Intense romance, sexy couples, and steamy scenes that make you blush, erotic films ignite something primal in audiences and leave them longing for more. The feeling of passion makes life more exciting, and there’s nothing like a romance movie that ups the ante and takes things from sweet to sensual with a spicy flair.
There are many exciting erotic thrillers on the market. I if you’re on the hunt for some different characters, exciting plots, and steamy, intimate moments, here are 17 films similar to 365 Days to add to your watchlist.
Fifty Shades of Grey
Fifty Shades marked a massive shift in cinema, introducing BDSM culture into mainstream media on a much wider scale. The franchise became a huge hit in the late 2010s and sparked a boost in sales for the novel it’s based on. When a young college student named Anastasia meets the mysterious Christian Grey, she is thrust into a compelling world of luxury, romance, and most importantly, submission.
The erotic thriller and its later sequels were met with negative reviews from critics but were huge commercial successes, and Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan star as the two leads, respectively.
As fans know, Fifty Shades of Grey was followed by Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, in which Ana and Christian continue a relationship that pushes both of them out of their comfort zone and closer to one another as they battle personal demons and overcome struggles as a pair. Christian had a very particular set of interests before meeting Ana, and Ana could be seen as, well, quite vanilla before she met the man she would grow to love.
While the movies are quite explicit, the story leads to some pretty significant moments between the couple as they navigate a realm in which trust can blossom between them.
Careful What You Wish For
Careful What You Wish For is a sexy film starring Nick Jonas and Isabel Lucas as two people who find themselves in the throws of a forbidden and steamy romance, linked together by passion and a need to fill a void in each of their lives; the neighbors turned lovers must sneak around to conceal their romance as Lucas’ Lena Harper is married to an investment banker and a powerful man named Elliot.
Jonas’ Doug Martin is hired to work on Elliot’s sailboat, but things are far from simply a working relationship where he is concerned. Isabel is lonely, having a husband who travels often, and Doug begins to fill a deep need within her soul.
You know the warning, however, that playing with fire always ends in getting burned, and Doug and Isabel soon learn that they’re way over their heads. Will Doug and Isabel band closer together when the heat turns up, or will one end up being consumed by the fire?
Pleasure or Pain
This whirlwind romance should strike some familiar cords with fans of 365 Days. The story follows a woman named Victoria, who is an upcoming jewelry designer. Her life changes when she meets Jack, a wealthy and enigmatic entrepreneur. As Jack introduces her to new heights of sexual pleasure, love, and devotion, Victoria becomes addicted to her new lifestyle, but things start to become less than ideal for the young woman when she finds it hard to keep up.
Like Fifty Shades, Victoria is introduced into a world she knows nothing about, and she soon has to decide if it will be enough for her or if high stakes and an ongoing affair with sexual exploits will eventually be her downfall.
Amar: With You Until the End of the World
For fans who enjoyed the European flair of 365 Days, Amar should prove a worthy watch. This Spanish erotica chronicles the story of a young, passionate couple, Laura and Carlos. They are deeply in love and choose to live in the moment each day, loving each other as strongly as possible. The movie explores the evolution of their romantic and sexual relationship. It also tackles deeper topics as viewers delve into the struggles of adulthood, which threaten to tear the pair apart and put an end to their burning fire.
Starring María Pedraza as Laura and Pol Monen as Carlos, they’re soon challenged with the idea that their lust and passion might not be enough to keep them warm for the rest of their lives, an underlying issue that many of the films we list in this article go back to. While fun and sexy, these movies serve as a warning: while passion and fiery attraction to your partner is essential, longevity requires more than just a sensual desire.
American Kamasutra
Dark and dangerous, much like the sequels of 365 Days, American Kamasutra strives to keep viewers on the edge of their seats while offering intense lovemaking scenes. A young woman named Ashley falls in love with a romance author in her town. However, she is plunged into a menacing love triangle and begins to discover more and more secrets about the people in her life.
Universally panned but a casual watch for fans of 365 Days, a seemingly innocent woman once again falls for the wrong man and suffers greatly for it.
Wild Things
Neve Campbell and Denise Richards: need we say more? Wild Things might not be the first film you think of when you think of 365 Days, but it’s a phenomenal watch, and if we’re aging ourselves here — so be it. A thriller of epic proportions and it hinges on more of a crime aspect than it does flat-out explicit scenes, but it has those, too.
The real pull to this one is the sexy game of whodunit that takes place as jealousy rages, fingers are pointed, innocence is questioned, and a long game is being played. Who wins, who loses, and who won’t survive to see the end? You’ll have to watch to find out.
Through My Window
Through My Window is a more recent addition to Netflix and a mesmerizing one at that. When Raquel’s neighbor, who has long been the object of her affection, begins paying attention to her, it changes things for the young woman. Gone is the meek girl who saw a boy through her window and yearned for him, and here becomes a woman who feels more alive than she ever has before.
However, not every romance leads to a happily ever after feeling of butterflies and making each other better; some hinge on jealousy, passion, and steamy moments that ease the burn of the ones that hurt you instead. Through My Window takes both sides of that coin and turns it into something you just have to see more of, and the ending of this one will be the icing on top of the cake.
Addicted
In this erotic psychological thriller, Sharon Leal stars as Zoe, a woman who, on paper, has it all. She’s the CEO of her own company and the perfect husband and two wonderful children. While previous stories show that the leading lady is often starved sexually, Zoe is not and is intimate with her husband numerous times daily. That’s why things begin to go south when she begins an affair with two men. Unable to control her desires, she throws her life away, as she constantly seeks sexual pleasure. Her insatiable appetite threatens to ruin all she has built as severe consequences for her actions begin to line up.
