Let’s be real: you want the lowdown on the best sex scenes of 2025. And honestly, we don’t blame you; it’s been a scorching year for film and TV, from dripping peaches to glasses of milk, gun-toting southern queer women to muscled hockey players.
There’s nothing wrong with indulging in a juicy sex scene in the best TV shows and films. Often, they’re central to the plot, and even when they’re not, we love watching characters get down and dirty — or steamy and soapy in the shower.
But sex scenes aren’t just about pleasure. They’re a window into what we secretly crave, according to Dr Nicole McNichols, human sexuality professor and author of the forthcoming You Could Be Having Better Sex.
“These scenes reveal not just what entertained us in 2025, but what we’re increasingly hungry for: desire with depth, fantasy without shame, and pleasure that feels connected rather than performative," she explains.
So, put down the dating apps, grab the remote, and join us as we flick through the best, hottest and most unforgettable sex scenes of 2025.
Ilya and Shane in Heated Rivalry
The show that made us all care about hockey. Okay, real talk: we still don’t care about hockey. But we do care about Ilya and Shane.
Enemies-to-lovers has a proven track record of delivering the best sex scenes on screen, and Heated Rivalry is the evidence. What begins as forbidden, barely-contained trysts slowly evolves into something deeper, hotter, and undeniably intimate — with many, many memorable moments along the way.
Heated Rivalry is home to some of 2025’s standout sex scenes, but if we had to pick? Maybe their first time, which moves from a little shower self-service to a hotel-room finish. Then again, that shower scene — yes, that one — is so steamy it’s practically fogged the screen. Or the hotel reunion. Honestly, we’ve been spoiled.
Don’t worry: Heated Rivalry is heading to the UK very soon, meaning we’ll all get to fully indulge in every last deliciously steamy moment.
Romy and Samuel in Babygirl
Babygirl is far more than your typical affair story, or the usual older-woman/younger-man trope. At its core, it explores power play: Samuel, the intern to his CEO, asserts dominance over Romy in ways that are both commanding and intimate.
Their sex scenes are slow, controlled and laced with submission and degradation. Some viewers may find them uncomfortable, others undeniably titillating. Either way, the scenes don’t just titillate — they provoke thought and stir emotion, leaving a lasting impression long after the credits roll.
Rick and Chelsea in The White Lotus
Season three of The White Lotus may not be dripping in sex and lust quite like season two, but it holds its own — just with fewer steamy moments to choose from. We’re deliberately skipping that scene (the one we’re all still unpacking in therapy). Instead, we’re giving this spot to Rick (Walton Goggins) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), largely because we are irrevocably obsessed with Aimee Lou Wood.
For much of the season, this pairing doesn’t quite add up, forcing us to confront our own assumptions: that she’s a gold-digger, or that he’s simply chasing a much younger woman. Their sex scene quietly dismantles those biases. It’s tender, gentle and intimate, with Chelsea on top (as she should be), grounded in genuine affection rather than shock value. We absolutely stan.
Margo and Sophie in The Hunting Wives
It’s time to get some of 2025’s sapphic sex scenes on this list — immediately. The Hunting Wives delivered on sexy, queer drama, with many of its most charged moments unfolding between Margo (Malin Akerman) and Sophie (Brittany Snow). Their scenes are equal parts aggressive and tender, tracing Sophie’s tentative exploration of her desire alongside Margo’s far more seasoned confidence.
From longing glances and solo moments to motel-room hookups, the two are rarely subtle — and we’re not complaining. Still, the standout has to be their first time together: Sophie slipping off Margo’s towel and straddling her on the bed, a scene that’s intimate, electric and unapologetically bold. From there, it’s all vulnerability, desire and very little left unsaid.
Belly and Conrad in The Summer I Turned Pretty
We all knew The Summer I Turned Pretty was going to make an appearance on any 2025 list worth its salt — and, yes, it was always going to be Conrad (Christopher Briney), not Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). While we briefly considered Steven (Sean Kaufman) and Taylor (Rain Spencer), the guest room moment between Conrad and Belly (Lola Tung) ultimately won out.
It’s quiet, stolen, and charged with feeling: the two of them trying not to be heard, moving carefully around one another, all tenderness and restraint. There’s an unmistakable sense of first-love intensity — gentle, hesitant and loaded with meaning. Either that, or we give it to that peach moment, which felt very Call Me By Your Name coded.
Why do we find something so simple so hot? “'Vanilla' sex gets a bad rap, but it can be deeply satisfying — and undeniably sexy. Hope, tenderness, and optimism can be erotic, too," explains Dr McNichols. “In a culture saturated with explicit content and often steeped in rough or tortured depictions of sex, this series is a reminder that sometimes what we crave most is something simple and sincere.”
Ava, Emily and Dev in Hacks
If Ava wasn’t already our bisexual spirit animal before season four of Hacks, she certainly is now. The show has always celebrated Ava’s sexuality without needing explanations or assumptions — she dates who she wants, when she wants. This time, she dives into a throuple with Emily (Medalion Rahimi) and Dev (Alexander Koch), and the results are iconic.
Their threesome scene easily takes the crown as one of 2025’s best polyamorous sex scenes: playful, intimate and unapologetically Ava.
Stella and Miles in The Morning Show
Is there anything hotter than the affair between a muse and his artist? We’re not sure, but we are absolutely here for it. Miles (Aaron Pierre) and Stella (Greta Lee) get it on in front of those pink-lit windows, nearly silhouetted as they writhe together. Stella teases him with, “You’re my biggest mistake” — and the truth hits harder when we learn Miles is married… to Stella’s boss.
The sex scenes are made even more intense by the pillow-talk moments: the two of them naked, smoking, and opening up to each other in vulnerable, intimate ways. Then there’s the jaw-dropping scene outside the window, Stella on top, leaving no doubt that this is one of 2025’s steamiest, most cinematic affairs. The Morning Show did it again.
