Horror is the only film genre whose viewers may seek feeling horrified, paranoid, and horny within a single scene, and all without any judgment passed. Eroticism has co-mingled with instruments of fear since the dawn of cinema, with vampires and Frankenstein-made creatures still haunting cinemas today. So expect nothing less from all the upcoming horror movies on the horizon. (Less so for upcoming horror TV shows, but one can hope.)
Rather than using these crystal balls to look to the future, however, I'm instead focusing on many of the sexiest horror movies that already exist. To be clear, ones that are actually watchable for traditional narrative reasons, though everyone's mileage will vary. A similar best-of list compiling slasher porn parodies surely resides somewhere online, but not here.
So get ready for an amorous onslaught of vampire vixens, sensual seamen, and manipulative Mia Goths.
1. American Psycho (2000)
- Cast: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Samantha Mathis, Reese Witherspon, Willem Dafoe
- Director: Mary Harron
Mary Harron’s 2000 psychological horror American Psycho is a highly stylish adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 novel, starring Christian Bale as everyone’s favorite raincoat-wearing axe murderer Patrick Bateman. As a satire, the movie espouses the pompous, money-obsessed behavior and ideals that it’s simultaneously condemning, but it’s hard not to feel a mild twinge from seeing Bale, Jared Leto and others with immaculate suits and haircuts (and business cards). And for anyone out there who lost their virginity to Huey Lewis or Phil Collins, Patrick is on soundtrack duties.
Stream it on Paramount+ and Prime Video.
2. Angel Heart (1987)
- Cast: Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet, Charlotte Rampling
- Director: Alan Parker
The genre-blending horror Angel Heart would already make the shortlist of sexiest horror movies simply for Robert de Niro oozing evil, bearded mystique as Louis Cypher. But it's the devilish and tawdry goings-on between Rourke's Harry and Bonet's Epiphany that send it over. In seemingly every scene, Rourke drips with either rainwater or sweat, creating quite a lasting look. And Angel Heart’s more extreme scenes were edited down to secure its R rating, just just imagine...
Stream it on Pluto TV.
3. Black Swan (2010)
- Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder
- Director: Darren Aronofsky
Having previously crafted the sex-infused horrors of Requiem for a Dream's "ass to ass" sequence, Darren Aronofsky sent the Oscar-winning Natalie Portman pirouetting into audience's nightmares as Black Swan's obsession-driven dancer. (Not that the film was pushed as a horror release.) Obsessions and pleasures are compatible bedfellows, of course, and Nina is surrounded by carnal energy. Even it only happens in Nina's mind, that just makes it more applicable as a fantasy, amirite?
Stream it on Disney+ and Hulu.
4. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
- Cast: Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Waits
- Director: Francis Ford Copolla
While debates can be made about the worth of Bram Stoker’s Dracula as a literary adaptation, its inherent physical (and perhaps emotional) lust cannot be denied. Francis Ford Copolla’s 1992 vampiric romance hits many notches on the “sexy horror movie” checklist, from Dracula’s brides enamoring Keanu Reeves’ Jonathan Harker to Sadie Frost’s hyper-eroticized take on Lucy Westenra to rugged Anthony Hopkins as the best Van Helsing ever. But what sizzles harder than anything is the on-screen passion between Gary Oldman’s shapeshifting bloodsucker (in his mustachioed younger form) and Winona Ryder’s Mina. And for those watching the edited version: if you squint from far away, the older Count’s hair kinda looks like boobs.
Rent it on Prime Video or Apple TV.
