Best erotic Summer movies

As the season itself demands, there are many erotic films set against the backdrop of summer heat. Whether or not the season is a central focus, there is a palpable difference when bodies are heated, clothing is minimal, pores are sweating, nature is bursting with color, and the light streaming through windows—or bathing every setting—makes everything vibrate with greater intensity.

Of the countless films about sex and eroticism in the summer, here is my top 20 list as of today:

20 – Palm Swings (2020)

A super sexy and highly interesting film about the swinging scene. A young couple moves to a new city and ventures into the lifestyle, unaware that it is a world governed by risks and specific rules. After being “mentored” by a more experienced neighbor couple, they experience these dilemmas—and their consequences—firsthand. While it doesn’t shy away from melodrama or moralizing, the film features some significant dialogue on the subject.

19 – MILF (2018)

A film I wish I had made (as screenwriter and movie director), about three mature women who seek to awaken their erotic side on a no-holds-barred summer vacation. Fun, lighthearted, and very sensual.

18 – L’année des méduses (1984)

A beautiful summer film featuring plenty of nudity but no actual sexual acts. The eroticism lies in the tension between the characters—a mother and daughter who fall for the same man, sparking a rivalry between them. Well-made, though with a terrible soundtrack, it is a highly provocative film.

17 – Bolero (1984)

Despite a weak plot, it features stunning cinematography and iconic erotic imagery; it is an 80s erotic classic, notable for the fact that the director was the husband of its star, Bo Derek—who, thanks to this film, became one of the era’s biggest sex symbols.

16 – Wild Orchid (1989)

One of the erotic films that most marked the 80s, again with Mickey Rourke in the role of an obsessive and controlling man (after “9½ Weeks”), but this time dealing with his own fears through a relationship with a fiery and sexually aroused woman, helped by an older woman who guides her through erotic and exotic experiences in the heat of Brazil during Carnival.

15 – Lucía y el sexo (2001)

A film that doesn’t quite live up to its title, as it drifts somewhat away from Julia and gets sidetracked by other storylines. Even so, it is a classic of Spanish erotic cinema, largely thanks to the presence of the unforgettable and incredibly sensual Paz Guerra.

14 – Wild Things (1998)

An elite school teacher accused of raping two students becomes entangled in a web of mystery that throws a small New Orleans bayou community into an uproar.

A film that keeps surprising the viewer right up to the closing credits. With Denise Richards giving it her all to ramp up the erotic intensity, the movie thrives on narrative mystery and tension, though it ultimately loses its way amidst an excess of plot twists.

13 – Poison Ivy 3: The New Seduction (1997)

This and the first film would have been enough to make the series sufficiently interesting and complete. Despite relying on a few narrative clichés, this third film manages to provide a coherent continuation of the first, ratcheting up the intensity of the tension, suspense, and eroticism—largely thanks to the commanding presence and performance of Jaime Presley.

12 – Mektoub, My Love: Canto Uno (2017)

A coming-of-age story about the seemingly insignificant moments of sexuality—depicted in a raw manner within a mixed cultural context (French and Turkish)—fueled by summer passions between young people from opposing social classes.

11 – Body Heat (1981)

A mediocre film that gains an extraordinary erotic charge simply because the characters are constantly sweating. A police thriller that literally exudes erotic tension, especially due to Kathleen Turner’s physical and vocal languor (William Hurt falls a little short of what his role demanded). Perhaps a little too long, and without achieving much in erotic terms, but the narrative theme and the directing concept are very interesting.

10 – Un été à Saint-Tropez (1983)

A film under 60 minutes long, yet one that could last forever. An ode to beauty, femininity, and self-discovery—a wordless story where a group of young women revel in the summer heat, and where every frame is literally an Impressionist painting, in the best style of its director David Hamilton. Exquisite.

9 – Adore (2013)

The premise of this film is among the most provocative ever: two divorced girlfriends, each with an adult son, discover they harbor desire for the other’s son. This highly delicate subject is handled in an exemplary manner—with sensitivity and good taste—raising questions about the moral and ethical dilemmas of desire and passion, and how these concepts tend to override one another.

8 – Che? (1972)

A very free and sensual version of the story of Alice in Wonderland, with Marcello Mastroianni in free rein and a story of intimate discovery between fascinating characters.

7 – Une vraie jeune fille (1976)

A classic of 1970s French erotic cinema, directed by Catherine Breillat and based on her book “Le soupirail”. Despite a weak plot—centered on a teenager’s tedious summer vacation at her parents’ country house—the film features iconic scenes and stunning cinematography, along with memorable moments where reality blends with highly erotic fantasies, marking her passage through puberty.

6 – Call Me by Your Name (2017)

A beautiful film, featuring the very best elements of a story about sexual discovery, erotic tension, summer passion, and impossible love. With extraordinary performances, magnificent direction, and an unforgettable story, this is a truly special film about a young person exploring their sexuality and the adult who sparks that discovery—along with the curiosity, disappointment, and reflection that follow. Beautiful from start to finish.

5 – Monella (1998)

A hugely entertaining and erotic film about an irreverent, provocative young woman who awakens the fantasies of the men in her village (including the priests), manipulates her boyfriend’s desires, and even seduces her own stepfather. Tinto Brass at his best.

4 – Sirens (1994)

A delightful film starring Hugh Grant, Sam Neill, and supermodel Elle Macpherson, centering on the clash between artistic freedom and religious conservatism. Lighthearted, entertaining, and charged with constant erotic tension, it is set against the backdrop of the Australian outback—with its wild, abundant nature—evoking the freedom of nudity, sensuality, and sexuality in opposition to the puritanism of a British clergyman and his highly inquisitive wife.

3 – Tian bian yi duo yun (2005)

What can be said about this film? It is the most wildly eccentric sexual metaphor ever. It is an extraordinarily creative, beautiful, irreverent, and unforgettable work. A musical comedy-drama where reality and fantasy intersect, and where narrative and aesthetics trade places in terms of importance. The choice of the watermelon is no accident; it is a fruit strongly associated with virility, as well as one with a high water content capable of quenching thirst during times of drought. A cult film that surprises at every turn and is simply unforgettable.

2 – Parthenope (2024)

How wonderful. An ode to the paradoxes of female beauty: its lightness and weight, its glory and tragedy, the desire and fear it inspires, and what it reveals and conceals. It is an allegorical monument to the theme that has most defined Sorrentino’s work—beauty, both concrete and metaphorical—as well as to the coastal city of Naples. It alludes to the legend of Parthenope, the Greek mythological figure—a siren who tried (and failed) to seduce Ulysses and who, after taking her own life by throwing herself into the sea, was washed ashore at the site of the city that would bear her name (modern-day Naples). Superb.

1 – Emmanuelle 2: The Joys of a Woman (1975)

In my opinion, the best erotic film of all time. Perfect on every level: direction, acting, cinematography, themes, attention to detail, dialogue, silences, sex scenes, and sensuality—everything came together to make this erotic cinema masterpiece unforgettable (that massage scene...). Set in Hong Kong this time—following the first film in Thailand—this exotic Oriental setting complements the film’s delicacy and subtlety even better. It captures a new chapter in the life of the journalist Emmanuelle as she curiously explores the pleasures of sex and life, open relationships, and libertinism, all while constantly questioning herself and the world around her. 🔥

Want more suggestions? Follow me on Letterboxd!