15 Best Movies About BDSM That You Should Watching Update 04/2024

Movies About BDSM

In order to spice up your movie night, there are lots of options available that will have you gasping along with the characters on the screen as you watch the film. More and more moviegoers are clamoring for BDSM-themed pictures as a result of the massive success of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy.

If you’re looking for movies on bondage, dominance, submission, sadism and masochism, you may be surprised to learn that the BDSM umbrella covers a vast range of genres.

This is the ideal method of getting into the mood for any kind of sexual activity, whether you’re seeking to spend the night alone with a lover or you’re going out with your sex toys. BDSM movies range from love triangles to emotional romances with lots of chains and whips thrown in for good measure.

1. The Fifty Shades Trilogy

The Fifty Shades Trilogy

Although Ana and Christian’s love story may not have been the most realistic representation of a BDSM relationship, it piqued the interest of mainstream audiences in the way of life. Scenes from shower sex to bondage to Ben Wa balls will always be rent free in my head. No matter how many times you see it, the soundtrack never gets old and the chemistry between the leads never fades.

2. Belle de Jour

As one of Luis Buuel’s most influential works, Belle de Jour will not only make you feel passionate, but it will also make you feel educated. Catherine Deneuve stars as Séverine Serizy, a married woman who longs for a more adventurous sex life. So what exactly does she do? Her existence as a sex worker begins when she meets the madam of a high-class brothel. In the absence of her husband, Séverine explores the world of bondage and control with persons who are not her partner.

3. 9 1/2 Weeks

9 1/2 Weeks

Welcome to one of cinema’s most enduring portraits of sexual compulsion. In this 1980s romantic comedy starring Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger, a Wall Street trader and an art gallery owner form an instant bond that gradually escalates into something more emotional and sexual. Power and control, food play, public masturbation, learning to set one’s personal boundaries, and more are all discussed in the film. There is also the retro look that will definitely get you moving if that doesn’t do the trick.

4. The Secretary

There was a Mr. Grey before Christian Grey and the red room of torment whose BDSM ambitions were even more defined. The Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader starrer from 2002 was one of the first major films to showcase the lifestyle to the general public. The Secretary has a unique combination of humor and sexiness that sets it apart from other comedies. Many of the other films on this list are more serious, but this steamy classic will have you giggling between your orgasms as it depicts sadomasochistic practices.

5. Venus In Fur

When it comes to a movie that begs to be spoken about, Roman Polanski’s Venus In Fur is hard to beat. French erotic drama based on Tony Award-winning play about a writer/director named Thomas who is casting the lead character in his forthcoming play about sexual dominance and submission. Released in 2013, the film is rated R (for explicit sexual content). At the last minute, an actress named Vanda Jordan shows up on the scene and immediately starts trying to persuade Thomas to hire her. The two play out numerous sexual scenarios from the play while fighting about BDSM. In case you needed more convincing, it’s funny, empowering, and sensual all at the same time.

6. The Notorious Bettie Page

The Notorious Bettie Page

Without the 2005 biographical drama about Bettie Page, the infamous pin-up model, a BDSM movie list would be incomplete. It’s intriguing to learn about the real-life adventures of the model who popularized BDSM with her iconic pictures (in which she posed as both a dominatrix doling out punishment and a submissive receiving it). After witnessing Gretchen Mol teasing the crowds, you’ll definitely have a crush on her.

7. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant is a visually striking and sexually enticing story about a lesbian love triangle. There’s a passionate encounter between three ladies, one of whom is a well-known fashion designer, that takes place entirely in von Kant’s art-filled flat. Female actors portray cruel and submissive expressions while also examining the complexity of human sexuality. And the fact that the sexual tension is actually felt throughout only adds to the entertainment value.

8. A Dangerous Method

Spanking? Is this a match made in heaven? Keira Knightley in a period gown from the nineteenth century? It’s time to double-check. It’s set during World War I, and Knightly stars as an aspiring student of Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender). When Jung’s friend, Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen), gave him the go-ahead, he embarked on an affair with his student to learn about human sexuality from a very hands-on perspective. It’s hard to find a better spanking than this, to be honest.

9. The Piano Teacher

The Piano Teacher

For those who can’t handle bloodshed, this might not be the movie for you. It isn’t a light-hearted romp. With her 40-year-old mother as her only confidante, Erika Kohut (Isabelle Huppert) suffers from voyeurism and masochism in her home life. Walter (Benoît Magimel) is a younger man who meets Erika during a piano recital and they begin an affair to fulfill Erika’s sexual desires. However, even though the movie is really disturbing, it sheds new light on sexual oppression that you’ve never seen before.

10. Basic Instinct

Most likely, you’ve heard of the racy 1992 film Basic Instinct, which stunned audiences with its infamous “open leg sequence,” but the seductiveness of this film is not limited to Sharon Stone’s vag shot. As a bisexual author suspected of murdering her boyfriend, Stone (Michael Douglas) seduces Nick (Michael Douglas) and the two embark on a sexually intense affair that is full of mind tricks and bondage. Basic Instinct is about to become your new favorite movie if you enjoy thrillers and seeing beautiful people fight it out on screen.

11. The Story of O

Yes, another French film has made the cut, proving once again that the country has a deep understanding of the erotica genre. A woman (Corinne Clery) known only as “O” is taken to a French country château by her boyfriend in this 1975 film. However, this is not a romantic getaway for two people… In this civilization, sexual fetishists and fetishists are celebrated and encouraged. There, O is taught the ins and outs of bondage and sadomasochism as a submissive.

12. Nymphomaniac

Nymphomaniac

Lars von Trier’s two-part film follows a self-described sex addict as she describes her sexual excursions and experiences throughout her life up close and personal. The star-studded films feature actors like Charlotte Gainsbourg, Shia LaBeouf, Christian Slater, Uma Thurman, and Willem Dafoe (just to name a few) and offer a raw (and very explicit) look at someone who is involved in BDSM (just to name a few). They’re both available on Amazon and make for a sensual two-fer.

13. The Duke of Burgundy

The Duke of Burgundy is, in my opinion, the most BDSM film ever made. This year’s film follows Cynthia and Evelyn, a dom and sub couple, as they try to satisfy each other’s sexual desires. Evelyn, who cleans the house and acts like a maid, wants more punishment, whilst Cynthia wants to relax. You’ll be tempted to run out and buy a new pair of knee-high boots after watching this sexual clip, which features a female dominator (unusual in this genre).

14. Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

To see Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! is enough of a cause in and of itself, but after seeing Antonio Banderas tie up the woman he believes to be his true love, you’ll be feeling the heat. Marina (Victoria Abril) is his genuine love, but she doesn’t feel the same way. Even though the film touches on a wide range of topics, it manages to generate a lighthearted and filthy comedy.

15. Quills

We have a soft spot for historical fiction. Add in some Kate Winslet from the early 2000s and you’ve got yourself a must-see. Even if you don’t expect the fictionalized account of the life of sexual deviant Marquis de Sade to be extremely sensuous, it is. With its setting in a mental institution, the film tackles a wide range of issues, including sexual orientation, mental illness, religious tolerance, and censorship. In addition, just looking at the cast members is enough to make you swoon. Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Caine and Geoffrey Rush join Winslet in creating the seductive, terrifying, and spell-binding film that you didn’t realize your fantasies were lacking.