10 Best Movies Like Fifty Shades Of Grey

Summary

• Films like Fifty Shades may not accurately depict intimate scenes, but can still explore self-discovery and sexual liberation.
• Bound showcases how intimacy coordination can result in truthful depictions of physical connections onscreen.
• Movies like Mr. & Mrs. Smith combine action and thriller elements with electric chemistry between the leads.

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When the Fifty Shades of Grey movie was released in 2015, it made a splash, but plenty of great movies are comparable to the Fifty Shades series. Based on the books by E.L. James, Fifty Shades of Grey focuses on the central relationship between Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) and Christian Grey (Jamie Doran), who push each other emotionally and through physical intimacy. While the most famous parts of the books and movies are the depictions of sex and BDSM, they’re not entirely accurate, and the films have faced criticism for their weak plot and mishandling of sex positivity.

Onscreen depictions of sex have faced great criticism in recent years, and rightly so, as they are a sensitive subject.

However, films that fall into the romance and eroticism genres don’t necessarily have to distance themselves from a compelling story structure. Including elements like the importance of self-discovery, sexual liberation, and even the humor that can be found in intimate moments makes these projects worthwhile. Onscreen depictions of sex have faced great criticism in recent years, and rightly so, as they are a sensitive subject. Though every Fifty Shades movie doesn’t handle these topics perfectly, they encourage people to seek out the best of the genre and find the films they connect with.

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10 365 Days (2020)

Directed by Barbara Białowąs & Tomasz Mandes

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365 Days is remarkably similar to Fifty Shades of Grey in that both are based on books and deal with a sexually intense dynamic between the lead characters. However, 365 Days blurs the line between consent and abuse and has received criticism for its depiction of such an unhealthy dynamic. While Ana and Christian have their fair share of issues in the Fifty Shades movies, it’s not as blatantly problematic. Despite this, 365 Days was immediately popular when it was made available on Netflix.

At times, the plot points become so out of touch with reality that it borders on laughable, but this is part of the fun of movies like 365 Days.

However, when watching 365 Days, there’s no question that it was made purely as a sexual fantasy and doesn’t hold any real opinions or discussions about real life and the complex nature of sexuality. At times, the plot points become so out of touch with reality that it borders on laughable, but this is part of the fun of movies like 365 Days. Though there’s action and tension throughout the movie, the overarching story is weaker than the minimal plot of Fifty Shades of Grey.

365 Days
Documentary
Romance

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Director Barbara Bialowas Release Date February 7, 2020 Cast Michele Morrone , Anna Maria Sieklucka , Bronislaw Wroclawski , Otar Saralidze , Magdalena Lamparska , Natasza Urbanska Runtime 114 minutes

9 Cruel Intentions (1999)

Directed by Roger Kumble

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This modernized take on the French book that became the American film Dangerous Liaisons features the performances of many talented young actors and is as dramatically intriguing as it is tragic. The lust and danger of youth are put on full display in Cruel Intentions, as Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe) play out their masochistic fantasies by toying with the life and emotions of everyone in their orbit. However, everything changes when Sebastian unexpectedly begins to fall for Annette (Reese Witherspoon).

Though reactions to the film were mixed at its premiere, it’s something of a cult classic today. The star-studded cast compels the audience to keep watching the machinations of such unlikeable characters. However, all the horrible ways the characters manipulate and hurt each other are on par with the source material. At the turn of the century, when the film came out, comedies and dramas that dealt with adolescent sexuality were reaching their height and becoming common in mainstream media. Fifty Shades deals with slightly older characters, but the blatant sexuality and wealth of the characters are similar.

Cruel Intentions
R
Drama
Documentary
Romance
Thriller

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With a screenplay and direction by Roger Kumble, Cruel Intentions is a Romance and Teen Drama film that stars Selma Blair, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, and Ryan Phillippe. The plot revolves around a group of teens, with a man betting one of them that he can seduce a girl successfully.

Director Roger Kumble Release Date March 5, 1999 Cast Sarah Michelle Gellar , Ryan Phillippe , Reese Witherspoon , Selma Blair , Louise Fletcher , Joshua Jackson Runtime 97 minutes

8 The Piano Teacher (2001)

Directed by Michael Haneke

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Isabelle Huppert plays Erika, a piano teacher at an elite school who embarks upon an affair with her student, Walter (Benoît Magimel).

The Piano Teacher was immediately hailed as an influential film after premiering at Cannes in 2001, as it won the Grand Prix as well as the Best Actor and Actress awards for the two leads. Isabelle Huppert plays Erika, a piano teacher at an elite school who embarks upon an affair with her student, Walter (Benoît Magimel). Their relationship is complicated by the fact that Erike takes care of her ailing mother, who pushes Erika to repress her desires, sexual and otherwise. Unlike Fifty Shades, neither party in the relationship can fully express or understand their needs.

