With Verity now playing in theaters worldwide, fans captivated by its sultry suspense are hunting for the next fix of psychological intrigue and dangerous romance. The film, which stars Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, follows Lowen (Johnson), a struggling writer offered a life-changing gig ghostwriting the unfinished memoir of Verity Crawford (Hathaway), one of the world’s bestselling authors. She moves into Verity’s sprawling estate and becomes entangled with her husband, Jeremy (Hartnett)—all while the incapacitated author lies bedridden upstairs. As the film proves its worth as a welcome return to form for a genre that once dominated cinema, we round up ten erotic thrillers you should watch next.
The erotic thriller carries a proud pedigree in Hollywood, tracing its roots back to classic film noir—a world of hidden subtext, femme fatales, and hardboiled detectives. The erotic thriller simply dragged all of that repressed tension into the light, drawing theatergoers in droves throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Its heyday coincided with the explosive growth of the VHS rental market, turning these films into massive home-video hits as well. Though the genre has since spilled over into neighboring categories, it is now enjoying a resurgence, aided in part by BookTok bestsellers like The Housemaid, which are introducing its signature trappings to an entirely new generation of fans.
The Noir Foundations
If you’ve already seen Verity and want films that explore similar obsessions—or if you simply want a primer on the genre—here are ten erotic thrillers worth your time. The clearest reference point is Rebecca, which shares its title with Verity: both stories revolve around an absent woman who haunts their protagonist. Written by Daphne du Maurier in 1938 and adapted into one of Alfred Hitchcock’s finest films in 1940, the story follows an unnamed woman (Joan Fontaine) who plunges into a whirlwind romance with Mr. de Winter (Laurence Olivier), an older, wealthy widower. He rescues her from poverty, transforming her from the paid companion of an insufferable socialite into the mistress of Manderley—a stunning manor she quickly realizes is haunted by the memory of his late first wife, Rebecca.
Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) offers another foundational text. Voyeurism, suspense, and repressed sexuality were always central to his work, and this 1958 masterpiece follows retired detective Scottie (James Stewart), hired to investigate Madeleine (Kim Novak), the wife of an old college acquaintance. His client claims Madeleine is melancholic and possessed by the spirit of a dead ancestor, terrified she might harm herself. As Scottie trails her through the hills and valleys of San Francisco, he becomes obsessed—only to fall prey to a devastating trap.
The 1990s Peak
Noir’s Les Diaboliques (1955) is often cited as a key precursor to the erotic thriller. Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, it charts a love triangle between Michel (Paul Meurisse), the headmaster of a rundown boys’ boarding school, his wife Christina (Véra Clouzot), and his mistress Nicole (Simone Signoret). When the two women meet, they bond over Michel’s abusive behavior and plot to murder him. The film was remade in the 1990s starring Sharon Stone, Isabelle Adjani, and Kathy Bates, pushing its erotic subtext into the foreground for contemporary audiences.
The genre reached its zenith with Basic Instinct (1992). Paul Verhoeven—one of cinema’s greatest provocateurs—directed a film that perfects so many of the category’s signature elements: a detective, a femme fatale, a voyeuristic writer, homoerotic tension, and sex. Detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) investigates the murder of a rock star killed with an ice pick, and the prime suspect is Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), a wealthy, brilliant crime novelist whose latest novel mirrors the killing—a setup Verity fans will immediately recognize. As events unfold, Nick can’t tell whether Catherine means to frame him or is entirely innocent, though that uncertainty doesn’t stop him from sleeping with her.
“The genre has since spilled over into others, but it’s now experiencing a boom of sorts, aided in part by BookTok bestsellers like The Housemaid, which bring the genre’s trappings to a new generation.”
