Let’s talk about sex … or the lack thereof. While the movies are still a way to escape the realities of life, it seems there’s no more fantasizing about what it’d be like to spend the night with an A-lister — unless they’re offering OnlyFans content.
Some of the biggest blockbusters from the past few years have made millions at the box office, but they’re missing one major thing: a steamy sex scene. Miles Teller only felt a rush flying an F-18 as far as 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick is concerned, and Tom Cruise didn’t even sleep with love interest Jennifer Connelly in the movie. Similarly, Twisters had audiences up in arms when it premiered in July because nothing romantic happened between leads Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Not even a smooch — unless you count the deleted kiss that was leaked on X.
Listen, Us is fully on board with a slow burn, but sometimes escapism in the form of two hot people getting it on onscreen is what we want — and need. When did the tides turn? And, more importantly, why does it seem like all the sex is gone? Let’s put the blame on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Of course, we’re kidding because who doesn’t love a good superhero movie? (Chris Evans, we miss you!) But there’s a point to be made about the 34 and counting films in the MCU. Mind you, the film franchise has been going on since 2008, and only one of the flicks features a sex scene (2021’s box office bomb The Eternals). Most of them don’t even have a kiss!
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Are we really living in a “puritanical age” of Hollywood, as some have called it? Well, a study published last year by The Economist says yes, stating that sexual content in movies has dropped 40 percent since 2000. Previously, 20 percent of movies had no sex at all, and the same study revealed that number has now gone up to 50 percent. It has been argued, however, that the rare intimate scenes of today are more graphic than they once were — but that’s still up for debate.
An added layer to this discussion is the actors who have taken a stand. A number of stars have been vocal about their distaste for filming (or choreographing, as some will say) intimate scenes. Henry Cavill, for one, bluntly stated that he’s “not a fan of doing them” in scenes “overused” in film. The younger generation, who favor TikTok over AMC Theaters, seems to agree — OnlyFans anyone?
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Overall, it seems more fitting to say that technology is the cause for the recent decline in onscreen lovemaking. The internet age has made sex more accessible for Gen Z, thanks to OnlyFans and streaming services galore. The thrill of going to the movie theater and trying to fake-avert your eyes from an intimate moment between two actors doesn’t seem necessary anymore.
While sex scenes might be what the younger generation prefers to stream on their phones, studios are leaning into what audiences can only truly enjoy in a theater. Watching Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal fight it out in the Colosseum during Gladiator II on an IMAX screen is never an experience we’ll get at home. Maybe movie theaters should make a permanent shift from intimacy to action movies? Because based on the box office receipts, it seems likely that those are the only kind of hot and sweaty scenes we’ll see on the big screen. We’ll take what we can get.
