20 Erotic Thrillers You Must See Before You Die

By Sam Hill /

10. The Fourth Man (1983)

Paul Verhoven directed some of the most brilliantly violent and sexually-charged movies of the '80s and '90s - classics such as Total Recall, Starship Troopers, RoboCop and... The Fourth Man? You probably haven't heard of it, but it deserves a lot more recognition. Yes, this little seen erotic thriller was one of Verhoven's earliest flicks, and it contains a lot of tropes and elements that would come to define his later work - mainly in terms of graphic sex and violence. It was also the film that helped him to establish a career in Hollywood, and for that reason alone, it's worth checking out. It's also worth checking out, though, because it's bloody good; the plot hinges on the fourth victim of a notorious man-eater who seduces her victims and then attempts to murders them. It's even hinted that she's the embodiment of the evil!