Fans of the erotic thriller genre are likely already familiar with the hit Netflix original film 365 Days. The Polish film has become extremely popular with audiences since releasing back in 2020, despite negative critcal reception. 365 Days earned a spot as one of Netflix’s most watched romance films. Worldwide, audiences flock to the high-octane sexual sequences and fascinating insight into Europe’s criminal underworld. If you enjoyed 365 Days, and want to catch more titillating films that occupy this niche, fruitlessly searching through an endless streaming library of boring rom-coms, toothless date flicks, and family-friendly marriage stories may leave you wanting.
Luckily, we’ve got your back, with a list of highly controversial erotic thrillers sure to leave you wanting more. While the following films range from artsy black-and-white relationship dramas to salacious and explicit foreign films, one thing they all have in common is a highly polarizing audience appeal. Without any further preamble, here are 8 movies like 365 Days that you can check out today.
Gone Girl (2014)
Critically acclaimed psychological thriller Gone Girl arrives at the top of our list. Written by Gillian Flynn and directed by auteur filmmaker David Fincher, it’s considered more accessible and mainstream than 365 days. Still, Gone Girl offers a similar blend of crime, mystique, sexual exploits, and controversial themes of gender-based power dynamics. The film, starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, and Neil Patrick Harris, centers on the mysterious disappearance of a married woman named Amy. The police find evidence suggesting that her husband Nick killed her and disposed of her body. The actual story of her disappearance, however, is far more captivating.
Though sex is a major aspect of Gone Girl, the scenes which depict it are decidedly less erotic and sensual than those in 365 Days. Gone Girl offers controversial and polarizing displays of women’s empowerment in a psychological and sexual context. In this way, it becomes a foil to the Polish film. Filmgoers looking for a mind-bending exploration of sex, relationships, and the human psyche will love this classic.
Cruel Intentions (1999)
For those interested in something a little less modern, another movie like 365 Days is 1999’s Cruel Intentions. The film, a modern retelling of a French novel from the 18th century, has gone down in history as a classic for its stellar performances, fascinating plot, and intense romantic themes. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, and Selma Blair, Cruel Intentions centers on a pair of wealthy teenagers who formulate a disturbing plot to corrupt a classmate who plans to save herself for marriage. This intense drama offers a wide array of taboo relationships, especially for the underaged characters. Ultimately, the film culminates in a cinematic exploration of honesty, power, love, and sex.
Cruel Intentions is currently streaming for free on Amazon Prime Video. Fans of 365 Days‘ themes of sex and corruption that didn’t gravitate to the crime syndicate plot may find a new favorite in Cruel Intentions.
X (2022)
If you’re at all familiar with the rising young star Mia Goth, you’ve likely heard of her front-and-center placement in Ti West’s X trilogy. The films, which include X, Pearl, and the recently released Maxxxine, each offer their own twist on the thriller genre. In X specifically, themes of love, lust, envy, and aging provide a cinematic backdrop for a group of young adults who rent out a guest house on a farm with the intention of shooting a pornographic film. When the elderly couple who own the farm catch wind of the kids’ intentions, they have wildly different reactions. The result? A pseudo slasher flick with some intensely graphic sexual encounters.
This film is a modern classic, harkening back to time-tested movies like Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Film buffs will recognize callbacks to numerous sexploitation flicks of the mid 20th century. Fans of horror, erotic thrillers, and slashers alike have rallied behind the 2022 release, culminating in a staggering 94 percent certified fresh critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Today, the film streams through Fubo TV, and is available for rent on digital outlets like Amazon and YouTube.
Fifty Shades Trilogy (2015-2018)
When it comes to the erotic thriller genre, you can’t get much bigger than the Fifty Shades trilogy. The book-turned-film series spans three films over the course of 2015 to 2018. The movies, Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed, are not only some of the most popular outings within the niche, but also largely credited for influencing the production of 365 Days. Each movie follows the serialized journey of literature student Anastasia “Ana” Steele as she embarks upon a sexual relationship with wealthy business magnate and BDSM enthusiast Christian Grey.
Like 365 Days, the Fifty Shades films failed to strike a chord with critics. That said, all three films maintain massive audience acclaim, having taken in over $1.3 billion at the global box office. One of the biggest R rated releases of all time, the erotic franchise made Madame Web‘s Dakota Johnson a household name. Fifty Shades of Grey is available to stream on Netflix. The two follow-up films, though, are only available to rent via digital retailers. If 365 Days scratched your itch for deep sensual relationship building, these films are a must-see.
