Love scenes in movies are a controversial hot-button topic. When executed properly, they serve to advance the story by providing a moment of passion and vulnerability between the two characters.
Below is a collection of some of the steamiest sex scenes from some of the most beloved movies of all time. Fair warning, you definitely do not want to watch any of these films with your parents in the room.
A little danger can make sex feel exhilarating. You hope that danger doesn't have to come in the form of an ice pick through the skull, but that's what helped to make this memorable moment between Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas all the more captivating. Stone is a true femme fatale and had audiences all around the globe transfixed.
There are so many steamy moments throughout Cruel Intentions (the kiss between Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Gellar will live rent-free in my brain, forever). But nothing can compare to this classic scene between Reese Witherspoon and her ex-husband, Ryan Phillippe. This movie was quintessential '90s gold and will have you harkening back to your teen years.
You always hurt the ones you love. Blue Valentine is one of the sadder movies you're ever going to come across in your lifetime. That's what makes those moments of passion between Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams all the more enticing — because you know they're tip-toeing toward the end of their love affair.
For as long as you live, you will never encounter another sex scene like the one between Sally Hawkins and Doug Jones. It's a strange and beautiful moment that stands as a testament to the transcendent power of love.
What's better than having sex in a spaceship overlooking New York City, after you've just spent the better part of the evening reducing criminals to a bloody pulp? In short — nothing. The fact that Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah plays in the background is an added bonus.
Unfaithful walks a razor-thin line between feature film and softcore porn. There are many memorable moments between Diane Lane and Oliver Martinez, but her bathroom quickie with her young lover definitely takes the cake. Although why anyone would ever cheat on Richard Gere is beyond me.
Blue is the Warmest Color is a must-watch film. Although it was mired by controversy, it remains one of the truest expressions of love between two women ever captured on film. The fact that the love scene between Léa and Adèle is roughly seven minutes long certainly doesn't hurt, either.
Brokeback Mountain was ahead of its time and, unfortunately, most people weren't ready to embrace it at the time of its release. Still, the love scene between Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal stands as one of the most impassioned moments in the history of cinema.
When you think "sex appeal," Billy Bob Thornton's name isn't necessarily the first thing to spring to mind. However, when paired with Halle Berry, these two pulled off one of the most memorable and steamy sex scenes of the decade. Halle's pain and passion come to a head in what is arguably one of the most memorable performances of her entire career.
