Wikipedia

List of erotic thriller films

The erotic thriller is a film subgenre defined as a film that "combines romanticized, 'erotic' appeal with a dangerous 'thriller' narrative—a "pleasure/danger" principle".[1] The elements of bodily danger and pleasure are central to the plot.[2] Most erotic thrillers contain scenes of softcore sex, though the frequency and explicitness of those scenes varies.[3] British academic Linda Ruth Williams described erotic thriller films as "noirish stories of sexual intrigue incorporating some form of criminality or duplicity, often as the flimsy framework for onscreen softcore sex".[2]

The word "erotic" began to adhere to "thriller" during the 1980s to describe a sudden boom in noir-like thriller films with sexually provocative content.[4] The late 1980s to the mid-1990s are regarded as the "classic period" of the erotic thriller,[5] and the most recognizable films of the genre, such as Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, and The Last Seduction were released in this era.

Precursors to the erotic thriller

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In his book Hollywood's Dark Cinema: The American Film Noir, Robert Barton Palmer claimed "perhaps the most popular genre in the 1990s, the so-called erotic thriller [...] is a direct descendant of the classic film noir".[6] Many films of the 1960s and 70s also provocatively mixed noir themes with softcore sex, erotic fantasy, and voyeurism.[7] The erotic thriller also contains influences from the genres of mystery and horror, as well as from pornography.[8]

Notable figures

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Certain filmmakers and actors are associated with the genre.[2] Brian De Palma helped usher in the classic period of the genre with films Dressed to Kill and Body Double,[2] and directed Femme Fatale and Passion later in his career. Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven directed Basic Instinct, Showgirls, and Benedetta. Joe Eszterhas became a sought-after screenwriter in the classic period, writing the screenplays for Jagged Edge, Basic Instinct, Showgirls, and Jade.[2] Adrian Lyne has directed several films of the genre, including 9½ Weeks, Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal, Unfaithful, and Deep Water. Other filmmakers include Atom Egoyan, Paul Schrader, Abel Ferrara, William Friedkin, David Cronenberg, and Zalman King.

The most recognizable actor associated with erotic thrillers is Michael Douglas,[9][10] who starred in four films—Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, Disclosure, and A Perfect Murder. Mickey Rourke,[2] Richard Gere,[11] James Spader,[12] and Tom Berenger have also starred in multiple films of the genre. Notable actresses include Sharon Stone,[2] Linda Fiorentino,[2] Glenn Close,[13] Kathleen Turner,[14] Demi Moore,[13] and Greta Scacchi.[15]

List of films: 1930–1940

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1931

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List of films: 1940–1970

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1944

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1958

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1962

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1966

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1969

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List of films: 1970–1980

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1971

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1972

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1973

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1974

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1975

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1976

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1977

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1978

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List of films: 1980–1990

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1980

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1981

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1982

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1983

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1984

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1985

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1986

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1987

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1988

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1989

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List of films: 1990–1996

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1990

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1991

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1992

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1993

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1994

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1995

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1996

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List of films: 1997–2007

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1997

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1998

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1999

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2000

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2001

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2002

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2003

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2004

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2005

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2006

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2007

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List of films: 2008–present

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2008

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2009

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2010

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2011

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2012

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2013

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2014

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2015

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2016

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2017

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2018

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2020

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2021

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2022

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2023

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2024

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Miscellaneous crossover films

