Hottest Naked Movie Scenes

Hottest Naked Movie Scenes
Nude scenes have appeared in feature-length narrative movies since the 1910s, and the best nude scenes deserve to be considered alongside the fine arts.
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“That’s not art. A striptease isn’t art. It’s too direct. It’s more direct than art.”
That line from Akira Kurosawa’s “Ikiru” sums up a lot of feelings people seem to have about nudity in film as well. The history of painting and sculpture is full of nude portraiture, which is easily classified as art. But the nude scene in movies is rarely discussed alongside a Canova marble statue or Manet’s “Olympia.” Movies blur the boundaries between “real life” and artistic indirection so thoroughly that people discuss nude scenes in movies as practically everything but art. It’s “content” that deserves an “advisory.”
As many have noted, the very nature of their job demands that we look at actors. So when nudity enters the picture, it complicates the relationship between viewer and viewed. Are we invading their space? Are they invading ours? What should we feel about this? At times, it can be difficult not to write about onscreen nudity in anything but jokey terms.
Especially since nudity has become a fixture of comedy; punchlines are one of the few ways nudity is really used in mainstream entertainment today. It’s been a quarter-century from nudity being a central feature — and plot point — of what was then the most popular Hollywood film in decades: “ Titanic .” Bared skin in a similar manner in a top blockbuster in 2022 or any other recent year seems unthinkable.
But maybe we should take nudity seriously again. And a place to start is to look at the history of the nude scene since the silent era. The best nude scenes convey vulnerability, intimacy, eros, and so much more. Below is a timeline of the nude scene throughout cinema history. All are movies that wouldn’t have the same artistic impact without these moments.
Christian Blauvelt, Jude Dry, and Kate Erbland contributed to this story.
It may surprise today’s viewers just how liberated many silent films are in their depictions of sexuality. In the U.S., the self-censorship of the Hays Office wouldn’t come about until the late ‘20s (and wasn’t enforced at all until Joseph Breen took charge in 1934). Silent movies and early sound films have all manner of transgressive content. D.W. Griffith’s “Intolerance” features a full-on orgy with women wearing see-through fabrics or bathing in the nude. (Later on, during the Siege of Babylon, there’s a kiss between two men.) Some of that libertinism would pop up again in Griffith’s later “Orphans of the Storm,” and it would carry on through the early sound era with Claudette Colbert famously taking a nude bath (though only seen from the back) in asses’ milk in 1932’s “A Sign of the Cross.” But even a couple of decades earlier, Griffith was pushing boundaries in his own right. —CB
Peter Bogdanovich’s wistful black-and-white portrait of the end of an era for two high school seniors and longtime friends (Jeff Bridges and Timothy Bottoms) remains best known as the hallmark of the director’s career. The film also launched the start of Cybill Shepherd’s career, when Bogdanovich’s then-wife Polly Platt thought Shepherd would be perfect for the role of Jacy Farrow, the smartest and prettiest girl in any room of the film’s declining northern Texas oil town.
But one scene got the film banned in part of the very state in which the film was set. After a Christmas dance, Jacy is invited to a skinny dipping party, uncomfortably undressing on the diving board as rowdy teens splash around below. Shepherd was 21 years old at the time of filming, but as her character is still in high school, this was met with ire from the public. “Last Picture Show” was actually deemed obscene by the city of Phoenix, requiring it to be judged by a federal court, which ultimately ruled the movie safe for viewing. Still, it was 1971, and so even the suggestion of nudity, let alone the full monty, managed to shock casual moviegoers. — RL
One of the most infamous sex scenes of the 1970s is a fugue of grief and hope. Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie — neither overly eroticized with the lighting and staging here, and you would never confuse this for a porn film — seek solace in each other’s bodies after they’ve just had an epiphany about the death of their young daughter, who they’ve been mourning for months. It may be cinema’s greatest “sexual healing” scene, and the way director Nicolas Roeg intercuts their lovemaking with post-coital shots of them dressing and preparing to go out afterward somehow got it past censors in the U.S. and U.K. Salacious stories about Christie’s boyfriend Warren Beatty wanting control over the edit and rumors that the scene featured unsimulated sex dominated the narrative, but it’s really a deeply felt scene about two people finding hope in each other after the darkest time of their lives. —CB
