The 13 Sexiest Movies of 2024, Ranked
Sexy has taken on new meanings and memes this year, maybe more so than ever before. Collectively, there seemed to be a hunger for age gaps, romance fiction adaptations, road trips, and remakes. And churros. Lots and lots of churros.
To be clear, the sexiest movies of the year by no means have the most explicit sex scenes. In fact, more often than not, the sexiest films are the ones that leave more to the imagination, playing with the tensions between characters and instead anchoring the viewer in the world the film creates. Some of our decisions came down to the simplest of asks, many of which apply to all genres of film, sexy or not: How immersed did we feel watching the film? Did any actors or choices take us out of the moment? Did we want to be there alongside them or already feel like we were? And can Harris Dickinson order me a glass of milk from across the bar?
There was lots of Glen Powell, who has been riding the high of his rom-com era since 2023’s Anyone But You, but there have been both old and new heartthrobs thrown into the mix of the year as well. Take Denzel Washington‘s bisexual Macrinus (does the man ever age?). Or Mikey Madison and her perfected twerk. Do we even need to mention Josh O’Connor pulling the chair in with his foot? The man even convinced the internet that being obsessed with Ratatouille is the new sexy.
Keep reading to see if you agree with our list below, and comment below on your sexiest movies of the year. We’ll never turn down a new sexy film to add to our watch list.
Few things are hotter than romantasy right now, but Mitchell Slaggert comes close. The Hemsworthy hunk steams up Lifetime’s original as a chiseled carpenter who sparks with an old friend-turned-Sarah J. Maas-ish author (Sasha Pieterse) when she returns to their Texan hometown. It’s one of the few holiday movies with actual sex scenes and, yes, we cut a “this guy really knows how to work his wood” joke to keep it classy. — Damian Holbrook
She Taught Love
This smart and sexy film is one of the hidden gem romances of 2024. Darrell Britt-Gibson and Queen Charlotte’s Arsema Thomas have an electric chemistry that vibrates off the screen. The movie is so intimate we almost feel like voyeurs watching Frank and Mali’s story unfold, but so much of the movie’s sexiness comes in how the film makes the ordinary ups and downs of Frank and Mali’s romance feel extraordinary. — Avery Thompson
Gladiator II
From legacy hottie Denzel Washington to internet daddy Pedro Pascal to sad indie boyfriend Paul Mescal to a wigged Joseph Quinn (regrettably still hot in his emperor get-up) to the boy you’d bring home to Grandma, Fred Hechinger, Gladiator II has something for everyone. Washington is easily the standout performance in the sequel to the 2000 epic, as is true of most movies he’s in, but Quinn almost matches him as a maniacal co-emperor trying to hold onto power. Watching the two spar is a blast, and honestly, sexy! Come for Denzel Washington’s generational face card and Paul Mescal’s thighs, stay for Joseph Quinn screaming in a silly little wig. — Leah Williams
Drive-Away Dolls
Drive-Away Dolls is a madcap, road tripping sex comedy starring Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan as Jamie and Marian. Jamie and Mariam are best friends, lesbians, and polar opposites. On the run from criminals and the government with a suitcase full of politically valuable dildos, the two women still find time to visit lesbian bars and start falling in love. Jamie convinces Marian to open up sexually, and the two begin sleeping together. The friend-to-lovers trope wins again! It’s funny, sexy, and subversive. Written by Ethan Coen and his wife Tricia Cooke, this ’90s-set romp was overlooked this year and worth checking out. — Leah Williams
Like a Magic Mike fever dream, Netflix’s Christmas flick takes the Hallmark formula and oils it up! The Rookie: Feds’ Britt Robertson stars as the classic Big City Spitfire determined to save her family’s small-town club by roping their handyman (One Tree Hill’s eternally shredded Chad Michael Murray) to lead an all-male revue. It’s mostly played for laughs, but CMM’s slinky moves and aggressive six pack are no laughing matter. — Damian Holbrook
Dune: Part Two
Two words: Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. I didn’t think Austin Butler in a bald cap would actually do it for me in 2024, but here we are. Was he scary? Yes. Did I detest everything he stood for? Absolutely. Would I scroll away when a Feyd-Rautha fancam would show up on my feed? Never in a million years. The film was chock-full of some of the year’s sexiest actors, including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Florence Pugh. And the whole film was a tense buildup to the shocking climax we’ve been waiting for since Part 1. Need I say more? — Katie Song
