9 scary-but-sexy films you can stream right now

Warning: Some super light spoilers lie ahead.

As any decent witch will tell you, spooky and sexy are not mutually exclusive.

The horror industry is a beast with as many subgenres as Medusa has heads. You can go gothic or slasher, found footage or torture porn, classic monster or heady nightmare—the possibilities are practically endless. 

But some horror fans’ needs are a little trickier to hunt down than others’. For example, what if you want to watch something that’s just a little… sexy? No, not full-blown horror erotica. Just a regular scary flick with some racy elements. Where do you find something so specific?

Turns out, right here! 

After combing through dozens of horror films available to stream this October, we have rounded up nine of the most swoon-worthy. Then we picked each film’s steamiest scene so you know what to look out for. 

You’re welcome, gorgeous ghoul. Now entering a judgment-free zone.

1. Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Vampire films are always a little sexy. Interview with the Vampire is the sexiest of the sexy. The erotic tension between Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt is electric. I ask, once again, how have these two not starred in a romcom yet? Tom. Brad. Do it for the fans.

Steamiest scene: Lestat turning Louis into a vampire is… everything. Menacing and horrific, but also intensely sensual? Such perfect jawlines in such close proximity.

Interview with the Vampire is available to stream on Netflix.

2. Blue Velvet (1986)

If David Lynch is the master of combining sexy and scary, then Blue Velvet is his greatest triumph. 

From Laura Dern monologuing about birds to Dennis Hopper crying like a baby, the various character portrayals of Blue Velvet do not seem like they could possibly come from the same movie. But they do. 

This infamous Lynch nightmare brought to life will leave you deeply unsettled and permanently unnerved. Especially when it comes to sex.

Steamiest scene: Dorothy Vallens having sex with the stranger she finds hiding in her closet is strange, to say the least. But… it works?

Blue Velvet is available to stream with Prime Video.

3. Silence of the Lambs (1991)

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Hannibal Lecter is a snack. 

In Silence of the Lambs, the undeniable sex appeal of cinema’s favorite cannibal shines in each scene he graces. Calculated cunning matched with an insatiable appetite for human terror is the perfect recipe for a horror heartthrob, after all.

Plus, Jodi Foster’s reactions as Clarice Starling are so relatable that Silence of the Lambs is basically an episode of The Bachelor. You can almost picture being there…

Steamiest scene: The iconic introductory exchange between Dr. Lecter and Agent Starling is head and shoulders above the typical romcom meet cute. (Bad choice of words?)

Silence of the Lambs is available to stream on HBO Now.

4. It Follows (2014)

A deathly curse that can only be passed on to a new victim through sexual intercourse. It’s a pretty stupid premise. Somehow, creator David Robert Mitchell managed to produce a startlingly compelling film from it. 

Maika Monroe stars as Jay, a college student with a new (and notably creepy) boyfriend, Hugh. As you might imagine, things go downhill from there. 

Steamiest scene: When Jay and Hugh first sleep together in the back of his car, their relationship has kind of a demonic Riverdale vibe to it—a little innocent, a little sultry with moody lighting. If only it could have lasted.

It Follows is available to stream on Netflix. 

5. Obsessed (2009)

I’m not going to lie to you. Obsessed is a cheap Fatal Attraction knockoff. (Ali Larter, tragically, cannot hold a candle to Glenn Close and the scripting/storyline feels so “been there, done that” it’s mind-numbing.) Yes, this movie is bad.

However, any film featuring Idris Elba and Beyoncé taking some adult nap time is worth watching. I mean, these two perfect specimens as a married couple? Sign me everyone up.

Steamiest scene: Any scene Beyoncé is in. In any movie. Ever. Discussion over.

Obsessed is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

6. Antichrist (2009)

Lars von Trier films are rarely for the faint of heart—and this movie is certainly no exception. One part marital conflict and two parts otherworldly nightmare, Antichrist tells the story of a grieving couple struggling to cope with the loss of their infant son.

When it comes to sexy times, your mileage may vary on this one, in a big way. Some scenes are deeply passionate, others are pure torture, and plenty are both.

Steamiest scene: The sex on top of the roots of a tree scene (as pictured on the film’s poster) is as advertised. Proceed with caution.

Antichrist is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

7. Gerald’s Game (2017)

Stephen King’s meditation on overcoming abuse is hidden within a fairly simple premise. When married couple, Jessie and Gerald, get away to the family cabin for a weekend, they start in on some light, consensual BDSM. When Gerald dies of a heart attack mid-foreplay, Jessie is left isolated and handcuffed to the bed. 

Jessie’s following fight for survival is a psychological tour de force and one of King’s most underrated character studies.

Steamiest scene: The very beginning of the sexual encounter between Jessie and Gerald. After that, things sour very quickly.

Gerald’s Game is available to stream on Netflix. 

8. Nightcrawler (2014)

What can I say? I love a man who’s motivated! 

Starring as an overly-ambitious videographer who tampers with crime scenes, Jake Gyllenhaal is definitely more creepy than charming as Nightcrawler‘s Lou Bloom. And yet, his relationship with news director, Nina Romina—played by Rene Russo—has a persistently sultry quality. 

Yes, he ultimately pressures her into a kind of low-level sex work and is the worst sort of IRL bad guy. But Lou and Nina’s dog-eat-dog relationship remains flirty for enough of the film that it might make you look twice. 

Steamiest scene: Nothing says “meet cute” like asking a woman to get Mexican food with you while she points out blood stains on your shirt.

Nightcrawler is available to stream with Prime Video.

9. Jawbreaker (1999)

When it comes to high school cliques/murder group projects, you can’t go wrong with Jawbreaker. Featuring a Charmed-era Rose McGowan, this story of three girls “accidentally” suffocating their best friend and then doing a makeover to cover up their crime is a cult classic with lots of seductive style. 

Not to mention, it popularized the song “Yoohoo” by Imperial Teen with a completely bananas, Jawbreaker-themed music video. Basically a poppy fever dream.

Steamiest scene: The Courtney Shane popsicle sequence is what it is. But my personal favorite moment is when the newly-crowned Vylette dances on the hood of her similarly new convertible. It’s a classic high school fantasy paired with the most stunning ’90s blonde short cut. What’s not to love?

Jawbreaker is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.