As the saying goes, sex sells, and that can include movie tickets. In the last decade, sex scenes have taken on many different forms and evoked some truly arousing sensations. Here, ten of the most hot-and-heavy cinematic offerings.
Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
This Mexican import introduced us to two of that country’s hottest stars: Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna. The beautiful landscapes featured in the film set the mood from the beginning, but then the director (Alfonso Cuarón) went and added that three-way between the film’s two best friends and their sexy female traveling companion—game, set, match.
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Naomi Watts oozes sex appeal when she gives in to the wiles of Laura Herring in this twisted David Lynch mind bender. It’s hard to figure out what’s what and who’s who half the time, but there’s no denying the heat that steamy scene emanated.
Secretary (2002)
He’s a sadist and she likes it! Maggie Gyllenhaal earned her acting cred in this breakout role as secretary to James Spader. As the sexually masochistic Lee Holloway, Gyllenhaal happily takes whatever her boss doles out, particularly any scene involving inside-the-office, er, admonishments.
Unfaithful (2002)
Director Adrian Lyne knows a thing or two about orchestrating a sex scene; after all, this is the guy behind Flashdance and Fatal Attraction. In the erotic thriller Unfaithful, he continues his grand tradition with undeniable chemistry between Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez in their first sexual encounter (and each one that follows).
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)
Any movie responsible for spawning Brangelina is inherently sexy; sex magnets Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie not-so-secretly fell for each other on the set of this spy action flick, which makes their on-screen sexcapade that much more believable. The fact that it’s staged right after a massive brawl between the two makes it more dangerously hot, too.
Match Point (2005)
It’s Woody Allen’s spin on Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment, but it’s also Scarlett Johansson’s excuse to tussle with Jonathan Rhys Meyers between the sheets. Perhaps the hottest scene involves Johansson wrapping Rhys Meyers’ own necktie around his eyes to shield him from the sensual pleasures she’s about to treat him to.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
It’s another case of two beautiful people coming together on-screen for our viewing pleasure, but in this instance, it happens to be two men: Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, who broke the mold by signing up for this epic gay-cowboy romance. Their no-holds-barred performances really add to the sex appeal of their love scenes, from that passionate tent encounter to their heavy make-out session following one of their reunions.
Little Children (2006)
There are a lot of things about this film that aren’t sexy, but Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson aren’t one of them. Watching these two gorgeous stars carry on an illicit, graphic affair provided enough steam to practically wash away the entire ugly undertone of the story, though not for a lack of trying on the part of Jackie Earle Haley’s character.
Atonement (2007)
It’s short, but it’s the crux of the whole story: Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and Robbie (James McAvoy) carry a secret torch for each other and come together for one spur-of-the-moment physical encounter in her family’s library before all hell breaks loose. It’s the film’s only sex scene between the two, but wow, is it a hot one.
The Reader (2008)
Kate Winslet does it again as cunning older woman Hanna Schmitz, who seduces a young man in post–World War II Germany. It’s hard to pinpoint one sexy scene as the most memorable, but kudos to Winslet for never shying away from nudity, making her sexually charged role feel all the more organic.
In today’s entertainment industry, in which even television is sexing it up (seen an episode of True Blood or Mad Men recently?), everyone seems to be getting it on—though not every actor succeeds on the level of, say, Mickey Rourke or Tom Cruise in their heyday. But that doesn’t mean the audience is any less interested in seeing what the next round of sexy cinema has to offer, so should George Clooney or Halle Berry decide to doff those duds for a role anytime soon, we’re sure to be there.