lifetime-esque tale of a bored housewife who gets seduced by a young man who becomes fatally obsessed with her. Her definitely 30-something teenage beau also buys her a “first edition of The Iliad” in one of Hollywood’s great comedy moments.
Bound
Where to Watch: Tubi
The Wachowskis made their feature debut with this lesbian neo-noir cult smash. Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly play the troubled lovers who come up with a get rich quick scheme that puts them on a crash course with the mob. This ultra low budget neo-noir is super cool and stylish as well as being queer as all hell. So basically move this one up to the top of your list and get ready to fall in love with Tilly and Gershon all over again.
Call Me
Where to Watch: Hulu
I only recently discovered this highly enjoyable gritty little flick. Call Me takes the classic creepy prank call trope and turns it on its head. When a woman gets an explicit call she thinks is from her boyfriend, she heads to a bar to meet him. With her boo nowhere to be seen she heads to the bathroom and witnesses a horrific crime. This is a truly grimy and great little movie with a killer lead turn from Patricia Charbonneau, plus an early turn from Steve Buscemi!
Eyes Wide Shut
Where to Watch: Free on Plex
Stanley Kubrick cast Nicole Kidman and her real life husband (at the time) Tom Cruise in his epic erotic drama. The pair play a married couple with Cruise as an unsatisfied husband who over one night gets embroiled in a strange underground party scene that also might be a cult. It’s actually far weirder than I can put into a short blurb and has to be seen to be believed.
In The Cut
Where to Watch: Free on Roku Channel
Jane Campion’s gorgeous and violent thriller is a must watch. Meg Ryan leads this dark exploration of desire as Frannie Avery, a teacher who gets entangled with a horrific murder case. Mark Ruffalo is the hot detective that encourages that entanglement. Far more experimental and transgressive than most of the films on this list, In the Cut is a dark delight.
Careful What You Wish For
Where to Watch: Free on Tubi
I’m wrapping things up with this utterly absurd and entertaining contemporary offering. Alongside The Boy Next Door, this 2015 erotic thriller stands as one of our silliest entries. Nick Jonas plays a moody young man spending the summer with his parents. While working on his neighbor’s boat—Yachting Thriller!!—he falls for his hot young wife. Crimes and drama ensue in this twisty and often hilarious movie that wouldn’t feel out of place on Lifetime… and that’s a compliment.
Header Image: Voltage Pictures