Will she realize that her actions are allowing every part of her life to go awry, or will she be swept up in lust and romance that will inevitably cause her life to crash down around her, leaving her unable to pick up the broken pieces?
After
After’s softer rating prevents it from diving headfirst into full erotica, but it does touch on many similar subjects as the films on this list. Much like 365 Days, After showcases a tumultuous relationship founded on shaky ground, this time between two college students named Tessa and Hardin. When Tessa initially arrives at college, she is determined to stay on course and not get carried away with other factors, but the sexy mystery of Hardin leads her down a thrilling sexual path as the two embark on an intense relationship.
“Intense relationship” might be putting it mildly, actually, and while the movie might not show the details of intensity the way some of the other films do, the romance between Tessa and Hardin is just as hot, if not hotter, than many we mention on this list.
Below Her Mouth
Below Her Mouth is an erotic thriller that follows two women, Dallas and Jasmine. While Dallas had recently ended a relationship, Jasmine was still engaged to a man, but the two share found one another and began feeling an instant connection. Their attraction proves toxic and chaotic as Jasmine fights to deny her true feelings, and Dallas remains persistent in the quest for a blossoming yet intense relationship.
Will Jasmine ever give into what Dallas brings out in her, or will her comfort in her day-to-day life be too overwhelming to leave behind? In many films and series where erotica is a draw away from an existing relationship, it often also serves as the igniting factor that eventually burns the bridge that allowed the bond to exist at all. A fling might be fun (in these films, we don’t condone cheating here), but are they ever really enough to make you leave it all behind?
Newness
Newness is a film that aims to explore all the many complexities in a relationship. Gabriella and Martin match on a dating app and quickly fall in love and move in together, believing they are happy with one another. When they both cheat on the same night, they confess their betrayal to one another and decide to have an open relationship. While Newness isn’t as dark as 365 Days, it is honest and passionate in showing the complications of love.
It also shows the complications of joining into relationships that aren’t exactly textbook. No longer as taboo as they once were, gone are the days when a “traditional” relationship was the only one ever portrayed in media or real life; Newness touches on an open relationship while also highlighting the need for not just honesty but vulnerability in any bond you share with another.
After We Collided
Yes, we already recommended After to you, but After We Collided is another film in the Tessa and Hardin story, and we had to mention it as its own addition to the list because it takes things from spicy to full-on hot as they explore their relationship on a new playing field.
Tessa and Hardin are experiencing a new chapter of their lives with new people and new experiences, and that goes for what they’re doing with one another, too. While Tessa hopes to be strong enough to leave Hardin behind if he can’t be the man she needs, she also sees the fact that he’s awakened feelings and emotions in her she never knew before, sexually and emotionally. This one is definitely more passionate, and it’s also a new chapter for those who can’t get enough of the pull and push between Tessa and Hardin.
The Boy Next Door
The Boy Next Door leans more heavily into the thriller genre than 365 Days does, but it is still an engaging and steamy erotic movie. The story is centered on Claire, who is recently divorced and living alone with her teenage son. When a 19-year-old boy named Noah moves into the house next to hers, she tries her hardest to deny the sexual chemistry between them, but they eventually share a passionate night. Claire tries to avoid him after that, but things take a twisted turn as Noah grows dangerously obsessed with her.
It should surprise no one that Noah would grow to be infatuated with Claire, and this one is more of a warning than many on the list to tread carefully into relationships where one person holds the power and the other is thirsty for it. That kind of bond will never end well.
Killing Me Softly
Alice is an American woman living in London. Her life seems to be on a smooth path, and she is content with her life, job, and boyfriend. That is until she bumps into a handsome and mysterious stranger named Adam, whom she is immediately enthralled by. The pair share a magnetic sexual chemistry, and Alice, in a strange turn of events, leaves her boyfriend for Adam, marrying him soon after.
While things are lovely at first, Alice comes to realize that the person she fell in love with and married isn’t exactly who he claims to be.
Eyes Wide Shut
Another that is more than just a romance or erotica, Eyes Wide Shut stars Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise in a film that’s smart, sexy, and full of drama. When Dr. Bill Harford’s wife, Alice, admits that she wants to have an affair, his ego is bruised, and he decides to act on his emotions after her admission. What happens next is something neither of them could have prepared for. Bill soon finds himself in the throws of a forbidden lifestyle, and Alice, well, she’s intrigued by it.
If you’ve not seen this one, we won’t give it away, but there are criminal elements at play, too, adding more mystery to everything surrounding Bill’s chance encounter and Alice’s confession. The question posed here is, once again, is sexual excitement worth uprooting your everything for, and if so, how long can it all really last?
Betty Blue
Betty Blue is a romantic thriller that is about a woman named Betty who begins a sexual relationship with a handyman. That relationship is made more complicated by her reckless behavior which continues to escalate throughout the film. The movie is stunningly stylized and is filled with steamy moments that are similar to 365 Days.
Betty Blue was even nominated for an Oscar, which indicates how excellent of a film it truly is.
Secretary
Secretary starred Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader and is an erotic romance movie. It follows a troubled woman named Lee Hollway who has just been released from a stay at a mental institution. She begins working as a secretary for a demanding attorney named E. Edward Grey.
She eventually realizes that she is attracted to Grey’s stern attitude, and the two begin a sadomasochistic relationship. The movie is thrilling and steamy but also manages to include some wholesome and humorous moments that give the film a nice sense of balance.
