The 10 Best Erotic Thrillers for a Spine-Tingling Movie Night

Winter nights during the COVID-19 pandemic can get kind of mundane and dull, which can prompt us to turn to cinema and streaming for some invigorating entertainment right from our couches. And much of the world — which is also hooked on murder podcasts and true crime documentaries — is looking for something a little thrilling to get their heart rate up without leaving the house.

Hollywood's expansive catalogue of erotic thrillers spans decades, with '80s and '90s cult classics you've undoubtedly heard of (and maybe had nightmares about) to the more modern, creepily realistic flicks, like Gone Girl and The Boy Next Door.

So, we've rounded up the 10 best erotic thrillers that will surely get your pulse racing and have you second guessing your next blind date.

Basic Instinct

The iconic 1992 erotic thriller starring Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas was known for that leg cross, which caused a world of controversy after Stone revealed she was tricked into removing her underwear for filming.

Gone Girl

Amy (Rosamund Pike) develops an intricate plan to frame her husband Nick (Ben Affleck) for her murder after she finds out he was having an affair with one of his students. After her disappearance, the town grows suspicious of Nick and the police start to uncover evidence that points to him killing his wife.

Cruel Intentions

Come for the all-star cast — Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Selma Blair — stay for the twisted plot that has Sebastian (Phillippe) vying for Annette's (Witherspoon) love for a devious bet with his stepsister, Kathryn (Gellar).

The Boy Next Door

When a charming teenager moves into the neighborhood, a teacher named Claire (Jennifer Lopez) and her son befriend him. One night, the recently separated mom gives into Noah's (Ryan Guzman) convictions, but when she tries to end their fling, Noah becomes obsessive and violent, threatening to ruin her life.

Eyes Wide Shut

The chemistry of a married Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman and an underground sex cult made this 1999 mystery sexy and titillating.

Obsessed

Beyoncé and Idris Elba. That's it.

Fatal Affair

Ellie (Nia Long) reconnects with an old fling when her marriage to Marcus (Stephen Bishop) is on the rocks. After calling off the affair to work on her relationship, ex-lover David starts stalking her and threatening her with the truth.

The Handmaiden

Riveting and sensual, this critically acclaimed 2016 film follows con man "Count Fujiwara," who has plans to seduce Japanese heiress Lady Hideko, who lives with her conniving and predatory uncle, and steal her inheritance. But Hideko falls in love with a maid named Sook-hee and the two women escape the grips of the manipulative men they're living with.

Fatal Attraction

Glenn Close perfectly portrayed a deranged lover who becomes violent after an affair with a married lawyer, played by a young Michael Douglas. The bathroom brawl is a classic moment in cinema history.