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.
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.
5 Basic Instinct (1992)
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.
4 Belle De Jour (1967)
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. 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)
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.
E.L. James’ trilogy of erotic romance novels made a splash, and their adaptations became box office gold, but which Fifty Shades movie is the best?
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.
2 Secretary (2002)
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.bHowever, 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.
1 Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
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.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith successfully combines action and thriller elements with electric chemistry between the two leads.
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.
