Some things never change. For some of us, that could mean sticking with our streaming services despite frustrations like rising costs, but for others, it means that when they want to wind down, they might want to do it with, you know…a movie that’s a bit saucier than average. And, honestly, there’s nothing wrong with watching some talented people act out spicy adult time if that’s what you need, alright?
With the wealth of great options when it comes to the best streaming services we now have, how does one who is, shall we say, in the mood, locate a steamy film that’ll do the trick? (Don’t ask me what “the trick” is. You know that you know.) We’ve already given you some ideas for the most sexually explicit movies on Netflix, as well as similarly sexy fare on Max, and now everyone who has a Hulu subscription can enjoy these great, sexually explicit movies on Hulu. If it's nudity you're after or just some adult themes, these R-rated movies earn their ratings and will be sure to deliver. Let’s get to the list!
Poor Things (2023)
Like most of his previous efforts, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things is a movie that doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable situations, eccentric characters and worlds, and extremely explicit depictions of sex and life in general. Following a reanimated Bella Baxter (Emma Stone in an Academy Award-winning performance) as she learns about life, love, and lust in a maddening and confusing world, this beautifully shot exploration of the good, the bad, and the ugly of humanity is something to behold.
The movie is full of unsavory and opportunistic characters like Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a debauched lawyer who can best be described as a sex fiend, a wonderful revenge plot, and a unique sensibility that gives it a certain and undeniable charm.
Titane (2021)
Julia Ducournau’s Titane, a 2021 movie filled with elements of psychological thrillers and body horror, doesn’t really hold back when it comes to violence, gore, and nudity. Loads and loads of nudity. The film centers on Alexia (Agathe Rousselle), a woman who embarks on a violent and sexual journey years after having a titanium plate inserted into her head following an intense car crash.
With a combination of extremely violent imagery, several intense and graphic sex scenes, and a genre-bending and mind-bending story about trauma, identity, and the meaning of love, Titane throws a lot at its audience.
The World To Come (2020)
Mona Fastvold’s 2020 drama film, The World to Come, centers on the intense and forbidden romance between two neighbors (played by Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby) in 19th-century America. Over the course of the movie, the two friends and wives of isolated farmers engage in a rather steamy affair behind the backs of their husbands and everyone around them.
The movie features several sex scenes between Waterston and Kirby’s characters as well as a few other racy scenes throughout its 98-minute runtime.
Stream The World to Come on Hulu.
Dangerous Beauty (1998)
Dangerous Beauty, Marshall Herskovitz’s 1998 adaptation of Margaret Rosenthal’s The Honest Courtesan, tells the story of Veronica Franco (Catherine McCormack), a lively young woman living in 16th-century Venice whose life is turned upside down after learning that her lover, a soon-to-be senator is forced to marry a woman of more noble heritage. Heartbroken, Veronica learns the ways of a courtesan to make something of herself and cause great societal change.
There are multiple sexually explicit scenes throughout the movie as well as more situations where sex is a major topic. Though the nudity is not as extreme as other movies on Hulu, it’s still prevalent.
Stream Dangerous Beauty on Hulu.
Hustlers (2019)
Combining elements of comedies and crime dramas, Lorene Scafaria gave audiences an unforgettable cinematic experience with Hustlers, her 2019 adaptation of Jessica Pressler’s New York magazine article, “The Hustlers at Scores.” Told through the eyes of Destiny (Constance Wu), a young stripper who gets wrapped up in a massive fraud scheme, the film explores the exploitative nature of capitalism, the sex industry, and a twisted version of the “American Dream.”
The Hustlers cast, which also includes Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Lizzo, and Cardi B, has its fair share of topless dancers in a crowded and rowdy strip club, male nudity, and sex scenes sprinkled in throughout this devastating saga of lust and greed.
Unfaithful (2002)
From legendary erotic thriller director Adrian Lyne, Unfaithful tells the story of Edward (Richard Gere) and Connie Sumner (Diane Lane), a seemingly happy couple whose lives are turned upside down when one begins engaging in a torrid affair with a young lover. Wracked with guilt, jealousy, anger, and heartbreak, the two find themselves taking different yet equally tragic paths as they attempt to make sense of the situation.
