Top 20 Movies with the Most Nude Scenes

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for those movies that turned gratuitous nudity into an art form.

#20: “They’re Playing With Fire” (1984)

File movies like this one away with the disclaimer “it was a different time.” “They’re Playing With Fire” was just one of the “teacher seduces student” subgenre of exploitation films with which writer/director Howard Avedis was associated, the first being “The Teacher” from 1974. Fast forward a decade and ‘80s cult star Sybil Danning steps into the role of a woman with a husband and a plan: to utilize her wiles to get young Jay Richard to commit a murder. Danning was no stranger to on-screen nudity at this point in her career, yet the undeniably sleazy premise of “They’re Playing With Fire” allowed for the actress to chew the scenery with zero inhibitions.

#19: “Stacey” (1973)

It was the leering camera of Andy Sidaris present within ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” that first introduced viewers to how this future exploitation filmmaker would view the world. Sidaris’ direction on those telecasts was notable for its frequent cutaways to sideline cheerleaders, and it wouldn’t be long before that prurient instinct was turned towards feature films. Efforts like “Stacey” from 1973 utilized well-worn private eye and mystery tropes as a vehicle for Playboy model Anne Randall, while also including roles for notable ‘70s beauties Anitra Ford and Cristina Raines. Sidaris would double down on this formula in the 1980s, as well, taking exploitable nudity all the way to the bank with cult skin-flicks like “Malibu Express.”

#18: “Piranha 3DD” (2012)

It’s interesting to research the descending barometer of cinematic quality of the “Piranha” franchise when compared to the ascending amounts of exploitable nudity. The first effort from 1978 certainly contained its share of drive-in skin, while the 2010 remake considerably upped the ante in this regard. Meanwhile, “Piranha 3DD” from 2012 wasn’t even trying to hide what it was selling, both from a marketing and screenplay standpoint. The nudity here was as plain as the noses on our faces, an unapologetic B-movie effort that was designed to titillate and entertain… albeit with a lot less skill and charm compared to Joe Dante’s original.

#17: “Friday the 13th” (2009)

It’s sort of a misconception that every slasher movie from the ‘80s featured tons of exploitable nudity. This wasn’t always the case. The “Friday the 13th” franchise, though? Well, let’s just say that sometimes stereotypes emerge for a reason. This definitely felt true with the 2009 remake, as well, since director Marcus Nispel and producer Michael Bay went all-in with a knowingly excessive approach to sex and violence. The action here was gritty and nasty, while the nudity was often prolonged and shot with an intentionally adolescent and male gaze. Julianna Guill’s comedically extended sex scene comes to mind, as do the nude scenes from America Olivo and former pop star Willa Ford. It was what it was, for better or worse.

#16: “Bolero” (1984)

The marriage of John Derek and his fourth wife, Bo, resulted in a number of cinematic collaborations, all of which retained a single, unifying factor. This was to showcase, in as glamorous a way possible, Bo Derek’s natural beauty, and her husband’s almost fanatical devotion to making her a star. “Bolero” was one of these outings, a film that’s received a lot of retroactive appraise as one of the biggest turkeys of all time. The movie wasn’t a box office success, either, but later earned infamy not only for its second-hand popularity with the prurient set, but also the age of co-star Olivia D’Abo. D’Abo was still a teenager during filming, a fact which allegedly went unknown by John Derek at the time of casting.

#15: “A Dirty Shame” (2004)

Exploitation king John Waters hasn’t directed a feature film since this infamous bomb from 2004. Don’t feel too bad, however, since the filmmaker’s reputation for unrepentant sleaze remains secure within the narrative and execution of “A Dirty Shame.” There’s virtually no taboo left unexplored within the cult feature, as evidenced by its scarlet letter rating of NC-17. The entire affair of “A Dirty Shame” retains Waters’ pitch-black sense of humor, of course, but that mattered little to the moviegoing public of the early aughts, who avoided catching this provocative feature like the plague.

