10. Mademoiselle (1966)

Keeping the dark, erotic atmosphere of Jean Genet’s original story, the film dives into the abyss of sexual perversion. The character of Mademoiselle is one of the few female characters with so many catastrophic tendencies linked to her sexual awakening. Mademoiselle is a vixen, a dangerous woman that will sacrifice anything on the altar of her sexual desire. 

9. Jamón, Jamón (1992)

This erotic melodrama by Bigas Luna is very entertaining if you see it as it was meant to be, a satirical take on the Spanish culture. The soap-opera inspired storytelling falls into almost surrealistic paths as it tries to incorporate its characters into the Spanish landscape and themes like class, lust, and culture. The women of Jamón, Jamón experience various and different situations regarding their sexuality in relation with their class and place in society. Silvia has learned from her mother that her sexuality can be a weapon, but she has been shamed for it by society and the men in her life and is looking for a man to protect her. Carmen finds empowerment in hers, but she also has suffered a lot because of it.

8. The Handmaiden (2016)

Park chan-wook has proven himself in the past as a very talented director and this beautifully shot psychological thriller has an erotic tale we do not see very often. The director films and builds the sexual tension of the female characters with logic and respect. In Japanese occupied Korea, Count Fujiwara plans to trick Lady Hideko into marrying him, commit her to an asylum and then steal her inheritance that is now being controlled by her strict uncle. To help him win Hideko’s trust he hires a poor pickpocket, Sook-hee to become her maid promising her a great deal of money. In the process the two women fall in love and manage to run away.

7. Nymphomaniac (2013)

A cold, hard take on a hurtful addiction, the film showcases how painful both physically and mentally a sexually-based addiction can be, contrary to popular belief. Much like most of Lars vonTrier’s filmography, it is debatable whether or not this movie is misogynistic and problematic. What’s undeniable is that it handles a subject regarding female sexuality that we do not see very often. Once again exploring the relationship between sexuality and a troubled mental state, Trier’s main character goes through life steadily losing herself as she searches deeper and deeper for a greater physical pleasure. The film offers an interesting depiction of how an unhealthy sexual life can progress into an illness.

6. Vive L’Amour (1994)

Tsai Ming-liang’s critically acclaimed art film deals with themes of loneliness, depression and urban alienation in a slow-paced and realistic way that instantly makes you connect with the characters. Their experiences in the loud, grey city are something most of the viewers know too well. Mei Lin’s sexuality is becoming one with the quick-paced city life. She is a modern day career woman, working all day, eating take out and only going home to sleep. Her sexual escapades must fit this schedule so she is led to one-night stands in the empty apartments she has to sell. She is in charge of her sexuality and her needs, but like all the other characters drowning in the big city, she is longing for some affection.

5. Turn Me On, Dammit! (2011)

Jannicke Systad Jacobsen’s first feature film is one of the few coming-of-age comedy films. With a funny and playful tone Alma is living her teenage life in a sexual frenzy, constantly having romantic and sexual fantasies. Her naivety and sexual inexperience can be found in those fantasies where nothing sexually explicit takes place since she is not quite sure what is supposed to happen. Soon enough, she will learn that her fantasies are very different from the raw reality of teenage hormones, where boys don’t confess their undying love like she thinks so.

4. Breaking The Waves (1996)

Lars von Trier is one of the most controversial directors and lots of his films could have made this list. His first film after founding Dogme 95, it faced many criticisms about whether or not he complies with the rules of the movement and if the self sacrifice of Bess is a misogynistic cliché decision. There are two things worth noticing in this film. Firstly, the portrayal of the church and religion in general and how it oppresses the villagers, especially the women, to live freely and express themselves. Secondly, the way Bess’ sexuality conflicts with her mental health. The thing she had just started to claim and enjoy will now be her downfall when she comes under the pressure of her husband on one hand and the pressure of the church on the other.

3. The Piano Teacher (2011)

Based on the novel of the same name by Elfriede Jelinek, Michael Haneke builds a very intriguing and complex character. Erika’s uptight upbringing, her controlling, strict mother and her studies in classical music have turned her into a cold, miserable woman. Her repression takes the form of sexual fetishes such as voyeurism, sexual self-mutilation and various sadomasochistic practises. Erika, played by Isabelle Huppert, is a middle-aged, sexually repressed piano teacher still living with her mother. The film’s storyline is so masterfully built that leaves the viewer wondering what’s true affection, what is a sexual game and what is pure abuse until the last minute.

2. Blue Is The Warmest Colour (2013)

Abdellatiff Kechiche’s film is both critically acclaimed and greatly criticised. It raises the question of how much of an honest film about two lesbians can a male director make. The long explicit erotic scenes also contributed to the controversy tangling between a pure and much needed realistic scene or a way to fulfill the fantasies of the male audience. At its core, Blue is the warmest colour is a film about love and heartbreak, situations everyone can relate to. Through the character of Adéle it is made clear that sexuality is not black and white. As a person grows older, they have to go through various states of minds, act on them and eventually grow. The road of sexual discovery is one of them and Adéle is called to act on this chapter of her life, face the consequences and eventually move on.

1. Belle de jour (1967)

Based on Joseph Kessel’s novel by the same name, Luis Buñuel attempts an exploration into the depths of female sexuality. The trope of the sexually repressed housewife that turns to prostitution is not something new. The distinctive style of Buñuel’s filmmaking that mixes fantasy with reality and that ambiguous ending is what makes this movie worth the while. Séverine, played by Catherine Deneuve, is a young housewife whose marriage lacks physical intimacy. Her sexual life consists mainly of fantasies about domination, sadomasochism and bondage. Séverine (Catherine Deneuve) is a young housewife whose marriage lacks physical intimacy. Her sexual life consists mainly of fantasies about domination, sadomasochism and bondage.