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Fatal Attraction is another classic romance film with a dire dramatic twist that will leave your psyche reeling. Legendary filmmaker Adrian Lyne directs this 1987 classic, having helmed such movies as Jacob’s Ladder, Flashdance, Indecent Proposal, and one highly controversial film that appears later on this very list. Fatal Attraction stars Michael Douglas as Dan, a wealthy Manhattan lawyer who engages in an extramarital affair while his wife and young daughter are out of town. The other woman, Glenn Close’s Alex, seems to understand the nature of this fling at first, though her behavior becomes more and more unhinged as she attempts to manipulate Dan into spending more time with him.
Over the course of this psychological thriller, Alex goes from a seductive temptress to a psychotic manipulator, and even threatens to harm Dan’s family if she doesn’t get her way. Fans of 365 Days will likely agree that the steamy affair and the criminal conspiracy that follows make for one of the most fascinating film plots of the 20th century. The film is currently streaming for free on Pluto TV, and even spawned a Paramount+ original series adaptation in 2023.
Malcolm And Marie (2021)
Sam Levinson writes and directs Netflix’s original, tense erotic thriller Malcolm and Marie. Viewers may recognize Levinson from such controversial HBO series’ as Euphoria and The Idol. The film relies on minimalism. It is shot in black and white with incredible stylistic camera work, takes place a single location, and features performances from two actors. Tenet‘s John David Washington and Dune: Part Two‘s Zendaya bring the eponymous couple to life in this gripping film. The couple transitions seamlessly from a massive blow-out fight to passionate bouts of lovemaking, and back into a relationship-defining argument.
Fans who flocked to 365 Days for the criminal underground sub-plot may not find the same intrigue in this film. However, some of the high-wire discussion and rage-induced actions presented by Malcolm and Marie constitute a criminal undercurrent of borderline abuse. The relationship is not designed to be glorified. Instead, it offers a window into an incredibly intense fling that may or may not survive beyond the closing credits. If you’ve ever been in a toxic but passionate relationship before, you may relate heavily to this intense romantic drama. Note: don’t text your ex after watching this film, no matter how tempting — that only leads to further poor decisions.
Lolita (1997)
As we previously alluded above, Adrian Lyne directs two films on this list – the second being 1997’s Lolita. The film adapts the 1955 novel of the same name for the big screen. It’s widely regarded as one of the most controversial movies of its time, due to its incredibly sensitive subject matter. Lolita centers on a middle-aged college professor with a sexual and romantic attraction to underaged girls. In the film, he lusts after Dolores, his 12-year-old stepdaughter, nicknaming her Lolita. This movie has been the subject of scrutiny and think-pieces for years. Consumers and scholars alike argue as to whether the text glorifies or condemns sexual relationships between adults and minors. The film is so synonymous with inappropriate relationships that an entire sub-genre of anime series’ has been nicknamed after it.
Any way you slice it, this film’s design aims for discomfort. Excersize caution before checking it out. Still, the film seems like a no-brainer for fans of 365 Days. It includes intense forbidden romance, crime, and fascinating but taboo dynamics between each character. If you’re interested in catching Lolita today, the classic 1997 movie streams for free on Tubi.
Climax (2018)
Writer/director Gaspar Noé would almost certainly object to his 2018 movie Climax being compared to 365 Days. The visionary filmmaker has been a vocal critic of the film since its release and subsequent rise to popularity. According to a 2023 write-up in Far Out Magazine, Noé referred to 365 Days as “That very stupid Polish movie that was number one.” He continued to speculate that the film was only popular with audiences because “people need to masturbate. They have a penis or… the other way around. They just need to play with their toys.”
Despite his scathing critique, Noé’s 2018 effort bares a striking thematic resemblance to the popular Netflix original. This film is best experienced without knowing much about the actual plot. It may be tempting, but try not to Google it before pulling it up on The Roku Channel. If you liked 365 Days and don’t mind trading some of the more straightforward elements of the film for hyper-artsy filmmaking techniques, including a one-take shot that lasts longer than most episodes of network television, dive into Climax today.