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Watching The Piano Teacher is no casual undertaking and should be understood as a discussion of the impact of sexual repression on society. Dark, disturbing, and quietly biting against Western cultural relationships toward sexuality,The Piano Teacher is thematically brilliant and weaves together each aspect of its story perfectly. It is not at all a love story and is only comparable with Fifty Shades in that they touch upon BDSM. However, as a piece of art and cultural critique, The Piano Teacher is an amazing work of film.

7 After (2019)

Directed by Jenny Gage

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The After movies and book series have the most in common with Fifty Shades of Grey, as they both started as hit novel series that loosely began as fan fiction. Today, fan fiction is well-known for being host to many discussions of sexual fantasies on the internet, and After is no exception. Tessa (Josephine Langford) and Hardin’s (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) relationship can easily be compared to Ana and Christian’s as a more sexually experienced man takes on the role of teacher within a relationship with a more emotionally available woman.

Additionally, both After and Fifty Shades faced criticism for the treatment of women onscreen and depicted behavior that could be considered borderline abusive. This isn’t uncommon for films of this genre, and it should be remembered that these works aren’t aspirational and should be viewed through a lens of pure fantasy and escapism. Like Fifty Shades, the critical reception of After and its subsequent movies is dismal, but this doesn’t stop the series from being popular and well-known.

After
PG-13
Documentary
Romance
Thriller

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After centers on a young woman who begins a romantic relationship with a mysterious student quickly after attending a new college. After was released in 2019 and based on Anna Todd’s 2014 romantic drama book of the same name. After launched a franchise, with four sequels coming out in the subsequent years.

Director Jenny Gage Release Date April 11, 2019 Cast Peter Gallagher , Josephine Langford , Khadijha Red Thunder , Pia Mia , Jennifer Beals , Swen Temmel , Meadow Williams , Samuel Larsen , Hero Fiennes Tiffin , Shane Paul McGhie , Inanna Sarkis , Dylan Arnold , Rebecca Lee Robertson , Selma Blair , José Alfredo Fernandez Runtime 106minutes

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6 Bound (1996)

Directed by Lana Wachowski & Lilly Wachowski

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Written and directed by the Wachowski Sisters, Bound is an LGBTQ+ erotic thriller that’s inspired recent movies like Love Lies Bleeding starring Kristen Stewart. Centering a romantic entanglement between two women that celebrates and delves into the intricacies of their desires and sexualities, Bound is considered an enduring addition to the genre of new queer cinema. Even the most violent and tension-filled scenes are steeped in the attraction and chemistry between Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly.

Bound is also a great argument to be made for the importance and success of using a sex consultant and intimacy coordinator on set.

Bound is also a great argument to be made for the importance and success of using a sex consultant and intimacy coordinator on set. The reason the scenes between Gershon and Tilly feel not only realistic but also comfortable and safe is because of the intensive work behind the scenes to achieve this. While Fifty Shades deals with a heterosexual couple, there are similarities in how the central characters are bonded together due to their attraction and then become embroiled in a large criminal plot.

Bound
R
Crime
Drama
Romance
Thriller

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Director Lilly Wachowski , Lana Wachowski Release Date October 4, 1996 Cast Jennifer Tilly , Gina Gershon , Joe Pantoliano , John P. Ryan , Christopher Meloni , Richard C. Sarafian Runtime 109 Minutes

5 Basic Instinct (1992)

Directed by Paul Verhoeven

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Unfortunately, Sharon Stone faced backlash for her exceptional performance as Catherine Tramell, a modernized iteration of the femme fatale in the landmark neo-noir movie.

While many films that play with erotic fantasies and role-play simulate games of cat-and-mouse, Basic Instinct genuinely places a psychological mind game at the center of the story. Unfortunately, Sharon Stone faced backlash for her exceptional performance as Catherine Tramell, a modernized iteration of the femme fatale in the landmark neo-noir movie. Her complex and intense relationship with Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) leads both characters deeper into a web of lies and murder that keeps the audience guessing.

Basic Instinct is not without its issues, as some explicit scenes have fallen under scrutiny and criticism. Movies like Basic Instinct are a reminder of how movies that deal with intense subject matter and emotionally taxing performances can be great but must be approached with consent and communication throughout the production. Like Fifty Shades of Grey, Basic Instinct toes the line of misogyny, sometimes crossing it, but this isn’t so much because sex is depicted, but because of the overall context of the story.