As is the case with many of Lyne’s other movies, Unfaithful is filled with multiple erotic sex scenes that sometimes push the film’s R-rating to its limits.
Infinity Pool (2023)
With wild, hallucinatory sequences, grotesque body horror, and some truly extreme sexual content, Brandon Cronenberg lives up to the family name with Infinity Pool. One of the best horror movies of 2023, the film centers on novelist James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) as he and his wife, Em (Cleopatra Coleman) travel to a tropical resort for a holiday. However, upon meeting a mysterious couple (played by Mia Goth and Jalil Lespert), James learns of a dark secret, one that only gets more traumatic and disturbing in time.
Not only is there intense violence throughout the movie, but Infinity Pool also has equally intense sex scenes, which is why the film was initially given an NC-17 rating.
Sanctuary (2023)
On one hand, Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary is a romantic comedy about the heir to a fancy hotel chain (played by Christopher Abbott) and the relationship he shares with a dominatrix (played by Margaret Qualley), while on the other, an intense psychological thriller about love, lust, power, and control. Over the course of this 90-minute cat-and-mouse chess match between the two, we are given brief glimpses into their personal and professional lives, as well as their twisted sex games.
Though not the most shocking movie on Hulu, Sanctuary does feature sexual encounters and explicit conversations that may prove to be too intense for some. Once you get past it, however, you are treated to a racy and unique cinematic experience.
Nymphomaniac (2014)
Split into two extensive volumes, Lars von Trier’s Nymphomaniac is a nearly five-and-a-half exploration of sexuality, happiness, trauma, and grief told through the eyes of a self-diagnosed sex addict named Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg). Over the course of the sprawling film, Joe recounts the various sexual partners and experiences that have impacted her life dating back to her childhood, with each of those chapters going into great detail about the lovers and the sexual acts themselves.
To say Nymphomaniac is sexually explicit would be a massive understatement, as the erotic art film essentially features more scenes with nudity than without. Though there are scenes of love, others are far more intense, which should be expected from a director like von Trier.
Stream Nymphomaniac Volume 1 on Hulu.
Stream Nymphomaniac Volume 2 on Hulu.
Paris, 13th District (2021)
Jacques Audiard's Paris, 13th District, consists of several interlocking stories about young people looking for love, romance, sex, and personal fulfillment in and around the French capital city. Inspired by several stories from Adrian Tomine’s graphic novels, this anthology film is full of heart, soul, and more sex scenes than you can count.
Don’t let the male and female nudity distract from the rich stories throughout the movie, as they capture the fear and excitement, joy and sorrow, and agony and ecstasy of the human experience. But yeah, there are some racy sex scenes in this black-and-white art film.
Stream Paris, 13th District on Hulu.
Three Ways (2022)
Sexually explicit movies don’t have to be serious just because they have a lot of nudity, and that happens to be the case for the 2022 Hulu original film, Three Ways. Directed by Jamal Dedeaux, this sex comedy centers on a woman named Stacy (Andrea Lewis) as she attempts to break out of her comfort zone and engage in a threesome with her new boyfriend and another woman.
Things don’t go according to plan for the sexually awkward heroine as she’s not able to get out of her own head during the film’s big sex scene. This ultimately leads to a situation where the viewer is so wrapped up in Stacy’s internal meltdown they lose track of the body parts and sexual positions being thrown around.
Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019)
Set in the late 18th century, Céline Sciamma’s 2019 drama, Portrait of a Lady on Fire centers on a forbidden love affair that comes about after an artist named Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is hired to complete a portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), who refuses to pose for paintings. As Marianne comes up with unique ways to complete the task, the two form a bond, which slowly turns into something more intimate.
Over time, the artist and aristocrat become secret lovers, which results in moments of forbidden passion and steamy sex scenes involving the two leads. Though not as extreme as other French films of the sort, Portrait of a Lady on Fire pushes the boundaries, for sure.
Stream Portrait of a Lady on Fire on Hulu.
Deep Water (2022)
Whenever Adrian Lyne’s name is attached to an erotic thriller, it’s safe to say that it is going to be dramatic, dangerous, and feature a lot of skin. That was the case with Fatal Attraction and Indecent Proposal in the ‘80s and ‘90s, respectively, and again with the 2022 psychological drama, Deep Water.
