Movies

The Cringiest Erotic Drama of the 2010s Finally Lands on Netflix

The Cringiest Erotic Drama of the 2010s Finally Lands on Netflix
Image credit: Netflix, Universal Pictures

Here comes our favorite guilty pleasure movie!

Let’s be honest: we all have seen at least one erotic flick in our life. Sometimes they can be really called art, for example, in the case of the South Korean hit The Housemaid (2010), Michael Fassbender’s Shame (2011), and Nicole Kidman ’s The Beguiled (2017).

The majority of dramas that contain erotic elements are, unfortunately, nothing more than cringe. These include, of course, the notorious After franchise (2019 - 2023) and 365 Days (2020), but the 2015 movie we’re going to talk about is literally the perfect cringe.

Its plot revolves around an awkward college senior who once decides to replace her sick roommate to interview a powerful businessman. She is about to realize that their encounter is going to change her life completely, as her interviewee gets drawn to her.

He offers a shy woman a deal that scares, but attracts an inexperienced lover, and she plunges into an affair full of sexual activities that balance between pain and pleasure.

There is no need to hide the title of this movie, as many of you have already guessed it’s the synopsis of Fifty Shades of Grey, adapted from E. L. James' 2011 novel. Grossing $569.7M against a budget of $40M, it became a surprisingly successful R-rated movie.

And the reason for it is simple: the original novel was a back-then bestseller, Dakota Johnson ’s protagonist is extremely relatable and Jamie Dornan’s Grey is indeed sexy.

Nevertheless, all of it doesn't change the fact that it’s bad, as the dialogues and acting are plain here, the couple’s chemistry isn’t palpable and even the sex scenes aren’t as captivating as the book promised. But it’s the very case when it’s so bad that it’s good.

This 25%-rated erotic movie is now recognized as a perfect movie choice for a night with friends, as its cringey lines are already memes that the Internet has learnt by heart. Yes, what was supposed to be arousing turned out to be quite amusing instead.

Therefore, if you want to have a great laugh and chill in good company, there is some good news for you. Netflix is going to add Fifty Shades of Grey to its catalog already on June 18, so don’t miss it. Check out how guilty this pleasure truly is!