Death of the Great Hollywood Sex Scene — How On-Screen Romps Just Aren't Doing It Anymore After #MeToo
Romantic sex scenes like those in The Big Easy have turned into more hardcore lovemaking like in Fifty Shades of Grey
July 7 2025, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
Once romantically filmed and presented sex scenes in movies have been replaced by more explicit scenes of nudity and lovemaking that can approach levels of pornography, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
In a time of #MeToo sensitivities and intimacy coordinators on set, filmmakers are trying to push the naked envelope in new ways and directions.
Older movies like 'Fires Within' showcased sensual sex scenes.
At the height of Greta Scacchi’s career, she appeared in multiple sex scenes in movies like Presumed Innocent and Fires Within.
The scenes were all germane to advancing the story and filmed with a gentle level of respect that the now 5-year-old described as "made to look beautiful and slowed down."
Sex scenes in the 1980s were often filmed in soft lighting, with teasing views and a fiery saxophone soundtrack. However, one leading entertainment writer said those tasteful scenes are now a thing of the past.
Journalist Ben Lawrence said the fantasy sequences often didn't look like "good sex," but that was to be expected and even appreciated.
"It was inoffensive, and almost as laughable as the act itself, despite the general degree of decorum," he said. "There is no doubt that any on-screen nudity from that era, no matter how convivial the circumstances, was all at the behest of a middle-aged director who was either fulfilling their fantasies or had an eye on the commercial big time."
Shock and Awe
Critics argue sex scenes today, like this one in 'The Challengers', is more for shock value.
Flash forward to today, and Lawrence argues sex scenes in movies and television shows are much more graphic and often used for shock or comedic effect.
"In the worst cases, the sex scenes of today veer dangerously close to pornography, which makes you wonder why the hell the actors agreed to do them in the first place," he said.
The #MeToo movement, which was supposed to bring accountability and responsibility to a horned-up Hollywood, has apparently been all but forgotten.
As Lawrence said: "You would imagine that in the wake of the Me Too movement, sex scenes might not have much of a place in film and television, but this is not the case.
"Indeed, it often feels like there is more sex on screen than ever before, and that modern phenomenon, the intimacy coordinator, has their work cut out ensuring that sensitive thespians are entirely comfortable with making the beast with two backs."
Harvey's Influence
'Basic Instinct' heated up screens with its erotic scenes.
Back in October 2017, the #MeToo movement gained popularity after the shocking allegations made by former production assistant Miriam Haley, who put disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein in jail after revealing disturbing sexual assault allegations.
In February 2020, Weinstein was convicted in New York on charges of third-degree rape and criminal sexual act.
In the years since, he has allegedly been hard at work writing what sources call the most dangerous book in Hollywood history while behind bars.
The disgraced producer is reportedly working on a "scorched-earth" memoir supposedly titled "Casting Couch: The Real Story," which is said to be filled cover to cover with accusations, betrayals and receipts.
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'Wild Things' tried to show how wild sex could be.
One publishing insider told reporter Rob Shuter: "He's not looking for forgiveness. He's looking for revenge."
Sources claimed the 73-year-old former Miramax producer feels betrayed by the industry and is ready to name names. First up on his hit list? Gwyneth Paltrow.
The manuscript, which is reportedly hundreds of pages long, is laced with lurid anecdotes featuring stories about several high-profile Hollywood stars, including Gwyneth Paltrow. One insider even called it "a Hollywood blacklist bombshell."
According to a former Miramax colleague: "(Harvey) is taking down Oscar winners, studio execs, even activists."
A top editor admitted that the content of the book is "toxic" but also referred to it as "publishing gold."