Gamer24h Editorial
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) ranks among the twistiest films on this list. Like Verity, it follows a woman with a mysterious past who infiltrates a family’s home. It opens with Claire Bartel (Annabella Sciorra), a young mother who reports her obstetrician for sexual abuse, prompting other women to do the same. The scandal destroys his career and drives him to suicide, leaving his pregnant wife (Rebecca De Mornay) widowed. Taking matters into her own hands, the woman reinvents herself as Peyton Flanders, lands a job at Claire’s home, and infiltrates her life—flirting with her husband while mothering her child—in a performance that features a scene-stealing pre-fame Julianne Moore.
Duplicitous Protagonists and Modern Revivals
Much has been said about the kiss between Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway in Verity, an addition to the film absent from the source novel. No loom larger over the erotic thriller than the one featured in Wild Things (1998), starring Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, and Denise Richards. Set in Blue Bay, Florida, it follows two high schoolers—a wealthy cheerleader (Richards) and an outsider (Campbell)—who accuse a popular guidance counselor (Dillon) of rape. A police officer (Kevin Bacon) becomes involved, uncovering far more to the story than meets the eye.
When it comes to duplicitous protagonists, few are more entertaining than Tom Ripley, Patricia Highsmith’s most famous creation. Though the novel has inspired numerous adaptations, none is as star-studded as Anthony Minghella’s The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). Matt Damon plays Ripley, a weaselly American con artist willing to stop at nothing to seize the life and status he yearns for. After a misunderstanding leads people to believe he’s a Princeton graduate and classmate of Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law), a wealthy socialite heir to a multimillion-dollar fortune, Tom is sent to Italy by Dickie’s father to bring his wayward son home. He seizes the chance to insert himself into Dickie’s life—his story growing ever more convoluted as his lies multiply.
Hear me out: Fifty Shades (2015) belongs here, for Dakota Johnson wouldn’t be in Verity had she not built a career on the success of the trilogy. While infamous as Twilight fanfiction at first, the series gradually borrowed more and more from the erotic thriller. As Anastasia Steele, Johnson traces her romance with Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan), a rich, controlling businessman drawn to BDSM. The story grows increasingly tangled across each entry, introducing obstacles ranging from Anastasia’s obsessive boss Jack Hyde (Eric Johnson) to Christian’s former business partner, lover, and abuser Elena Lincoln (played by modern noir icon Kim Basinger). The final two films were directed by James Foley, who brought a soapier, more playful approach to the material.
Fair Play (2023) stands as one of the best contemporary erotic thrillers. Chloe Domont’s film delivers sharp commentary on gender and sexual dynamics, updating the formula for modern audiences within the workplace—a beloved setting of classic erotic thrillers. Emily Meyers (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke Edmonds (Alden Ehrenreich) are two employees at a cutthroat Manhattan hedge fund carrying on a secret relationship and planning to announce their engagement once Luke is promoted and they’re no longer peers. But everything shifts when Emily receives the promotion instead.
The Housemaid was one of 2025’s biggest hits, inspiring a sequel with Kirsten Dunst slated for 2027 and paving the way for similar films built on dark, soapy BookTok recommendations. Based on Freida McFadden’s debut novel and directed by Paul Feig, it follows Millie (Sydney Sweeney), an ex-con struggling to find work while living in her car. The perfect opportunity arrives when she lands a position as housemaid in the luxurious Long Island mansion of Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar). Soon after moving in, Millie senses something wrong: Nina is cruel and begins sabotaging her life—but that’s only the beginning. Sharing much DNA with Verity, it traces how a woman on the edge becomes tangled in a marriage, slowly learning she can trust no one within it.
Looking Ahead
As erotic thrillers continue their cultural revival, studios are clearly eager to capitalize on the momentum. The Housemaid’s sequel arrives in 2027, and more BookTok adaptations loom on the horizon as publishers and filmmakers recognize the genre’s enduring appeal. For now, though, fans of Verity have a rich canon to explore—spanning Hitchcock-classic suspense through 1990s peaks and into today’s sharp modern revivals—all offering that intoxicating blend of danger, desire, and deception.
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