Basic Instinct
R
Drama
Mystery
Thriller

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Director Paul Verhoeven Release Date March 20, 1992 Cast Michael Douglas , Sharon Stone , George Dzundza , Jeanne Tripplehorn , Wayne Knight , Denis Arndt , Leilani Sarelle , Bruce A. Young Runtime 128 minutes

4 Belle De Jour (1967)

Directed by Luis Buñuel

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Widely considered one of Luis Buñel’s best films, Belle de Jour stars Catherine Deneuve and broke ground in cinematic explorations of eroticism and discussions of class. Deneuve is well known for being an essential part of the French New Wave, a cinematic movement that challenged the genre conventions and expectations of film, changing filmmaking in the later half of the twentieth century. Belle de Jour follows the life of Séverine Serizy (Deneuve), who’s sexually unfulfilled in her life with her husband and so starts working in a high-end brothel in the afternoons when her husband is at work.

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Blurring the line between fantasy and reality, Belle de Jour frequently depicts Séverine’s imagination and desires with the same realism as actual events. Premiering in 1967, it’s an early example of women’s sexual desires being explored and depicted on film. Movies like Fifty Shades of Grey could not exist without Belle de Jour, and when looking back on the movie today, it’s just as relevant and boundary-pushing. Featuring surrealist styles and amazing use of color, Belle de Jour is as visually stimulating as it is emotionally.

3 Beyond The Lights (2014)

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood

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Beyond The Lights has intimate scenes, but the core of the story is the emotional connection between Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Kaz (Nate Parker).

Gina Prince-Bythewood is an amazing director who also created Love & Basketball, one of the best rom-coms of the early 2000s. She moved into new territory with Beyond The Lights, looking at the cost and pressures of fame alongside a budding relationship. Beyond The Lights has intimate scenes, but the core of the story is the emotional connection between Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Kaz (Nate Parker). After being pushed to her limit as a rising pop star, Noni finds comfort and safety with Kaz when no one else provides this for her.

In Fifty Shades of Grey, Ana and Christian similarly take comfort in each other and step into the role of family, since their blood relations have let them down. Noni’s difficult relationship with her mother is a key theme in Beyond The Lights, and the way Kaz treats her shows her what a loving partnership can be. Additionally, fame, money, and success are a large part of Beyond The Lights and Fifty Shades. However, the former treats it with less reverence and engages in discussions about sacrifice and whether fame is worth its price.

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2 Secretary (2002)

Directed by Steven Shainberg

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The performances of Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader are what cement Secretary as a movie as funny as it is sexy. It’s been speculated that Fifty Shades of Grey might have taken inspiration from the movie, as Spader’s character is named E. Edward Grey, and the relationship between the two characters explores a dominant and submissive dynamic. Though erotic films have existed since movies were invented, Secretary was met with mixed reactions due to its frank discussions and depictions of sexual encounters that media typically skirt around.

However, it’s abundantly clear throughout Secretary that the characters are expressing their truest desires and that the power dynamic between Grey and Lee (Gyllenhaal) is one they enjoy playing with. Additionally, Secretary isn’t afraid to laugh at itself and includes elements of surrealism and hyper-stylization in its aesthetic choices. These choices and the tongue-in-cheek dialogue contribute to the intensity of the feelings between Grey and Lee and distinguish films like Secretary as pieces of art.

Secretary (2002)
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Director Steven Shainberg Release Date September 20, 2002 Cast James Spader , Maggie Gyllenhaal , Jeremy Davies , Patrick Bauchau , Stephen McHattie , Lesley Ann Warren Runtime 107 Minutes

1 Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)

Directed by Doug Liman

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In the film, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt star as world-renowned assassins who just so happen to fall in love without knowing the other’s identity.

Prime Video recently released its own Mr. & Mrs. Smith show starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine, and while the new show made waves, it’s vastly different from the original movie. In the film, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt star as world-renowned assassins who just so happen to fall in love without knowing the other’s identity. Tonally, Mr. & Mrs. Smith successfully combines action and thriller elements with electric chemistry between the two leads. A large portion of the story is dedicated to the couple rediscovering their desire for each other.

One of the biggest differences between Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Fifty Shades of Grey is that the encounters depicted between the lead characters don’t involve BDSM. However, the tension that each movie builds leading up to these moments is equally compelling. Mr. & Mrs. Smith takes the mystery and stakes that Fifty Shades of Grey uses as a secondary element and makes it the most important part of the story. In this way, the plot of Mr. & Mrs. Smith is clearer, so the audience feels even more invested in the romantic entanglements.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith
PG-13
Crime
Action
Comedy
Thriller

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Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a romantic comedy action film that follows a married couple who discover that they’re both assassins after years of maintaining a false relationship for cover when John and Jane discover on a hit job that they both have the same target, the failed mission results in the discovery that they’re both assigned to different agencies. Now tasked with eliminating one another, the two engage in a darkly comedic battle where they soon begin to fall in love – for real, this time. 

Director Doug Liman Release Date June 10, 2005 Cast Keith David , Angelina Jolie , Kerry Washington , Vince Vaughn , Brad Pitt , Adam Brody​ Runtime 120 minutes

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