Molly and Neighbour Guy in Dying for Sex
You could argue that Dying for Sex is responsible for roughly half of 2025’s sex scenes — and honestly, we wouldn’t fight you on that. But despite its reputation for raunchy, kinky encounters, the show is also deeply heartfelt and unexpectedly moving.
Molly’s (Michelle Williams) experience is singular and shaped by trauma in so many ways, yet it also reflects a journey many people recognise: reclaiming desire, agency and connection on her own terms. Even amid the comical, awkward and occasionally horrifying moments, there’s something profoundly cathartic about watching Molly finally reach her goal — especially with Neighbour Guy (Rob Delaney) by her side. Equal parts outrageous and emotional, it’s sex with substance.
“Dying for Sex is about aliveness — about reclaiming sexuality, pleasure and agency in the shadow of death. It underscores that sex isn’t frivolous or optional, but a central aspect of our personhood,” explains Dr McNichols.
Elphaba and Fiyero in Wicked: For Good
Okay, okay — obviously Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) had way more on-screen chemistry (we would have loved an intimate scene between them…), but we can’t skip this one with Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). Mainly because it sparked an internet discourse for the ages: cardigans.
Yes, a sex scene between two people on the run, having betrayed their fiancé/bestie, happening in a tree… while levitating. And yet, somehow, everyone’s talking about a ratty sex cardigan. God, we love the internet.
Muriel and Sandra in On Swift Horse
The marketing for this film teased an affair between Julius (Jacob Elordi) and his brother’s wife Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones). Spoiler: that never happened. Instead, we got two same-sex relationships that were way more compelling.
We were obsessed with Muriel and Sandra’s (Sasha Calle) sapphic sexual awakening and consummation — raw, tender, and utterly captivating. Honestly, if the show had promoted itself correctly, it might have received the attention it truly deserved.
Alex and Sarah in Wayward
This culty, brainwashing ride of a series wasn’t exactly overflowing with sex. But there’s one scene in Wayward we simply have to discuss. Alex (Mae Martin) tries to get intimate with his wife (Sarah Gadon), only for her to flip the script with a little powerplay. Heavily pregnant and seated in a chair, she commands her husband to crawl to her, and, honestly, it’s hot. A bold, unapologetic reminder that pregnancy doesn’t mean the end of great sex.
Honey and MG in Honey, Don't!
The second instalment in Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s “lesbian B-movie trilogy” is definitely an acquired taste. But one sex scene between Aubrey Plaza (MG Falcone) and Margaret Qualley (Honey)? Absolutely unforgettable.
From heated make-out moments against the wall to tumbling onto the bed, the scene is raw, unflinching, and detailed in a way most movie sex scenes rarely are. And yes, the handcuffs make an appearance. It’s bold, intimate and utterly iconic; the kind of scene that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
Evie and Diana in Compulsion
Of course, an erotic thriller has to make our list, and this time it’s Compulsion. Evie (Anna-Maria Sieklucka) visits her stepfather’s seaside villa on Malta, where she meets a seductive thief, Diana (Charlotte Kirk). Between murder, secrets, and intrigue, the two share some undeniably passionate moments.
The standout? A steamy pool scene that hits all the right notes — dim lighting, echoing sounds, and that sense of forbidden tension that makes it impossible to look away.
Mark and Helly in Severance
While it’s impressive that Severance managed an entire first season without a single sex scene, we’re very glad season two changed that. Mark (Adam Scott) and Helly (Britt Lower) explore each other under the warm, slightly menacing red glow of a heater, every touch intensified by the surrounding sense of danger. Even the big reveal that comes later can’t fully dampen the electricity of the moment; it’s suspenseful, charged, and unforgettable.
Gabriela and Xavier in Paradise
Only a political thriller could deliver one of 2025’s best sex scenes. Gabriela (Sarah Shahi) spends the day with Xavier (Sterling K. Brown), and when it seems they’re about to part ways, things quickly escalate — making out leads to a steamy encounter inside.
The moment is paired with the Hidden Citizens’ haunting, seductive cover of I Think We’re Alone Now, adding to the tension. And when Gabriela slides her hands down his body to check for a wire — hot and deliberate — we genuinely lost the plot. It’s equal parts suspense, seduction and pure cinematic electricity.
Antonin and Agathe in Carême
There are so many sex scenes to choose from in Carême — we think the show involved cooking at some point, but honestly, we’ve lost track. Whipped cream on bare skin, steamy bathtime encounters… the list goes on.
But the scene between Antonin (Benjamin Voisin) and Agathe (Alice Da Luz) stands out. Built up slowly through feverish arguments and stolen kisses of anger, it finally explodes in a carriage moment that could rival Bridgerton for sheer romantic, scandalous tension. It’s passionate, electric and utterly unforgettable.
Ellen and Brian in Outlander: Blood of my Blood
It’s no surprise that an Outlander spin-off delivers one of 2025’s standout sex scenes. Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) and Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) are the central, fated couple of the prequel, and their intimacy is heightened by danger, forbidden romance and the ever-present weight of clan politics.
The Beltane scene, where they risk everything to be together, is rough yet tender, passionate yet full of love — easily one of the most unforgettable moments in the series.
Maia and Dylan in I Love LA
Love them or hate them — and after that season one finale, maybe more hate than love — you can’t deny that Maia (Rachel Sennott) and Dylan (Josh Hutcherson) had some undeniably good sex scenes. Sure, Maia was often fantasising about someone else, and Dylan was chasing the reassurance she wouldn’t give, but the chemistry and execution of their scenes was undeniable.
We’re definitely curious to see where things go in I Love LA season two.