5. CAM (2018)
- Cast: Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters, Devin Druid, Michael Dempsey, Samantha Robinson
- Director: Daniel Goldhaber
2018’s Cam is an exercise in “write what you know,” with screenwriter Isa Mazzei crafting a doppelgänger horror story around a camgirl performer, a profession she’d previously held, with the film’s director Daniel Goldhaber having worked with her in that realm. Likely due to their life experiences, Cam approaches its inherently sexual subject matter with authenticity, as opposed to the salaciously cringey vibes that so many others would have been riddled with. For all the worries that viewers have about Madeline Brewer’s Alice (a.k.a. Lola_Lola) as she falls down the rabbit hole, there’s something not altogether unpleasant about the idea of two Lola_Lolas out there, albeit with fewer fake suicides.
Stream it on Netflix.
6. Cat People (1982)
- Cast: Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, John Heard, Annette O’Toole
- Director: Paul Schrader
Paul Schrader followed American Gigolo up with his 1982 remake of the 1940s horror Cat People, and there would be no confusing which one came first considering how overtly kinky and horny the ‘80s revision is. (Even by 2024 standards.) Nastassja Kinski and Malcolm McDowell star as siblings Irena and Paul, who are revealed to be part of a bloodline of feline creatures who turn into panthers after having sex, and can only return to human form through murder. In a word, it’s quite rawr.
Rent it on Prime Video or Apple TV.
7. Crimson Peak (2015)
- Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Beaver
- Director: Guillermo del Toro
While one’s mileage may vary when it comes to Crimson Peak’s story from top to bottom, the general consensus is that Guillermo del Toro did a commendable job with the film’s sexualized elements, from Mia Wasikowska’s Edith being a horny virgin to essentially everything that Tom Hiddleston does when he’s on screen as her worldly significant other Thomas. Like, it’s obviously not as hot when his character’s being an ass or when his incestuous relationship is revealed, but it’s not impossible to just mute the movie and lose track of context in those cases. Del Toro’s lush visuals allow for such suspensions of disbelief. And I think most would agree that the apex comes in the form of Edith and Thomas consummating their marriage for the first time.
Rent it on Prime Video or Apple TV.
8. Don't Look Now (1973)
- Cast: Donald Sutherland, Julie Christie, Hilary Mason, Clelia Matania
- Director: Nicolas Roeg
Nicholas Roeg’s 1973 classic Don’t Look Now is undoubtedly sexy in chosen moments, while jarringly tragic in others. Just like real life! Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie go through some unexpectedly haunting events in the aftermath of their daughter's death, while also delivering one of cinema's most authentically raw sex scenes, including the rare and all-important "man giving oral to his partner" shots. That the scene is echoed later is also of note, though the story goes in far less sexual directions from then on.
Rent on Pluto TV or YouTube TV.
9. Elvira: Mistress Of The Dark (1988)
- Cast: Cassandra Peterson, W. Morgan Sheppard, Daniel Greene, Susan Kellerman, Edie McClurg
- Director: James Signorelli
The words “sexy” and “horror” can’t be said together in any capacity without including Cassandra Peterson’s genre maven Elvira, whose big-screen arrival came in the form of 1988’s Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. (No worries about branding mix-ups with that one.) The goofy plot sees the hostess moving her massive coif and equally massive cleavage from Los Angeles to a conservative-minded Massachusetts town, where she obviously insults everyone with her out-there nature. Even as a PG-13 release, Elvira’s cinematic debut makes the cut because Peterson has been a sex symbol icon for decades without missing a beat, or a neckline stitch.
Streaming on Prime Video, Pluto TV, Tubi, and AMC+.
10. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
- Cast: George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Salma Hayek
- Director: Robert Rodriguez
More than a decade before Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's Grindhouse, they delivered the similar genre-swapping romp From Dusk Till Dawn. Notably delivering ER fave George Clooney's transition to cinema while burning "dancing Salma Hayek" into viewers' welcoming brains, the movie flips from a raunchy robbery-gone-awry to an all out massacre inside a Mexican strip club populated by vampires. Tarantino is gross enough to ruin the bell curve, but Tom Savino's completely illogical crotch gun swings it back around.
Stream it on Pluto TV.