Ah, nothing feels like summer more than pent-up hormones and a little red bikini. Judge Reinhold’s teen fantasy in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” includes an infamous topless moment featuring Phoebe Cates stripping off her teeny crimson two-piece. The 1982 classic film also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sean Penn, Forest Whitaker, Robert Romanus, and even a cameo by Nicolas Cage. Director Amy Heckerling made her feature debut with the dark comedy take on the pressures of adolescence; while Heckerling went on to helm the iconic (and nudity-free) “Clueless,” David Lynch reportedly was offered “Fast Times” first. And the film wasn’t Cates’ first time going “Fast.” She previously bared her breasts in “Paradise” when she was just 17. “The topless scene in ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ was funny, which made it easy,” Cates said in 1982 . “In this business, if a girl wants a career, she has to be willing to strip. If you’ve got a good bod, then why not show it?” Cates also revealed in 2018 during an interview with former co-star Leigh that it was “not that big of a deal,” per Leigh’s advice. Not a big to her, but a big deal in the history of bikini drops. —SB
©Cinecom Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
It may be the ultimate in high-collared, petticoat-wearing, “tennis anyone?” escapism, the Merchant-Ivory classic that’s basically what every British period drama on “Masterpiece Theatre” has aspired to be ever since. “A Room with a View” is also the greatest of its kind because it’s so much more than those twee trappings. Case in point: When Julian Sands, Rupert Graves, and the immortal Simon Callow strip naked and frolic in a shallow Surrey pond. “Let’s have a bathe!” Grave asks his companions. The full-frontal escapade is an example for the ages of letting loose and communing with nature, and of British cinema’s greater willingness to feature male nudity than that of the U.S, ever since Ken Russell’s “Women in Love” was a male nudity milestone in 1969. —CB
This Article is related to: Film and tagged Boogie Nights , nude scenes , Shortbus , Titanic
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All the nakedness of porn, but with the plot and storylines of mainstream film.
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Looking for a movie that has as much nudity as porn, but...isn't a porn movie ? Unlike actual porn, mainstream movies are saddled with things like "plot" and "coherent storylines," but that doesn't mean that those plots and coherent storylines can't be served by lots (and lots and lots ) of nude scenes. And, over the years, many mainstream movies have taken advantage of their ability to tell beautiful stories full of beautiful bodies in various states of undress.
Some of these sex scenes are truly almost porn (we're looking at you, Room in Rome and The Dreamers ) and some nudity is so mainstream they were nominated for Academy Awards (like The Wolf of Wall Street and Boogie Nights ). Across the board, many of these feature A-list, top tier talent (like Angelina Jolie, Uma Thurman, Antonio Banderas, and James Spader, just to name a few). The lesson to be learned: You may need to rethink your preconceived notions of what excessive nude scenes in movies say about that movie.
Ready to dive in and explore the world of mainstream movies with nearly porn-levels of nudity? Here are movies that will get you turned on with their almost nonstop nude scenes . And yet, they're still totally mainstream with great plots and talented actors. Consider it sex with a side of sophistication.
This erotic saga follows a city couple whose relationship starts innocently enough—until they start exploring their kinks, and feel the freedom of not having to hide their desires behind niceties. Think of it like a 50 Shades precursor.
Though not a fully erotic movie, there’s a particular scene in Do the Right Thing that is so sexy it remains memorable several decades later. Who knew that an ice cube could be so hot?
Michael Fassbender stars as a sex addict forced to take a hard look at his life in this movie, which also brought audiences a full-frontal look at Fassbender.
Elle Fanning is an aspiring young model who venutes to Los Angeles to find her fame and fortune. What she finds is a sexy, pulsating, pretty psychedelically creepy world of competitive other models who will do anything to stay young and beautiful.
The fact that Blue Valentine was originally rated NC-17 should give you an idea of just how far the movie goes when it comes to pushing the envelope (and, yes, that includes plenty of nudity).
This 1979 "erotic historical drama" (per its official Wikipedia description) is all about the fall of the Roman Emperor Caligula and it's the kind of movie that is technically a mainstream movie, but is also basically porn. Needless to say, the nudity levels are off-the-charts in this one.
Henry & June , starring Uma Thurman, was the first movie to receive an NC-17 rating and it definitely earned it. Based on Anais Nin's memoir of the same name, it takes viewers through Nin's affair with Henry Miller and her sexual awakening via his wife, June, in early '30s France.
Though not a fully erotic movie, there’s a particular scene in Do the Right Thing that is so sexy it remains memorable several decades later. Who knew that something as cold as an ice cube could be so hot?
