11 Sexy Movies On Netflix — With No Sex Scenes

As a sex-positive feminist who writes about film, I am not opposed to thoughtful, hot sex scenes in movies. Do I think that "love" scenes can get a little phony and unrealistic, at times? Of course. Was I a little disappointed to find out sex wasn't exactly like the pottery wheel scene in Ghost ? Yeah, that was a total drag. Did that rainy scene from The Notebook make me a little antsy the first time I watched it? You bet. Yet while there are certainly issues regarding sex in film, I do appreciate how movies can begin conversations about gettin' it on while making a variety of sexual identities visible.

Sex should be a healthy, pleasurable aspect of people's lives; why should we leave our movie characters out of the equation? Hollywood is improving its record when it comes to feminist sex scenes, but part of me wonders if a truly feminist film has to have blatant depictions of sexuality in it. There's often a fine line between sexy and sexist, but there's also a short distance between sex-less and sexist. Some movies, though, show that it's possible for a film to be steamy without wrinkled sheets. Surprisingly, these 11 sexy films on Netflix don't actually feature a single sex scene.

1. Jane Eyre

The 2011 retelling of this gothic romance stars Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska as the complicated characters at the center. Throughout the film, there are religious nuts, delayed kisses, moments of deceit, marriage proposals, and all of the eerie elements you'd expect from a Brontë adaptation, creating a rich environment for the relationship between Jane and Rochester to unfold.

2. Grease 2

Real talk: this is a movie so bad it's good. A lot of talk with no action, the film stars a young, leather-clad Michelle Pfeiffer and is full of truly odd musical numbers, including one about birds, bees, and pollen, and another where bowling gets tossed around as a metaphor for sex. Frenchie also makes a super weird appearance as a beauty school dropout who actually does go back to high school. I find this movie sexy as it sloppily tries to be explicit and "family-friendly" at the same time; it's the screen equivalent of awkward heavy petting, but it has a sense of humor.

3. Pride And Prejudice

While I'm reluctant to praise this story's "he's mean to you because he likes you" plot line, I also have to admit Mr. Darcy made me swoon as a 16-year-old. The scene where he and Elizabeth Bennett dance around a crowded ballroom and lose track of everyone else still makes me mushy. So much rain. So much self-control. So much brooding. *sigh*

4. Roman Holiday

I mean, come on, it's Gregory "No Nonsense" Peck and Audrey "Yes Nonsense" Hepburn on a freakin' Vespa. It's adorable and romantic.

5. 9 To 5

What's sexier than Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, and Lily Tomlin getting high and exacting revenge on their misogynist boss? Nothing, that's what.

6. A League Of Their Own

Another moment of real talk: Long before I came out as queer, A League Of Their Own was one of the first "confusing" movies I ever encountered. Geena Davis' character is a total fox. She's so tall, she's so strong, she looks so cool in her pink uniform, she's covered in grass stains — I didn't know if I wanted to be her or make out with her. I still don't really know.

7. Three Coins In The Fountain

Forget Crossroads — This sweet movie from 1954 tells the story of Anita, Frances, and Maria, three new friends who take their messy love lives all over post-war Italy. Gorgeously filmed in CinemaScope, "Coins" makes the scenery a fourth character in the narrative. While there's no sex, there's plenty of eye candy, whether it's Louis Jordan or the architecture.

8. Good Will Hunting

While Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote in a gay sex scene between two professors to test whether or not studios actually read their script, the finished product is purely sensual. I do appreciate how Minnie Driver's character has plenty of agency in the film, and isn't there simply as an extra body on screen. How do you like them apples?

9. Frances Ha

On the lack of sex in this film, star Greta Gerwig told The Independent in 2013,

We're not saying that everyone needs to be celibate, but you don't need a romance to complete a story about a woman...The threat of sex is there all the time, but she doesn't ever [have sex]. I might change, but I'm not really interested in love and sex in films right now. I think it's pretty well covered.

*drops mic*

10. Chocolat

Admission: I watched this one again the other night and found some very fleeting hints of sex. But, since this movie is one of the few PG-13-rated ones I was allowed to watch when I was a kid, I'm including it. If my parents approved, there must be a lot of talk and no action.

11. Strictly Ballroom

The debut film by Baz Luhrmann, Ballroom is a joyful mess of dancing, one-liners, and glittering costumes. I consider it one of the best '90s romcoms. Like many romances, however, the story almost hinges on the tired "take off your glasses" trope, where the female character removes her eyewear, straightens her hair, and suddenly becomes a regulation hottie (I see you, The Princess Diaries). But Ballroom stops short of this sexist B.S. and allows each main character their complications and histories. 10/10!

Now, if you don't mind, I have some streaming to do.