Sexiest Psychological Thrillers Ever
Recently, I was asked by Mystery and Suspense Magazine to put together my picks for the sexiest thrillers ever.
They chopped my list down to nine!
But lucky for you, I have saved seven films that got cut (and included one that you MUST watch). Scroll down to discover some hidden gems. These psychological thrillers are sexy AF!!
Click here to read my piece for Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Here are the 6 sexy thrillers that got cut (and one that didn’t… but I snuck it in here anyway).
Are you thirsting for an edge-of-your-seat, twisty thriller with erotic overtones? You are in very good company, because the search for sexy psychological thrillers is my everlasting quest.
I can’t tell you the number of hours I have spent trolling the depths of Amazon and Netflix adding movies to my watchlists and books to my shopping cart. After nearly thirty years of ingesting these character-driven, sensual sagas (I started young!), I’ve done the very dirty work of compiling the crème de la crème.
I’m rating the mature content on a scale from one to five. A rating of one is equivalent to a single burning match, whereas a five is a raging house fire. Here we go!
1. UNFAITHFUL (2002)
Elevator Pitch: A happy housewife strays from her picket-fence life and perfect husband for an electrifying affair with a rare book dealer so hot that he might make the dusty old pages in his shop catch fire.
Why Watch?: The chemistry is second-to-none. Diane Lane summons real emotion in her riveting performance, so much so that you really feel the rush of her illicit affair with her young lover, played by Oliver Martinez. Her sweet relationship with on-screen hubby Richard Gere grounds the movie and makes way for the unsettling and tragic ending.
Heat Index: 4/5 (Plus, there’s anal!)
2. THE HANDMAIDEN (1981)
Elevator Pitch:
This sumptuous Park Chan-wook film is based on the novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (of Tipping the Velvet fame). An arthouse interpretation of the classic con-artist scheme.
Why Watch?: Elegantly composed and exquisitely acted, this film is chock-full of twists and sensuality. I don’t even want to explain anything for fear of ruining the ride. Take my word for it, this one is an absolute must-watch. IT’S HONESTLY SO HOT.
Heat Index: 5/5
3. BODY HEAT (1981)
Elevator Pitch: During a Florida heatwave, a desperate housewife tries to convince a down-on-his-luck lawyer to kill her husband for mucho dinero.
Why Watch?: This movie is juicy as all get out. My film professor in college made us watch it to learn about plotting. In her film debut, Kathleen Turner sizzles as a femme fatale with a lust for money. Her performance elevates the film from mere gendre fodder to a timeless classic. Also, I promise you that this movie will forever change your opinion on full coverage white satin panties. Even Charlize Theron praises the film’s enduring sex appeal.
Heat Index: 3/5
4. NATHALIE (2003)
Elevator Pitch: When a doctor discovers her husband’s infidelity, she hires an expensive escort to seduce him––and get all the dirty details. A close bond forms between the women as their odd alliance continues.
Why Watch?: Both women are gorgeous and give fantastic performances that both titillate and intrigue you. There’s an obsessive quality to the central relationship that drives the plot forward. There was an American remake of this movie (not worth watching), but this, the original version, is sublime and so sexy.
Heat Index: 4/5
5. THE EYES OF LAURA MARS (1978)
Elevator Pitch: A fashion photographer, who uses staged violence in her work, begins having psychic visions of a killer who just happens to be targeting people in her inner circle.
Why Watch?: This movie is pure 70s camp. Inspired by the photography of Helmut Newton, who also collaborated on the film, Faye Dunaway’s performance is over-the-top and almost hilarious. However, the film’s depiction of Studio 54 excess is highly entertaining.
Heat Index: 2/5
6. WILD THINGS (1998)
Elevator Pitch: The most popular girl at school recruits the class misfit into a scam involving the hot guidance counselor, but who’s really scamming whom… and who will walk away with the cash?
Why Watch?: Even if you’ve seen this vampy 90s flick, it’s worth a rewatch. Neve Campbell does her Emo It Girl act while Denise Richards pouts her way through this fun romp.
Heat Index: 3/5
7. SWIMMING POOL (2003)
Elevator Pitch: A crime novelist escapes to her publisher’s chic French country house, but when the man’s daughter arrives, mischief ensues.
Why Watch?: This film is just so tasty. Charlotte Rampling is dazzling and decadent. The mystery component is strong, and I found the push/pull relationship between the film’s two women intoxicating.
Heat Index: 3/5
Have fun, folks! Let me know in the comments if you watched any of these. If you did, what did you think? Were my ratings on point?