#14: “The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak” (1984)

This is one of the feature films from French director Just Jaeckin on our list, an infamous auteur with a very specific style of filmmaking. A soft-lensed, erotically focused style which could just as often feel artistic as it did semi-pornographic. “The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak” was loosely based on an erotic comic series, and starred music video vixen Tawny Kitaen alongside the ultra buff Brent Huff. The advertising for this film seemed to promise an “Indiana Jones” styled adventure, and there is some of that to be found, for sure… as well as a lot of skin. Still, “Gwendoline” is rarely boring, and usually delivers enough WTF narrative choices and flesh-driven asides to keep the audience, ahem, “busy.”

#13: “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013)

The inclusion of frequent and explicit nudity was probably unavoidable within Terence Winter’s screenplay for this Martin Scorsese film. Jordan Belfort’s rise and fall just featured too many instances of bad behavior, too many stories of sex and drugs for a film like “The Wolf of Wall Street” not to include multiple nude scenes. Does this take away from the film’s success or story? Not really. If anything, the sex here just adds to the chaos of Belfort’s story, while also feeling part and parcel to “The Wolf of Wall Street’s” ‘80s setting. A (perhaps sticky) hand-in-glove example of the story fitting the execution.

#12: “Humanoids From the Deep” (1980)

The production history of “Humanoids From the Deep” is an interesting one, both from the perspectives of producer Roger Corman and director Barbara Peeters. The latter got her start in the exploitation film industry in front of and behind the camera, before graduating to the director’s chair. Corman, meanwhile, became a legend not only for his own films, but for marketing drive-in fare that never skimped on sex and violence. That’s the thing with “Humanoids From the Deep,” specifically Peeters’ original cut. It lacked what Corman wanted to sell, so he hired James Sbardellati for more explicit reshoots. Very explicit reshoots that deliver exactly what you’re thinking at this very moment.

#11: “Emmanuelle” (1974)

We return to the subject of Just Jaeckin, with the film that made him famous: “Emmanuelle.” It wasn’t only Jaeckin that became a star in the wake of this film, one that bore the infamous tagline, “X was never like this.” “Emmanuelle” also shot Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel into the sex queen stratosphere, thanks to a performance that effectively balanced naivete and eroticism. This was a movie that wasn’t only a success in theaters and home video, it spawned an insanely labyrinthine franchise of sequels and remakes. There was even an Italian knock-off franchise of “Emanuelle” films (with one “M,” to avoid litigation) that took Jaeckin’s adaptation of Emmanuelle Arsan’s novel to further depths of intentional degradation.

#10: “Boogie Nights” (1997)

This film’s setting of adult cinema’s golden age essentially ensured that “Boogie Nights” was going to contain a lot of nudity. Director Paul Thomas Anderson takes his audience from the industry’s early ‘70s innocence, right on through to a comparatively jaded period of Reagan-era desperation. Anderson even included legitimate adult film stars Veronica Hart and Nina Hartley within the cast of “Boogie Nights,” alongside daring performances from Julianne Moore and Heather Graham. This is a film that received varying reviews from those who were actually there performing in erotica back in the day, but that hasn’t stopped “Boogie Nights” from remaining a cult classic.

#9: “Nymphomaniac Vol. 1” (2013)

The transgressive reputation of director Lars Von Trier remained intact after both volumes of his “Nymphomaniac” series debuted back in Denmark in 2013. These films were completed utilizing not only the talents of stars like Charlotte Gainsbourg and Shia LaBeouf, but also adult film actors who performed hardcore acts for insert shots. The subject of nymphomania is another that, by definition, required a lot of nudity on set. Von Trier also varies the tone of these set-pieces, from the blackly comedic to the deadly serious. The extremity of this film, as a result, doesn’t always make it light viewing. Yet there’s no denying the frank and honest depictions of compulsive sexual behavior contained with “Nymphomaniac.”

