10 Best Erotic Thrillers Ever

Along with Basic Instinct, this is another of the key titles that no discussion of the erotic thriller genre could be complete without. It was controversial on release, and remains so to this day, but its impact is beyond question.

Fatal Attraction gave Michael Douglas his first major erotic thriller role as Dan, a happily married lawyer who, on a whim, has a fling with Glenn Close's book publisher Alex. The one-night stand turns into an ongoing affair - but when Dan tries to break things off, Alex grows increasingly unstable.

Director Adrian Lyne had already made a significant contribution to Hollywood erotica with his 1986 romance 9½ Weeks; yet while that Kim Basinger-Mickey Rourke vehicle was heavy on sex appeal, it didn't have the thriller element. It's also pretty cheesy.

By contrast, Fatal Attraction serves as the ultimate cautionary tale against extra-marital relations, as Close's Alex goes from an enthusiastic mistress to a violent threat, both to Dan and his family - including pets. The term 'Bunny boiler' entered the vernacular thanks to this movie.

While the film has long faced accusations of misogyny (at least in part due to the reshot ending, which casts Close in a more villainous light), Fatal Attraction was a huge hit both with audiences and critics on release in 1987. It even landed a number of Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Close.