21 Movie Sex Scenes That Are Permanently Burned Into People's Memories

Crystal Ro
·4-min read

Recently, Reddit user KnewMedalPhan asked the question, "What Movie Sex Scenes Are Etched Into Your Mind Permanently?" Here's how the folks over at r/movies responded. And, fair warning, you might wanna put your headphones on for this.

1.Mulholland Drive (2001) — "RIP to David Lynch. I will NEVER forget being like 12 and just flipping through channels with my mom. Stumbled upon that film RIGHT before the first lesbian scene. I was absolutely mesmerized but was also trying to fumble for the remote to turn the movie off. My mom (who ALWAYS jokingly gave me a hard time about that kind of thing) quipped as I frantically shut the TV off, saying I must have been enjoying it. She wasn't wrong. I'm still so captivated by that whole scene and having the movie's full context later. It's so beautiful."

Two women are kissing closely in an intimate scene

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2.Starship Troopers (1997) — "Mobile infantry (and Dina Myers) made me the man I am today!"

Two people embrace and kiss passionately in a dimly lit room

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3.Desperado (1995) — "Antonio Bandaras and Salma Hayek. Man, when she flips rear cowgirl for the camera…my god!"

A dimly lit scene with two people embracing in a room surrounded by numerous lit candles

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4.Wild Things (1998) — "The alt girl and the popular girl getting together and releasing the ultimate fantasy."

Three people are standing closely indoors; two women and one man are engaged in an intense conversation

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5.Team America: World Police (2004) — "Top three of the most fucked up puppet sex scenes I have ever seen."

Animated puppet lying on a bed with a surprised expression, featured in a comedic scene from a movie

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6.Requiem for a Dream (2000) — "The very first one I thought of because it didn’t ask which movie sex scene was etched 'positively' into your mind."

A young person with wet skin gazes upward, appearing intense and focused. Hair is pulled back slightly, with some strands loose

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7.Showgirls (1995) — "In the pool with 'Jessie' from Saved by the Bell."

Two people in a swimming pool, embracing in a series of scenes from a movie, with water splashing around them

8.Unfaithful (2002) — "The hallway sex scene."

A scene from a movie shows a dramatic moment with a man pinning a woman against a wall in a hallway

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9.Enemy at the Gates (2001) — "One of the most visceral, down and dirty, human scenes out there."

Two people embracing closely, with hands appearing near a partially open jacket, suggesting an intimate scene

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10.MacGruber (2010) — "One of the most cringey sex scenes with Vicki St. James, only to be topped like a minute later by the sex scene with the ghost of his dead wife. Then when you see it from the perspective of the graveyard’s groundskeeper and he’s just bare-assed humping the air…LOL."

A man and woman lie on a bed in an intimate scene, softly lit. The setting is a dimly lit room with curtains and candles in the background

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11.Atonement (2007) — "In the library. It was so hot it was uncomfortable to watch in the theater. It was like watching porn with strangers."

Two people in formal attire share an intimate moment in a dimly lit library with shelves of books

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12.True Lies (1994) — "Not a sex scene per se, but the strip tease is forever etched into my mind."

Person in a dimly lit room adjusting a strappy outfit, standing near a cozy, fire-lit living room

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13.Watchmen (2009) — "I believe the flamethrower was canon in the comics. Pairing it with 'Hallelujah' was…a choice."

Three movie stills: a couple in an intimate moment; close-up of a woman's face in distress; a futuristic vehicle emitting flames
Warner Bros. / Via HBO Max

14.Monster's Ball (2001) — "A coworker and I would always say, 'Make me feel good...make me feel good, Billy Bob, you son of a bitch!,' to crack each other up."

Two people sit closely on a couch in a cozy room, engaged in a serious conversation
Lions Gate Films / Via Lions Gate Films

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15.Secretary (2002) — "Housewives thinking Fifty Shades is hot when this came out 13 years earlier and has James Spader."

A man in a suit prepares to spank a woman bent over a desk in an office setting

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16.American Psycho (2000) — "'Don't just stare at it. Eat it!' American Psycho was the first time I saw a sex scene in a real movie that made me burst out laughing."

Two women in a minimalistic bedroom scene, one seated looking down and the other standing in lingerie, suggesting a dramatic narrative moment
Lionsgate Films / Via youtube.com

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17.The Room (2003) — "You are my rose, you are my rose, you are my rose…"

A suggestive collage of intimate scenes between a couple, partially under sheets

18.Crank (2006) — "Sex in public, God that was hilarious."

Two people are on the ground in an intense moment from a movie scene. The man is wearing a track jacket. Crowd is visible in the background

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19.Cruel Intentions (1999) — "Sarah Michelle Gellar saying, 'You can put it anywhere' while sticking her butt out was better than any sex scene in that movie."

Actor in a 90s movie scene, lounging on a bed with draped fabric, looking intensely at the camera. Luxurious setting with soft lighting

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20.Y Tu Mamá También (2001) — "It was a formative viewing experience."

A dimly lit rustic room with three shirtless individuals engaged in an intense, emotional moment

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21.Finally, Titanic (1997) — "It may be a cliché one, but it was the first one I remember. Didn’t expect it because I was in it for the boat. Instead, I learned that I like both men and women from it. Leo and Kate did something to me, man."

A romantic, cinematic scene showing a close-up of a hand on a fogged-up window and a couple about to kiss, suggestive of an intimate moment
Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com

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Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

What about you? Is there a movie sex scene that's permanently "burned" into your memory? Tell us about it below or via this totally anonymous form!