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Post-period crossover films

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References

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  1. ^ Martin 2007, p. 4.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Juzwiak, Rich (13 August 2021). "The Lost Art of the Erotic Thriller". Jezebel. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  3. ^ Andrews 2006, p. 136.
  4. ^ Williams (2005) pg. 15
  5. ^ Williams (2005) pg. 4
  6. ^ Palmer 1994, p. 168.
  7. ^ Williams (2005) pg. 79
  8. ^ Keesey 2001, p. 46.
  9. ^ Roberts, Soraya (24 May 2021). "The Erotic Thriller's Little Death". Longreads. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  10. ^ Ebiri, Bilge (April 5, 2022). "What Was It About Michael Douglas?". Vulture. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  11. ^ Cantwell, Elizabeth (26 July 2021). "Bright Wall/Dark Room July 2021: You Were Frameable: American Gigolo and Richard Gere's Mirrored Sex Appeal". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Every James Spader Movie Ranked From Worst To Best". Screen Rant. June 26, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Jacobs, Matthew (May 12, 2022). "Podcaster Karina Longworth Explains the Women of Erotic Thrillers". Thrillist. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  14. ^ Bastién, Angelica Jade (April 8, 2022). "Kathleen Turner Made the Modern Femme Fatale". Vulture. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  15. ^ Foreman, Liza (December 12, 2019). "Greta Scacchi, '90s Screen Siren, Looks Back". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  16. ^ "Trans-Europ Express and Successive Slidings of Pleasure Detailed". Blu-ray.com. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  17. ^ "'Bedroom Window' Emulates Hitchcock". Orlando Sentinel. 19 January 1987. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  18. ^ "Dial Help".
  19. ^ "Obsession: A Taste for Fear".
  20. ^ "Bedroom Eyes II".
  21. ^ "Screening Abel Ferrara's Director's Cut of Cat Chaser". Filmmaker. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  22. ^ "Loos".
  23. ^ "Jezebel's Kiss".
  24. ^ "Presumed Innocent". Warner Bros. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  25. ^ "MOVIE REVIEW : 'Shattered': Pure Magic From Wolfgang Petersen". Los Angeles Times. 11 October 1991. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  26. ^ "Damage". Reverse Shot. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  27. ^ "A Sinister Hand Rocks This 'Cradle'". Seattle Times. 10 January 1992. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  28. ^ "Sexual Response".
  29. ^ Canby, Vincent (26 August 1992). "Review/Film; Lust, Greed, Murder, Blackmail: Big Wrongs in the Big Easy". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  30. ^ "Guilty as Sin". Time Out.
  31. ^ a b Cote, Rachel Vorona (5 September 2019). "'90s erotic thrillers and the satisfaction of watching women burn the world". Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  32. ^ "Reviews/ Film; An Idyll Shattered By Rape and Murder". The New York Times. 1 October 1993. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  33. ^ "Breaking Point".
  34. ^ "Double Cross".
  35. ^ "Lady in Waiting".
  36. ^ Williams (2005) pg. 107
  37. ^ "Save Me".
  38. ^ "Sensation".
  39. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (22 April 1994). "Sirens". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  40. ^ "Tryst".
  41. ^ "25 years ago, Species mashed up erotic thrillers and alien invasions". Cinema 76. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  42. ^ "Electra".
  43. ^ Wilmington, Michael (2 February 1996). "Despite Talented Cast, Sleek 'Juror' Guilty of Shallowness". Chicago Tribune.
  44. ^ "Starstruck / Deception (2000)". Best--Erotica.
  45. ^ Cargill, C. Robert (26 July 2007). "Director Chris Sivertson on I Know Who Killed Me". MTV News. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  46. ^ Chambers, Catherine (17 April 2008). "Deception (2008)". BBC.
  47. ^ https://www.allmovie.com/movie/a-serbian-film-am14938
  48. ^ "MOVIES & MANIA | Goddess of Love – Canada, USA, 2015 – reviews". 2016-07-13.
  49. ^ "Unpacking the controversy around '365 Days,' the erotic thriller with scathing reviews and a huge following". The Washington Post. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  50. ^ Hammond, Caleb (7 January 2021). "Fatale Director Deon Taylor on His Erotic Thriller Throwback". MovieMaker. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  51. ^ Frank, Allegra (8 April 2021). "What Is What Lies Below, the Horny Sea-Monster Movie That's No. 1 on Netflix?". Slate. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  52. ^ Keslassy, Elsa; Lang, Brent (27 May 2021). "IFC Films Buys Paul Verhoeven's 'Benedetta' Ahead of Cannes Debut (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  53. ^ a b c Raftery, Brian (March 17, 2022). "The Rise and Fall of the Erotic Thriller". The Ringer. Retrieved July 12, 2022.

Bibliography

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  2. Martin, Nina K. (2007). Sexy Thrills: Undressing the Erotic Thriller. Chicago: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-07437-0.
  5. Palmer, R. Barton (1994). Hollywood's Dark Cinema: The American Film Noir. New York: Twayne. ISBN 978-0805793246.
  6. Andrews, David (2006). Soft in the Middle: The Contemporary Softcore Feature in Its Contexts. Columbus: The Ohio State University Press. ISBN 978-0814210222.
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