The movie centers on the intense and complicated relationship shared by Vic Van Allen (Ben Affleck) and his wife, Melinda (Ana de Armas), an arrangement that allows the latter to have various affairs to prevent the marriage from ending in divorce. With multiple sex scenes, several instances of nudity, and other intense situations, this isn’t for the light of heart.
Fire Island (2022)
Andrew Ahn’s 2022 LGBTQ+ comedy, Fire Island, follows a group of friends as they go on a long-awaited vacation where everything that can go wrong does, resulting in some unexpected and over-the-top situations for everyone involved.
Inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, this raunchy romantic comedy is far more R-rated and sexually explicit than the classic story of Elizabeth Bennett finding true love with Mr. Darcy. With brief instances of male nudity, several sex scenes, and conversations that would make even John Waters blush, this one has it all.
Into The Deep (2022)
After Jess (Ella-Rae Smith) finds herself suddenly out to sea and on the boat of sexy stranger Ben (Matthew Daddario), whom she only met the night before, she decides to go with the flow and lean into their attraction. However, when Lexi (Jessica Alexander) shows up unexpectedly, Jess soon realizes that at least one of her new companions is dangerously untrustworthy.
This film has some serious Dead Calm vibes, with most of the action taking place on a sailboat in the middle of the ocean, and even though there’s only one scene that will get the heart racing, the overall sexy/dangerous feel could be enough to excite many viewers.
Good Luck To You, Leo Grande (2022)
Widowed retiree Nancy (Emma Thompson) is looking to finally have some sexual satisfaction, so she hires male sex worker Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack), and meets with him several times in the same hotel room.
Luckily, if you’re watching the movies on this list in order, this is a much lighter film option for you. There’s great chemistry between Thompson’s nervous Nancy, who’s very concerned about the possibility that her paid-for partner is a victim of sex trafficking, and McCormack’s Leo, who is trying to reassure Nancy and make her as comfortable as possible so the much older woman can get what she wants from their meetings. Their characters have plenty of fun throughout, but everything comes to beautiful fruition (with Thompson’s first full frontal nude scene) in the last few minutes of this delightfully sex-positive movie.
Stream Good Luck To You, Leo Grande on Hulu.
Anaïs In Love (2022)
Anaïs (Anaïs Demoustier) is 30-something and finds herself stuck when it comes to her love life, financial prospects, and grad school education, but when she begins an affair with a man, Daniel (Denis Podalydès), old enough to be her father, she soon becomes embroiled in a tricky romantic situation when she starts falling in love with his wife, Emilie (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi).
This comedy follows the alluring Anaïs as she talks her way out of whatever troubles she manages to find herself in and enjoys a relatively problem-free affair while becoming a bit obsessed with her lover’s wife. You can find plenty to love as the protagonist delights in some carefree sensual pleasures, and when she’s finally completely charmed Emilie, their interlude does not disappoint.
Sharp Stick (2022)
Incredibly naive babysitter Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth) loses her virginity at 26 to Josh (Jon Bernthal), her married employer.
Director Lena Dunham’s movie showcases a young woman who’s decided to finally take her inexperienced life for a spin, and while you might not be fond of how she goes about learning her newfound sexual skills (Josh is married, and has a pregnant wife — played by Dunham), her wide-eyed determination to break out of her shell and learn, even with some major setbacks, can’t help but win you over. This will likely be especially true as she and Josh engage in some body-baring illicit encounters.
Stars At Noon (2022)
Not only is writer Trish (Margaret Qualley) on the financial ropes she’s also now stuck in an increasingly politically tense Nicaragua and doing sex work to make her meager ends meet. After having sex with Daniel (Joe Alwyn) she realizes she likes him more than she thought, and they begin a series of sexual rendezvous. While she enjoys their time together, it appears to put her in even more danger.
This thriller is largely a string of languid sex scenes connected by a rather loose plot of intrigues. But, there’s little denying that Qualley and Alwyn make those intimate moments worth your time.
Go ahead and bookmark this list, because we’ll be updating it with new movies as Hulu adds and removes content. That way, you’ll always have a fresh stream of sexually explicit movies to keep you well occupied!