11. Hellraiser (1987)
- Cast: Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman, Doug Bradley
- Director: Clive Barker
Whether or not you think Doug Bradley’s iconic monster himself (itself?) is a looker, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser is a sensual feast for those with more sadomasochistic tastes. (The memorable moniker Pinhead came in the sequel, to phrase it winkingly.) The Cenobites’ puzzle box unlocks unending carnal extremes, with Higgins’ Julia and Laurence’s Kristy becoming acutely aware of its powers in horrifying ways. Or heavenly ones, depending on one’s perspective.
Stream it on Prime Video, Pluto TV and Tubi.
12. The Hunger (1983)
- Cast: Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon, Cliff De Young, Dan Hedaya
- Director: Tony Scott
As the perhaps surprising directorial debut from action movie mastermind Tony Scott, 1983’s The Hunger wasn’t so well received at the time. But like many genre standouts, its popularity grew over time, in part for being one of the most erotic vampire movies in existence, thanks to the love triangle between characters played by the OMG trio of Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon. To everyone’s credit, perhaps, The Hunger’s sexual themes and scenes were among the more highly regarded aspects of the film early on, and they’ve all maintained their sensual sense of danger in the years since.
Rent it on Prime Video and Apple TV.
13. Infinity Pool (2023)
- Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman, Jalil Lespert, Amanda Brugel
- Director: Brandon Cronenberg
It’s no shock that Infinity Pool comes from Brandon Cronenberg, son of The Fly and Crash director David Cronenberg, in that the 2023 film is the cinematic equivalent of diving down an extreme-internet rabbit hole in the early 2000s, and may indeed inspire a similar kind of guilt-ridden concupiscence when watching the multitude of fetishes and kinks on display. It’s probably too psychological to delve into how the concept of doubles and cloning plays into the film’s sexual impact, so we’ll just let that part slide while focusing on everything else Alexander Skarsgård’s novelist gets into.
Stream it on Hulu and Disney+.
14. Interview With The Vampire (1994)
- Cast: Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater
- Director: Neil Jordan
As it tends to go with sexually tinged vampire movies, much of what makes Neil Jordan’s Interview with the Vampire a horny movie comes from inherently disturbing situations that would be quite different outside of cinematic context. Brad Pitt’s Louie quasi-courting Kirsten Dunst’s underage vamp Claudia is one, while the unwitting victim stripped and murdered by the Théâtre des Vampires is another, and generally speaking, it’s probably not great to lust after murderous bloodsuckers just because they look and talk like Antonio Banderas’s Armand. But hey, it’s New Orleans, baby, so laissez les bons temps rouler.
Rent on Prime Video and Apple TV.
15. Jennifer's Body (2009)
- Cast: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, J.K. Semmons
- Director: Karyn Kusama
Screenwriter Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusama joined forces for 2009’s fatal femme film Jennifer’s Body, which brought Megan Fox’s sex symbol energy to the horror genre in a big male-chomping way alongside Amanda Seyfried. Despite the subdued response upon its initial release, Jennifer’s Body has since reached newfound popularity as a poster child for feminism in genre cinema. And that poster would probably be a centerfold of some kind, with succubus Jennifer Check posed and poised to feed on anyone who dares to cross her path.
Stream it on Peacock.
16. Lady Frankenstein (1971)
- Cast: Rosalba Neri (as Sara Bey), Joseph Cotten, Mickey Hargitay, Paul Müller
- Director: Mel Welles
While Frankenstein lore isn’t often a nexus of horror and sexuality — with all respects to Ella Lanchester — the 1971 Italian film Lady Frankenstein added a jolt of electricity to the story, as well as a bunch of seductive body parts that were not stolen from graves. Starring Rosalba Neri and Hollywood icon Joseph Cotten, the Mel Welles feature maybe isn’t the most memorable from beginning to end, but features some truly uncomfortable moments of coitus interruptus.
Stream it on Tubi, SlingTV and Plex.