#8: “Blue is the Warmest Color” (2013)

There is a lot to unpack with regards to the controversies of “Blue Is the Warmest Colour.” For starters, there’s the allegations that director Abdellatif Kechiche placed his cast and crew within an atmosphere of unfair working conditions. There have also been those that have pointed out how the film’s themes of bisexual and lesbian relationships were delivered to the screen by a heterosexual male. What wasn’t up for debate, however, were the end results of this film, which held nothing back in terms of nudity. The sexual act is explored within multiple set-pieces and couplings, although “Blue Is the Warmest Colour” generally exists more within the arthouse than the grindhouse.

#7: “Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens” (1979)

No list like this would be complete without an appearance from the maestro of sexploitation, Russ Meyer. The man’s cinematic oeuvre is one of tough men and tougher women - larger-than-life sex goddesses that dominated drive-in screens throughout the ‘60s and 70s. The latter part of this decade saw Meyer releasing two of his most envelope pushing features with “Up!” and “Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens.” The latter’s title is playing on Meyer’s biggest hit, “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls,” while also containing an over-abundance of nudity. Kitten Natividad is the star of the show here, encapsulating all of the protracted dialogue and unsubtle jiggle that made maverick Meyer one-of-a-kind.

#6: “H.O.T.S.” (1979)

This is the sort of film that wears its influences on its sleeve… or is that shirt? The legacy of “H.O.T.S.” has endured today not only due to its acronym (which stands for its title characters) but also the hall of fame level nudity that stacks the screen. History has seen scores of sex comedies over the years, but “H.O.T.S.” played its hand by casting a number of notable models, including “Halloween” star Sandy Johnson, as stars. But “H.O.T.S.” surprisingly never feels sleazy. The vibe here instead feels more silly and sexy, the sort of atmosphere that’s largely parodied today, yet delivered straight-faced back in ‘79 for an excited audience.

#5: “Porky’s” (1981)

If there was a Mount Rushmore for sex comedies, then we’re willing to bet that Bob Clark’s “Porky’s” would deserve a prime spot. The “Black Christmas” and “A Christmas Story” director enjoyed one of 1981’s biggest hits, a franchise-maker that saw no less than two sequels. “Porky’s” is also notable for its casting of Kim Cattrall as Miss Honeywell, whose exaggerated sex scene went on to become the stuff of home video legend. Elsewhere, there’s also that old school, go-to classic, the shower scene, only this time boasting both male and female nudity. Granted, “Porky’s” does have its share of more serious-minded moments within some of its side-plots, but the overarching vibe here remains Sex Comedy 101.

#4: “Showgirls” (1995)

Erotic thrillers were all the rage back in the 1990s, with “Showgirls” existing as one of the most memorable NC-17 flubs of this era. The balance of R-rated intrigue with extreme sexual content highlighted by star Elizabeth Berkley, perhaps seeking to distance herself from her television past. “Showgirls” became infamous for its hard-in-the-paint sex scene between Berkley and co-star Kyle MacLachlan, although edited versions were also released for home video. Yet, who are we kidding? There’s only one way to enjoy a “Showgirls” screening, and that’s with the full, uncensored monty.

#1: “The Dreamers” (2003)

Director Bernardo Bertolucci was no stranger to controversy, having helmed the infamous “Last Tango in Paris” back in 1972. “The Dreamers” only added to Bertolucci’s uncompromising legacy, thanks to such taboo topics as the sexualization of sibling relationships. Granted, themes of political unrest and class structure also arise within the narrative of “The Dreamers,” but most attention was paid to the nude scenes of stars Eva Green, Michael Pitt and Louis Garrel. This love triangle is juxtaposed against the Parisian riots of May, 1968 and as a result makes “The Dreamers” feel like a study of character and motivation, amidst a backdrop of eroticism.

What are your thoughts on the nature or necessity of filmed nudity in the modern day? Let us know in the comments!