13 most sensual films

Sensual is often the inexplicable -- a certain gratification of the senses that eludes definition or needs justifications. It could be a simple assortment of silk sheets, bare backs and a trail of roses. Or it could be the war-ravaged Hiroshima, reliving itself in the last embrace of two cosmopolitan lovers. It is the promise of something more, always something more; an engulfing, maddening sense of anticipation; or the good old time grinding to a halt, having been finally brought to its knees.

In no particular order, here are the 13 most sensual films –


The Virgin Suicides (1999)

A group of male friends become obsessed with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents in suburban Detroit in the mid 1970s.




Belle de jour (1967)

A frigid young housewife, played by Catherine Deneuve, decides to spend her midweek afternoons as a prostitute, while remaining chaste in her marriage.




A Summer’s Tale (1996)

A shy math graduate takes a holiday in Dinard before starting his first job. He hopes his girlfriend will join him, but soon strikes up a friendship with another girl working in town. She in turn introduces him to another young woman who fancies him. Thus, the quiet young lad finds himself having to do some tricky juggling in a territory completely new to him.




Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)

Directed by Steven Sodenbergh, the film follows a sexually repressed woman's husband, who is having an affair with her sister. The arrival of a visitor with a rather unusual fetish changes everything.




9+1⁄2 Weeks (1986)

Starring Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke, the film revolves around a woman who becomes involved with a man she barely knows. Complications develop during their sexual escapades.




Mulholland Dr (2001)

After a car wreck on the winding Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a perky Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality.




In the mood for love (2000)

Two neighbors form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.




Blue is the Warmest Color (2013)

Adèle's life is changed when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who will allow her to discover desire and to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adèle grows, seeks herself, loses herself, and ultimately finds herself through love and loss.




Moonlight (2016)

A young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.



Hiroshima mon amour (1959)

A French actress filming an anti-war film in Hiroshima has an affair with a married Japanese architect as they share their differing perspectives on war.




The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

Photographer Robert Kincaid wanders into the life of housewife Francesca Johnson for four days in the 1960s.Directed by Clint Eastwood, the film stars Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep in the lead roles.



Secretary (2002)

A young woman, recently released from a mental hospital, gets a job as a secretary to a demanding lawyer, where their employer-employee relationship turns into a sexual, sadomasochistic one.




Lovesong (2016)

Neglected by her husband, Sarah embarks on an impromptu road trip with her young daughter and her best friend, Mindy. Along the way, the dynamic between the two friends intensifies before circumstances force them apart. Years later, Sarah attempts to rebuild their intimate connection in the days before Mindy's wedding.