17. Lifeforce (1985)
- Cast: Steve Railsback, Peter Firth, Frank Finlay, Patrick Stewart, Mathilda May
- Director: Tobe Hooper
Texas Chain Saw Massacre helmer Tobe Hooper and Alien scribe Dan O’Bannon created the textbook definition of a cult move with 1985’s Lifeforce, whose legacy for years hinged largely on being “that movie with the naked space vampire.” That clothing-optional shapeshifter, portrayed by Mathilda May, isn’t the only reason why Lifeforce’s reputation is so much more positive now than it was around its panned release, to be sure. But if you’re talking sexy horror movies specifically, “naked space vampires” are as formidable as threats get.
Stream it on Prime Video and Tubi.
18. The Lost Boys (1987)
- Cast: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Keifer Sutherland, Dianne Wiest, Edward Hermann
- Director: Joel Schumacher
The concept of eternal youth has never been more sexually charged with hair-metal swagger than in the timelessly ‘80s classic The Lost Boys. Patric, Gertz and Sutherland are the most brooding and reluctant throuple imaginable, and the power dynamics only add to the twisted allure. And Joel Schumacher isn’t ageist, either, with Wiest and Hermann bringing their own hawt vibes. Which Corey Haim’s Sam would just die thinking about. The one movie where necking makes as much sense as sex.
Rent it on Prime Video or Apple TV.
19. The Love Witch (2016)
- Cast: Samantha Robinson, Jeffrey Vincent Parise, Gian Keys, Laura Waddell
- Director: Anna Biller
While a good number of genre flicks spice their narratives up with romance and sex, Anna Biller’s 2016 technicolor horror-comedy The Love Witch focuses squarely on the dalliances of its bewitching Elaine, portrayed with Hollywood starlet perfection by Samantha Robinson. The ‘60s setting gives Bewitched in an alt-universe where Elizabeth Montgomery played a horny widow who may have snapped and killed Darren, with some delightful Munsters-esque camp rounding out the more salacious side of things. It’s the rare form of sexy horror movie that doesn’t inspire pangs of awkward self-judgment.
Streaming on Peacock, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Philo.
20. MaXXXine (2024)
- Cast: Mia Goth, Kevin Bacon, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Elizabeth Debicki
- Director: Ti West
The third film in Ti West’s trilogy kicked off by 2022’s slasher X and 2023’s psychological horror Pearl, the ‘80s-set sequel MaXXXine goes all-in on the era’s exploitative excess. Mia Goth again rules the screen as Hollywood starlet-in-training Maxine in her quest, no matter whose testicles and faces she has to destroy in the process. Even without the focus on pornography and outright horror as Maxine’s first outing, Goth is a fountain of sexually confident power throughout, whether or not a cigarette is dangling from her lips. What’s sexier than success?
Stream it on HBO Max.
21. Mulholland Drive (2001)
- Cast: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Robert Forster, Dan Hedaya
- Director: David Lynch
Still serving as the penultimate film in David Lynch’s bizarre oeuvre, 2001’s Mulholland Drive takes audiences from the sensual glamour and confidence of Old Hollywood to its sleazy and regretful antithesis, with Naomi Watts ostensibly delivering two distinct performances opposite Laura Harring’s femme fatale. It’s the relationship between their characters, darkly twisted yet authentically loving, that really take Mulholland Drive into wet fever dream territory, despite the unsettling notion that someone’s tiny grandparents might be watching voyeuristically from the floor. Lots of things about this movie are confusing — with its horror distinction sometimes needing defense — but its effect on horny viewers is as clear as the L.A. sky.
Rent it on Prime Video or Apple TV.
22. Nosferatu (2024)
- Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe
- Director: Robert Eggers
Regardless of one's thoughts about Count Orlok's somewhat polarizing mustache, it's hard to deny the erotic romance throbbing and spurting throughout Nosferatu. Robert Eggers has a way with imbuing sensuality into his disturbing tales through gauzy aesthetics, attractive actors and, well, actual sex scenes. WIllem Dafoe doesn't need to be in them to make them more effective all the same.