No, we're definitely not talking about the Oscar-winning ensemble film. 1996's Crash stars James Spader as a film producer who becomes involved with a group of symphorophiliacs—aka people who are sexually aroused by car crashes.
The fact that Blue Valentine was originally rated NC-17 should give you an idea of just how far the movie goes when it comes to pushing the envelope (and, yes, that includes plenty of nudity, often with Ryan Gosling).
This South Korean drama is so hot it'll practically scorch you. The story takes place during the Joseon Dynasty, and focuses on a woman named Hwa-yeon, who is forced to become a royal concubine against her will and the triangle around her that involves the Prince Sung-won, who only has eyes for Hwa-yeon and Kwon-yoo, with a drive for revenge.
Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes costar as a troubled married couple in this sexy, sexy erotic thriller about a woman who becomes increasingly suspicious of her controlling husband as she learns about a woman from his past.
In 2001, Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas gifted the world with this sensual historical drama that totally lives up to its tease-y title.
If you haven't seen Eyes Wide Shut , the 1999 "erotic daydream" movie starring Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, now's the time.
Today in Things That Are Not Surprising, Magic Mike , a movie about male strippers, includes a fair amount of nudity. Also not surprising: Said nudity is 🔥🔥🔥.
Jason Schwartzman and the late, great Brittany Murphy star in this black comedy about about hard drugs and harder to believe scenarios.
In 2001, Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas gifted the world with this sensual historical drama that totally lives up to its tease-y title.
This movie is famous for being just bad enough to gain a cult following, and for heavily sexualizing Saved By the Bell star Elizabeth Berkley, who spends a lot of the movie pole dancing in the nude.
This one isn't pornography, but it is about pornography. Set in LA's San Fernando Valley, this film stars Mark Wahlberg as a nightclub dishwasher who becomes a big adult film star during the Golden Age of Porn in the '70s. It's Paul Thomas Anderson so you know it's awkwardly funny but also think-y. And, yes, with tons of nudity and sex.
This French arthouse film premiered at Cannes in 2015 and made headlines for featuring unsimulated sex scenes in—of all things—3D. It's like you can reach out and touch the copious amounts of nudity.
This 2011 French film includes plenty of nudity and even some unsimulated sexual situations. The plot follows Cecile, a young woman who has recently lost her father and is on a quest to distract herself from her grief with a series of sexual encounters.
If you're looking for a mainstream movie that gets as close to the "actually porn" line as possible without crossing it, Room in Rome fits the bill. The 2010 Spanish erotic drama is about the emotional and sexual relationship between two women who spend a single night together in a hotel room in Rome.
An artist suffering from insomnia decides to get a job working the night shift at a local supermarket, where he develops a crush on a coworker and lets his imagination run wild. Is it any surprise that a movie about an insomniac artist's rich inner imaginary world would be heavy on nudity?
This French film is one step away from being soft core porn. The movie stars Juliette Binoche as a journalist who takes on an assignment that requires her to enter a prostitution ring run by college students. It's like an overtly sexual Never Been Kissed .
This Japanese pink film is a tells the story of Ai, a submissive prostitute who is struggling with her romantic relationship with a married man. Warning though: The scenes depicting Ai's sex work explore some of the darker aspects of BDSM relationships.
This 2003 movie based on the novel The Holy Innocents follows a love triangle between an American student in Paris in 1968 and the brother and sister—who have a, shall we say, unusal relationship—he meets there. The sister is played by a young Eva Green, who did a ton of full-frontal nudity for the film.
This art drama, screened at the Cannes Film Festival, featured unsimulated sex acts (opens in new tab) performed by its leads, Kieran O'Brien and Margo Stilley, who play lovers that attend a lot of rock concerts and have a lot of intercourse.
Directed by Ang Lee, this erotic thriller follows a group of young Chinese women who use seduction to trap an ally of the Imperial Japanese Army so they can try to assassinate him. The movie actually received some criticism for its excessive nudity and graphic sex scenes, but Lee (and many critics) found both integral to the plot. Lust, Caution earned an NC-17 rating in the United States.
Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac , the third film in his "depression trilogy," features way more nudity than Antichrist and a lot of mainstream stars, including Stellan Skarsgard, Shia LaBeouf, Christian Slater, and Uma Thurman.
This movie won the hearts of critics and audiences alike, as well as the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Blue Is The Warmest Color follows the romance between two women and features several realistic love scenes in which the stars are fully nude.
Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

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