Saturday Night
Lights, camera, and sweat don’t really get sexier than this nail-biting, one-night retelling of the first airing of Saturday Night Live. Right off the bat, I have to come clean: There are zero sex scenes in this film. But something about watching Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) remain so cool-headed and composed while a million angry cast and crew members berate him made me think about comedy variety shows in a completely different light. Plus, not to mention some swoonworthy additions to the cast, including Dylan O’Brien, Rachel Sennott (who I believe invented flirting after watching this film), and Cory Michael Smith, Kaia Gerber, and Lamorne Morris. Fine, I’ll be brave and say it: Comedy can be sexy, people! Don’t knock it ’till you watch. — Katie Song
Anora
Came to the theater for Sean Baker’s latest work, but stayed for Igor (Yura Borisov). Mikey Madison stars as the titular Anora, a sex worker who follows the proposal from an oligarch’s son Vanya (Mark Eidelstein) down a rabbit hole and wild goose chase all the way to Brighton Beach and back. This 2024 Palme d’Or winner contains multitudes, and we’re not just talking about the sex scenes. Sex is more or less coursing through this film’s veins as Anora’s main form of currency (and at times communication) is through the work she has come to master. But that’s not what makes this film so sexy. It’s this intangible feeling of party and play that the film captures so well as Anora is introduced to Vanya’s world, enticing her as well as us as the viewer to stay for more…until things inevitably take a turn. — Katie Song
Twisters
Although we’re holding a grudge against Steven Spielberg for cutting the kiss in Twisters, it’s an incredibly sexy movie without it. Glen Powell is firing on all cylinders as storm chaser Tyler. Seriously, we have seen him be charming before, but this was next level. Daisy Edgar-Jones is great as Kate, the meteorologist who butts heads with Tyler. Their sexual tension is as palpable to the audience as the pressure changes in the movie are to Kate. The last scene of Twisters features the hottest use of a motor vehicle onscreen this year. — Leah Williams
Babygirl
Nicole Kidman’s range, we need to study it. The Oscar winner fearlessly submits to her role as Romy, a high-powered CEO who engages in a forbidden affair with a younger intern (Harris Dickinson). She has control at her fingertips, but Romy yearns to lose it for once. Romy and Samuel’s tantalizing entanglement is primal at its core, with Romy chasing intense pleasure for herself and rediscovering her needs. Erotic thrillers are back, babygirl. — Avery Thompson
Challengers
The buzz around the threesome long-preceded this film’s 2024 release, and the wait was well worth it. Starring the trio we never knew we needed Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, this time-jumping love story follows three professional tennis players and their interwoven plays at wanting to be the best. Like any sexy film, the plot twists through non-sex related turning points and conversations of their careers…which are also obviously very much about sex. Tennis alone is the ultimate sex metaphor, right? Not to mention, holding space for pulling in a cafeteria stool and offering a bite of a churro were likely not on any of 2024 bingo cards. And for that, we have Luca Guadagnino to thank because that man knows sexy. — Katie Song
The Idea of You
Leading the age-gap charge of the year, and doing it oh-so-very well, The Idea of You was indulgently the fan-fic flick of the year. Anne Hathaway (who has never been radiant) stars as Solene, an art gallery director, who gets swept off her feet by boy band lead singer Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine). Like any good fan-service romance, there is minimal substantial conflict — just tension, tension, and more tension. “I could be your mother” moments met with “but you’re not” rebuttals, if you will. From tours to hotel rooms to secret suburbian rendezvous, this film portrays a sexy fantasy without ever taking you out. — Katie Song
Hit Man
Glen Powell is Hollywood’s romance king, and it’s not even close. On the heels of Anyone But You, Powell starred in his hottest film to date: Hit Man. Who knew a film about a guy moonlighting as a for-hire hitman would be the sexiest movie of 2024? Not us! But we should never doubt the power of Powell (and Richard Linklater). Every single persona Powell’s Gary took on was hot in some form or another. The scene that altered our brain chemistry was Gary and Madison’s sensational Notes app scene. There’s not a lick of kissing involved, but as our social queen Leah Williams declared, it’s a sex scene. When the history books write about sexual tension and clever movie foreplay, that scene will be front and center. — Avery Thompson
