20 highest-grossing R-rated erotic dramas of all time

Ready to turn up the heat? See where "Fifty Shades of Grey" and other spicy R-rated dramas rank at the domestic box office.

and Kevin Jacobsen

Updated on April 14, 2023 01:24PM EDT

erotic dramas — Dakota Johnson in 'Fifty Shades of Grey'; Michael Douglas in 'Fatal Attraction'; Matt Damon in 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'. Photo:
Chuck Zlotnick/Focus Features/Everett; Paramount/Everett; Miramax/Everett

Well before Fifty Shades of Grey — the hot-and-heavy book-to-film franchise about sadist Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and submissive Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) — had everyone tied up in knots, Hollywood was quickly pumping out erotic dramas before you could even say a safe word. Once the success of Fatal Attraction (1987) thrust this subgenre into the mainstream, these risqué flicks became U.S. box office darlings, raking in anywhere from $30 million to more than $100 million. But as the '90s waned and the internet took over, the thirst for these soft-core sensations mostly dried up. Despite the changing tides, though, they still managed to get breaths hitching and wallets opening.

Read below to see which erotic dramas brought in the big bucks at the box office.

20. Sliver (1993)

9. Sliver (1993) — Suzanne Tenner

Sharon Stone reteamed with Basic Instinct screenwriter Joe Eszterhas in this erotic thriller in which Stone stars as a tenant in a New York City high-rise where the previous occupant of her apartment died under suspicious circumstances. She begins liaisons with two of her neighbors, who arouse her suspicions that they may have been involved in the prior tenant's demise. The Phillip Noyce-directed film suffered from studio-sanctioned rewrites after it earned an NC-17 rating and ended up largely panned by critics. It wound up grossing over $36 million — but also landed seven Razzie nominations.

19. Jagged Edge (1985)

Highest-grossing erotic dramas — Everett Collection

Tenacious lawyer Teddy Barnes (Glenn Close) takes on a client (Jeff Bridges) accused of murdering his socialite wife — only to find herself attracted to him. The film, which earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for Robert Loggia and served as a precursor to Close's unforgettable turn in Fatal Attraction, collected over $40 million at the domestic box office.

18. Malice (1993)

Highest-grossing erotic dramas — Everett Collection

Newlywed couple Andy (Bill Pullman) and Tracy (Nicole Kidman) intend to have children, but things become complicated with the arrival of a surgeon with a God complex (Alec Baldwin), to whom they are renting out a part of their Victorian home. Malice took in $46 million at the box office.

17. Single White Female (1992)

Highest-grossing erotic dramas — Everett Collection

A yuppie woman (Bridget Fonda) seeking a roommate finds way more than she bargained for when her new roomie (Jennifer Jason Leigh) becomes a little too obsessed with her. Leigh's committed performance earned her the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain, while the film earned $48 million.

16. Tightrope (1984)

Highest-grossing erotic dramas — Everett Collection

The line between sex and violence is blurred in this neo-noir thriller about a detective (Clint Eastwood) investigating the murder of multiple sex workers, including one with whom he was intimately involved. Along the way, he gets into a relationship with a rape prevention counselor (Geneviève Bujold). The film scored $48 million in theaters.

15. Unfaithful (2002)

8. Unfaithful (2002) — Barry Wetcher

Diane Lane stars opposite Richard Gere and Olivier Martinez in this sexy thriller about a seemingly happy married woman who begins a torrid affair with a stranger she meets in the streets of New York. Lane earned an Oscar nomination and the film collected about $53 million at the box office.

14. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

7. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) — Warner Bros.

Stanley Kubrick's final film stars Tom Cruise and then-wife Nicole Kidman as a wealthy New York couple whose loyalties are tested during a series of sexual events. His jealousy is piqued when she admits to fantasizing about a stranger and he watches someone else try to pick her up at a party — leading him to his own night of illicit sexual exploration that culminates in a members-only ritualistic orgy that may or may not be linked to murder. As baffling as it is titillating, the erotic thriller earned $56 million at the box office.

13. Unlawful Entry (1992)

Highest-grossing erotic dramas — Everett Collection

Following a home invasion, a couple (Kurt Russell and Madeleine Stowe) express their gratitude to a police officer (Ray Liotta) with a dinner invite. This $57-million earner spirals into a dangerous situation when the cop becomes obsessed with the wife.

12. Sea of Love (1989)

6. Sea of Love (1989) — Everett Collection

Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin star in this well-reviewed New York thriller centered on a cop hunting a serial killer who scouts his victims in the singles column of a newspaper. The film provided a solid showcase for Barkin's sex appeal, and the heat of her scenes with Pacino justified the price of admission (and its $58 million gross).

11. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

Highest-grossing erotic dramas — Everett Collection

Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), an observant young man, travels to Italy on a mission to bring playboy Dickie (Jude Law) back to America. Tom soon finds himself under the spell of the dashing Dickie, which leads to dangerous consequences after he makes his feelings for Dickie known. The Talented Mr. Ripley earned five Oscar nominations, including Best Supporting Actor for Law, and nabbed $81 million at the box office.

10. Disclosure (1994)

5. Disclosure (1994) — Brian Hamill

Michael Douglas stars as a technology executive who becomes embroiled in a sexual harassment fiasco when his new boss, a former flame (Demi Moore), comes on to him and then turns the tables, threatening to jeopardize his job. The Barry Levinson-directed film, based on Michael Crichton's novel of the same name, opened to mixed reviews but took in $83 million at the box office.

9. Presumed Innocent (1990)

Harrison Ford, Presumed Innocent — Everett Collection

A prosecutor (Harrison Ford) finds himself trying to prove his innocence after his colleague/mistress is murdered in this twisty legal thriller. The well-received film would earn $86 million at the U.S. box office, making it one of the top 10 highest-grossing films of the year.

8. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992)

Highest-grossing erotic dramas — Everett Collection

The tangled web of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle begins when a doctor sexually assaults a young woman in his office, leading to a public accusation from her and other patients that result in his suicide. The doctor's wife loses everything, and she tries to go about discrediting the accuser by insinuating herself into her family by posing as a nanny. The film earned $88 million from theaters.

7. Fifty Shades Freed (2018)

Fifty Shades Freed — Doane Gregory/Universal Pictures

The third and final film in the Fifty Shades series follows Ana (Dakota Johnson) and Christian (Jamie Dornan) as they navigate marriage and the emergence of Ana's former boss, Jack Hyde (Eric Johnson), who tries to kidnap her. Fifty Shades Freed grossed slightly less than its predecessors, but still topped out at $100 million.

6. Sleeping With the Enemy (1991)

SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY, Julia Roberts, 1991, TM and Copyright (c) 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. All R — Everett Collection

Julia Roberts proved her box office prowess with this psychological thriller, about a woman who fakes her death to escape her abusive husband, who eventually tries to track her down. Sleeping With the Enemy broke a box office record at the time as the best opening weekend for a film with a woman lead, with $13 million. It went on to gross $101 million in total.

5. Indecent Proposal (1993)

3. Indecent Proposal (1993) — David James

Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson star as a young married couple who, upon losing all their money in Las Vegas, make a deal with an eccentric billionaire played by Robert Redford for Moore's character to spend the night with him. The film, scorned for its woman-as-barter premise, ended up with seven Razzie nominations — but still went on to make more than $106 million.

4. Fifty Shades Darker (2017)

Fifty Shades Darker (2017) — Doane Gregory

It is rare for erotic dramas to earn sequels, but after the massive success of Fifty Shades of Grey, it was inevitable that an adaptation of E.L. James' popular book series' second novel would come soon after. Fifty Shades Darker, which earned $114 million in theaters, follows Ana and Christian establishing new rules in their relationship — while the women of Christian's past come out of the woodwork.

3. Basic Instinct (1992)

2. Basic Instinct (1992) — Firooz Zahedi

Michael Douglas stars as a reckless detective who has a torrid affair with his prime suspect, a successful bisexual novelist played by Sharon Stone, who just might be the killer who murders her lovers with an ice pick. The film stoked controversy before it even opened due to its graphic sex, violence, and depiction of queer characters. And, apparently, the infamous leg-crossing scene was filmed without Stone's permission. After all the noise, the film banked $118 million.

2. Fatal Attraction (1987)

Everett Collection

This Adrian Lyne-directed thriller, starring Glenn Close and Michael Douglas, brought the term bunny-boiler into the vernacular and served as a powerful cautionary tale against infidelity. (See: Tom Hanks' rant in Sleepless in Seattle.) It also became the second-highest-grossing film of that year ($157 million) and was nominated for six Academy Awards.

1. Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)

4. Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) — Chuck Zlotnick

Fifty Shades of Grey was likely a slam dunk at the box office because of the massively popular books, but adapting it was tricky since the novel was notably void of cinematic tension. Rather, it was about the sexual education of virginal college-grad Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) by Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan), a billionaire with a penchant for BDSM. Despite limp reviews and a C+ CinemaScore, the film racked up a massive $166 million.

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