People watch Netflix for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes you want The Irishman, and sometimes you want The Ridiculous Six. Sometimes it's a nature doc night, and sometimes it's all about true crime. And sometimes, it's all about setting the mood — after all, Netflix and Chill didn't become a common colloquialism for no reason! If your Netflix and Chill is becoming more of a Binge-Watch and Chill, we've got you covered with the steamiest, sexiest shows on Netflix right now, from campy or soapy thrillers to inventive fantasy tales and everything in between.
For more recommendations, check out our list of the Sexiest Movies on Netflix or the best shows and movies on the platform across all genres.
Editor's note: This list was updated May 2023 to include Obsession.
Elite (2018-present)
Created by: Carlos Montero and Dario Madrona
Cast: María Pedraza, Itzan Escamilla, Miguel Bernardeau, Miguel Herrán, Jaime Lorente, Álvaro Rico, Arón Piper, Mina El Hammani, Ester Expósito, Omar Ayuso, and Danna Paola
Romantic entanglements, high drama, and murder are all part of everyday life in Netflix’s steamy Spanish series, Elite. Set in the fictional Las Encinas, an elite school in Madrid, the series focuses on the class dynamics of the wealthy student body when a trio of working-class students is accepted into the school. As if high school isn’t hard enough, each season revolves around a murder that the students are somehow embroiled in. Despite that gloomy backdrop, every episode of Elite is created to make you hot under the collar. There’s a romantic storyline for everyone—intrigue, betrayal, forbidden romances, doomed couples, ménage à trois, and love triangles—this show has it all. You’ll find yourself rooting for some couples and baffled by others, but you will never be bored because all the characters are larger-than-life personalities with compelling stories. The show has found a way to become sexier by the season and has even expanded to include Elite: Short Stories, bite-sized fillers to make you hot and bothered in-between seasons. – Monita Mohan
Obsession (2023)
Cast: Richard Armitage, Charlie Murphy, Rish Shah, Indira Varma, Sonera Angel
Obsession is a steamy four-episode limited series full of explosive passion and thrilling tension based on a novel by Josephine Hart. Charlie Murphy (Halo) stars as Anna, a sexy young woman who seduces her boyfriend (Rish Shah), as well as his father, played by Richard Armitage. Ripe with enticing scenarios, suggestive innuendos, and flirtatious eye contact, Obsession captivates as much as the undeniably attractive cast. Stemming from an intense affair, Obsession blossoms into a dangerous and potentially devastating outcome for the intertwined family. Obsession is an erotic thriller at its core, alluring viewers with intrigue and desire that begs to be binged. – Yael Tygiel
Sex/Life (2021-present)
Creator: Stacy Rukeyser
Cast: Sarah Shahi, Mike Vogel, Adam Demos, Margaret Odette
Sex/Life is an undeniably steamy mid-life crisis created by Stacy Rukeyser and starring Sarah Shahi (Black Adam) as Billie, a suburban mother with a wild past. As the mystery of her younger years begins to infiltrate her manicured present, Billie finds herself winding down a path of fantasies and pleasure, potentially blowing up her carefully curated marriage. Throughout the entire first season, Sex/Life unraveled Billie’s delicate life leaving her with two alluring options, allowing audiences to live vicariously through her reckless yet tempting behavior. In addition to the sensual plot, Sex/Life has a stacked cast of gorgeous actors, including Margaret Odette, Mike Vogel, and Adam Demos (UnReal), making it a soapy, can’t-miss drama. – Yael Tygiel
Bonding (2019-2021)
Creator: Rightor Doyle
Cast: Zoe Levin, Brendan Scannell, Micah Stock
Created by Rightor Doyle, Bonding is a hilarious peek behind the curtain of the bondage world. Starring Zoe Levin (Red Band Society) as a grad student moonlighting as a dominatrix and Brendan Scannell as her gay best friend and reluctant dungeon assistant, Bonding eagerly jumped into the BDSM world in season one, unfortunately presenting many falsehoods and stereotypes. Luckily, by season two, the series course corrected and more accurately represented the often misunderstood community. Over the enjoyable two seasons, Bonding crafted grounded and believable characters worth investing in and rooting for, even as they awkwardly fumbled through their lives, relationships, and sex work. – Yael Tygiel
Emily in Paris (2020-present)
Created by: Darren Star
Cast: Lily Collins, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Lucas Bravo, Ashley Park, Samuel Arnold, Camille Razat, and Lucien Laviscount
