January 5, 2025, 9:09 am | Read time: 6 minutes
Nudity or sex scenes hardly shock anyone anymore. However, it seems that erotic depictions in films have not only become boring or superfluous for many but downright disturbing – with corresponding consequences. A study has taken a closer look at how streaming has contributed to this development. TECHBOOK took a look at it.
Did you experience this too? As a child sitting with your parents in front of the TV, when a sex scene came on, it was likely an uncomfortable moment for everyone. In the past, it was commonplace for movies to feature women baring their breasts or actors engaging in explicit scenes. It may not seem like it now – after all, sex scenes are still part of various films and series. Overall, however, the proportion is declining, especially in films, as a recent study has shown. There are clear reasons for this trend.
Overview
Around 40 Percent Fewer Sex Scenes in Films
Film expert and analyst Stephen Follows, together with a team commissioned by the weekly newspaper The Economist, has investigated whether there has been a decline in sexual content in films. Follows himself has long felt that erotic thrillers, which were plentiful in the 1980s, are slowly but surely dying out. Now, he has checked his impression, which has shown that the proportion of nudity and sex scenes has decreased by around 40 percent compared to earlier films. However, this does not automatically make modern films more “suitable” for a younger audience. According to the analysis, film depictions of violence and drug use, as well as vulgar language, have not decreased.
Procedure for the Study
“We looked at the 250 highest-grossing films (of each year, editor’s note) since 2000 and tracked the level of sexual content using signals from film rating agencies and film databases,” he writes on his website. Information from various sources was taken into account, including IMDb, Wikipedia, Common Sense Media, and more. Follows adds that he applied his own standards for qualifying as a “sex scene” in the rating. He excluded scenes involving sexual violence or rape from the analysis.
Possible Reasons for the Development
According to the study, films without sex scenes are demonstrably more successful. And this can apparently be explained very simply. “The most important reason for the decline in sexual content is the increasing number of films that do without it,” says Follows. In other words, there are simply more sex-free films – so it’s clear that these are also being watched more.
The question still remains as to the reasons for this development. The analyst offers seven possible explanations.
1. Changed Taste of the Audience
As part of the study, Stephen Follows looked at who watched the most films between 2000 and 2021 and which genres proved particularly popular. He concludes from the data that younger generations, in particular, have “less interest in depictions of sexuality.” Instead, they seem to be more interested in content that does without sexuality or at least treats it very subtly.
This is confirmed by the findings of a study conducted by the University of Los Angeles in 2023. It found that the so-called Gen Z (born between 1995 and 2010) clearly prefer platonic content, e.g., on friendships, to sex scenes in films.
2. Shift in Cultural Norms
Stephen Follows also suspects that producers and filmmakers have become more cautious due to the increasingly vocal social discussions on topics such as gender representation and consensual sex. Fearing that their use of sex scenes in films could lead to controversy.
3. Consideration of the Global Market
As the film expert explains, films usually make the box office ring when their storylines are compatible with the norms of different cultures. “Explicit sex scenes can lead to more restrictive age ratings or censorship,” says Follows, which could logically reduce the reach of films.
4. The Age of Streaming
The popularity of streaming services is also likely to have contributed to the decline in sex scenes in films. There are still “niche productions” in which sex is sometimes depicted very vividly. The demand for eroticism is also met in series. But on the whole, according to Follows, platforms such as Netflix and co. have launched “tailor-made viewing experiences” in response to the apparent decline in interest in sexual content.
5. Outdated Stereotypes
According to the analyst, the development could also be linked to a general shift away from stereotypes. Sex scenes in films have always had a male signature, he explains. They have often been objectifying, which is likely to have something to do with the “traditionally male genres” in which they appeared (i.e., thrillers and action films). In more recent films, depictions of sex may still exist, but they are presented differently.
6. General Availability of Sexual Content
It is also the case that depictions of sex in films are no longer really necessary. “With the ubiquity of internet pornography, viewers looking for explicit sexual content have a wealth of options readily available online,” the expert sums up. That’s why the prospect of sizzling scenes is probably no longer attractive. You might as well leave them out altogether.
7. The Rise of Intimacy Coordinators
So-called intimacy coordinators are increasingly being used in film and TV productions as well as in the theater to support the realization of sexual content. Their involvement is intended to ensure that sex scenes do not become uncomfortable for anyone involved, i.e., that there is no harassment or assault. Follows believes it is possible for filmmakers to avoid using intimacy coordinators where possible, i.e., for sex scenes in films that are not essential to the plot.
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If Sex, Then Full-On
The sex scenes that still exist are all the more taboo. The Economist article recalls a scene in the film Saltburn (2023) in which lead actor Barry Keoghan visibly has oral sex with a menstruating partner. The Oscar-winning fantasy comedy Poor Things, in which leading actress Emma Stone as Bella lives out her exuberant enjoyment of sex in numerous, very explicit scenes, is also included. In contrast, the films Joy Ride and No Hard Feelings, which were released in the same year and feature female actresses completely naked, are therefore rated FSK 12.