Stream it on Peacock.
23. Raw (2016)
- Cast: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Naït Oufella, Laurent Lucas, Joana Preiss
- Director: Julia Ducournau
Coming-of-age movies are always good for awkward sexual chemistry, and director Julia Ducournau’s 2016 body horror Raw certainly fits the bill. Garance Marillier’s vegetarian veterinarian Justine suffers a case of “food poisoning” and suddenly finds herself obsessed with the idea of eating meat…any kind of meat…even if it’s her own. For those with oral fetishes, Raw is either a dream or a nightmare, and the fact that Justine’s journey is joined by her sister Alexia (Ella Rumpf) just complicates all the feelings.
Buy it on Amazon.
24. The Shape Of Water (2017)
- Cast: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg
- Director: Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water is like much of his filmography, in that it portrays sexually heightened acts and behavior without lust-filled gratuity or rampant titillation. Its inherent sexiness isn’t really beholden to the visuals, but the assurance from the filmmaker that Elisa’s inner pleasure is always at the forefront, whether it’s through the knowledge of her daily bathtub masturbation sessions or her not-exactly-erotic sex scene with the fish-man. It’s more complex than campers getting shanked after cabin boinking, in any case.
Rent it on Apple TV and Prime Video.
25. Species (1995)
- Cast: Natasha Henstridge, Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Alfred Molina, Forest Whitaker
- Director: Roger Donaldson
Certainly not the only horror movie out there with a hawt extraterrestrial at its center, 1995’s Species stars Natasha Henstridge as its extremely deadly (and also extremely provocative) human-alien hybrid Sil. Unlike some horror and sci-fi movies’ more complex sexual charges, Species wears its horniness right on its ooey-gooey sleeves in the way a slasher movie does, only this time it’s the malicious big bad handling all the nudity and sex scenes. There’s even full-on penetration, at least by way of Sil’s tongue penetrating a dude’s throat and neck. And it should probably come as a surprise to no one that Sil’s alien nature was designed by H.R. Giger.
Stream it on Prime Video, Pluto TV and Tubi.
26. Stoker (2013)
- Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Nicole Kidman, Dermot Mulroney, Jacki Weaver
- Director: Park Chan-wook
On paper, in theory, and in practice, Park Chan-wook’s wickedly intense 2013 thriller Stoker probably shouldn’t harbor any sexual desires among its viewers, given the fact that the film starts with death and mourning, and its other main ingredients are psycho-incest lust and murder. And yet… There’s something about the mansion and its gothic aesthetic, about the way Matthew Goode’s Charlie brings mischief and mayhem to the prim and pristine lives of Nicole Kidman’s Evelyn and Mia Wasikowska’s India, about the all-out taboo nature of everything happening within those walls. It stokes, it stokes.
Rent on Prime Video and Apple TV.
27. The Substance (2024)
- Cast: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid
- Director: Coralie Fargeat
The Substance is a brilliant and brilliantly performed movie that cuts as deep as its story. But it also happens to be the kind of movie where, if you turn the sound down and purposefully ignore all the meaningful text and subtext, there's a bonkers amount of surface-level titilation to wade through. Unfortunate as it may be that the surface is that of a bathroom floor.
Stream it on Mubi.
28. Suitable Flesh (2023)
- Cast: Heather Graham, Bruce Davison, Johnathan Schaech, Barbara Crampton, Judah Lewis
- Director: Joe Lynch
Inspired heavily by Stuart Gordon’s H.P. Lovecraft offerings, Joe Lynch’s body-swapping romp Suitable Flesh is an appropriately naughty and monstrous take on Lovecraft’s “The Thing on the Doorstep,” with Lewis’ Asa essentially possessed by the horniest entity imaginable. The whole movie feels like one of prepubescent David Lynch’s wet dreams adapted into an episode of Tales from the Crypt, presumably also with Graham as a hawt therapist.
