Sex isn’t always perfectly choreographed. Which is why these films got it right.
The New Yorker‘s film critic Anthony Lane once said, “An alien watching modern movies would think that human intercourse consisted of nothing more than two faces approaching and docking in horizontal silhouette.” And in ninety-nine percent of movies, it’s true. Two beautiful people kiss; the man reveals his perfectly chiseled chest. After that, whatever nudity is the woman’s, and there’s no mention of the biology or physics of the whole thing. Thankfully, there are some exceptions. The sex scenes in these movies look a little more familiar.
Brokeback Mountain
Nothing kills the mood like bringing up relationship stress – whether it’s money or family planning – right before sex. Keeping a big secret from you partner doesn’t help, either. In this case, the secret is six-feet tall and boyishly rugged. Aside from that, who can’t relate?
Y Tu Mamá También
Premature ejaculation happens to every guy at some point. It’s not any less embarrassing when it happens in a romance language, either.
Or in this case, fast times in the Ridgemont High baseball dugout. We all imagined our first times would be thrilling. But only a few of us were right.
The Ice Storm
Everyone experiments as a kid. We don’t all get walked in on by our dads while fooling around with the neighbor boy, or while wearing a Richard Nixon mask, but still.
Greenberg
Sometimes you don’t really know each other. And you struggle to get undressed. And you’re thinking it’s not the first time you’ve done this recently.
Connie fights guilt for cheating on the husband she loves. Then she fights even harder not to do it again. The amazing sex doesn’t quite override the pain afterward, but it’s still hard to resist.
Superbad
Alcohol has ruined sex for everyone at some point. It’s not always quite this heartbreakingly awkward, but in the end, we’re glad he does the right thing.
Slums of Beverly Hills
Vivian’s cousin Rita isn’t a role model in every way, but she feels no shame about calling her vibrator her “boyfriend,” which is great. Vivian borrows her boyfriend when she explores her own sexuality. It’s definitely a little weird to share sex toys with family members – but are you really going to tell us that when you were that young and frustrated, you wouldn’t have even considered it?
Tiny Furniture
Post-college, Aura doesn’t just struggle to find a job and assimilate back into life at home with her mom and sister. She also starts dating again after a terrible breakup. She falls hard for a guy with a girlfriend. When she finally gets what she wants, it’s heartbreakingly unspecial.
The Squid and the Whale
Walt and Frank are coming of age in the chaos of a bitter divorce. Anger at his mom makes sixteen-year-old Walt cruel to the girl who likes him most and competitive for the underage girl his dad likes. And all poor Frank can do is play with himself, in every sense. Good thing this family believes in therapy.