Stream it on Hulu, Disney+, Shudder, and Philo.
29. Teeth (2007)
- Cast: Jess Weixler, John Hensley, Josh Pais, Hale Appleman, Lenny Von Dohlen
- Director: Mitchell Lichtenstein
Technically more of an amusing cautionary tale than purely erotic horror for dental hygenists, Mitchell Lichtenstein’s 2007 feature Teeth follows Dawn O’Keefe, a perfectly normal teen who happens to have teeth in her vagina that excel at severing penises. (Can't think of a second-best option.) An indie body horror with a feminist spin, Teeth could possibly be the greatest “horny teen” horror ever if not for all the genital-thrashing trauma involved.
Stream it on Plex and Fandango at Home.
30. Thirst (2009)
- Cast: Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-vin, Kim Hae-sok, Shin ha-Kyun, Park In-hwan
- Director: Park Chan-wook
Four years before Stoker, Park Chan-wook dipped his toes into erotic horror waters (or blood in this case) with the 2009 vampire tale Thirst. Song Kang-ho stars as Catholic priest Fr. Sang-hyun, whose hospital volunteer work coincides with his newfound unquenchable desire for all things sanguine. Thirst's passion for other bodily pleasures is evident through Sang-hyun’s illicit exploits with ennui-stricken lover Tae-ju (Kim Ok-bin). Definitely one of the more twisted takes on sexy vampire lore out there.
Rent it on Prime Video or Apple TV.
31. Under The Skin (2013)
- Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, Adam Pearson, Paul Brannigan
- Director: Jonathan Glazer
Instantly polarizing upon its 2013 release, Jonathan Glazer’s dreary sci-fi feature Under the Skin is a lo-fi adaptation of Michel Faber’s 2000 novel, starring Scarlett Johansson as a nameless alien who makes easy prey out of her victims thanks to her ample sexuality. To be sure, Under the Skin’s sexiness is largely about the surface-level vibes, as the film’s disturbing denouement is hardly alluring, and its story can be interpreted in a number of anti-sexual ways.
Rent it on Prime Video or Apple TV.
32. The Wicker Man (1973)
- Cast: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Lesley Mackie, Ingrid Pitt
- Director: Robin Hardy
Robin Hardy’s 1973 classic The Wicker Man is steeped in the push and pull between overt and repressed, whether it’s in regards to information that Edward Woodward’s police sergeant is looking for, or the seductive nature of Summerisle and its very willful inhabitants. As it can often go with films set within cult-ish communities, The Wicker Man taps into psychosexual threads that run deeper than corporeal pleasures and stick around longer than more direct imagery might. Not that it lacks in that department, either. But all the Isle of Horndog-ness would be for naught if not for that gut-punch of a final act.
Stream it on Pluto TV and Tubi.
33. X (2022)
- Cast: Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Scott Mescudi, Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell
- Director: Ti West
Given that it’s ostensibly about making a pornographic movie, Ti West’s 2022 hit X could either be seen as a no-brainer for a sexy movies round-up, or it could be viewed as too obvious a choice to truly qualify. (Read our X review!) Of course, both are kind of true, and kind of aren’t, since X features more than a few harrowing moments that completely remove thoughts of libidinous pleasure from one’s mind. But hey, it’s also a movie about people who want to fuck and have a good time doing it, and nothing is sexier than that. Up until a certain point in the runtime, anyway.
Stream it on Max.
Not everyone agrees on what makes the best cup of tea, the same way that not everyone will agree on what makes the sexiest horror movie, but part of what makes being a movie fan so enjoyable is sharing those opinions and hearing what others are into as well. If we all agreed on everything, horny or otherwise, it'd make for a pretty boring life.
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