Emily in Paris follows the young, hot, and incredibly charismatic Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) as she’s swept away from Chicago to Paris for a new work opportunity after her relationship ends. When she arrives, Emily is stunned by just how different the culture in France is… and how nobody is going to take you seriously as an American in Paris who speaks absolutely no French. As Emily begins to adapt and live her new life, she’s swept away in some intense romances, particularly with the ever-handsome Gabriel (Lucas Bravo). The downside? He’s dating one of her two friends in the city, which complicates matters. But love and lust are in the air, and Emily has her eyes on multiple men. This Netflix original is a fun, sexy, enjoyable, and thankfully not-so-serious adventure and the many complications for Emily and the others in her life. It’s must-watch TV (even if it isn’t going to win any serious awards). - Jay Snow
Heartstopper (2022-present)
Created by: Alice Oseman
Cast: Joe Locke, Kit Connor, Yasmin Finney, William Gao, Rhea Norwood, Corinna Brown, and Olivia Coleman
What could be sexier than pure, genuine love and wholehearted respect? That’s exactly what Netflix’s Heartstopper offers, as the unexpected love story between Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) unfolds. Starting as friends, though Charlie certainly wants it to be more, Nick’s feelings for Charlie slowly begin to reveal themselves to him and cause him to question his sexuality for the first time. Meanwhile, after her transition, Elle (Yasmin Finney) is struggling to make new friends at the girls’ school, leading her to the perfect friends to join the friend group at large. Heartstopper is a heartwarming, beautiful, and emotional new addition to the Netflix catalog, and will continue to keep viewers warm as it’s been renewed for two more seasons just weeks after release. - Jay Snow
You (2018-present)
Created by: Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble
Cast: Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail, Shay Mitchell, Victoria Pedretti, Jenna Ortega, Saffron Burrows, Tati Gabrielle and Shalita Grant
Whether we like to admit it or not, there’s something intoxicating about serial killers. And few serial killers are as charming as Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley). While TV shows usually depict serial killers as cold people incapable of creating human bonds, Joe’s motivation for committing horrendous crimes is love. And you know what goes hand to hand with love? Sex! Lots of sex! You explore the raw nature of relationships, giving sex the spotlight as Joe does whatever he can to create meaningful connections with other human beings. That’s already reason enough for You to be one of the sexiest TV shows on Netflix, but the series also allows the viewer to follow Joe’s every thought, which forces us to understand even his most despicable actions as motivated by the need to create human bonds. Just watch out to not get lost in the sexiest side of You; the show is still about a villain. — Marco Vito Oddo
Sex Education (2019-present)
Created by: Laurie Nunn
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Connor Swindells, Kedar Williams-Stirling, Alistair Petrie
This Netflix series focuses on the teens of Moordale High as they navigate the awkwardness of puberty, sexuality, and high school. Sex Education tackles serious topics around sex, sexuality, and gender identity while still being fun and incredibly horny. Characters deal with a variety of issues such as pain with sex, navigating a non-binary identity in a binary world, and feeling self-conscious about their orgasm face. Students Otis (Asa Butterfield) and Maeve (Emma Mackey) open a secret “clinic” to answer their peers’ questions about sex and relationships that their woefully inadequate sex education program isn’t covering. They create a space where their classmates feel safe and understood in their troubles, away from the judgment of others. Sex Education humanizes sex in a truly unique way by showing the parts of it that aren’t typically considered sexy on-screen. It makes communication and vocalizing your needs sexy. It makes being vulnerable feel sexy. It doesn’t poke fun at anyone’s lack of knowledge, but instead creates an open dialogue for healthy conversations to happen both on and off-screen. - Brynna Arens
Bridgerton (2020-present)
Created by: Chris Van Dusen
Cast: Phoebe Dynevor, Régé-Jean Page, Nicola Coughlan, Jonathan Bailey, Luke Thompson, Claudia Jessie, Ruth Gemmell, Luke Newton, Adjoa Andoh, Golda Rosheuvel, Simone Ashley and Julie Andrews
Yes, Bridgerton is well-known for its incredibly horny sex scenes, but where this series truly excels is in the build-up. Bridgerton is set in regency-era London, which means that touching of any kind before marriage is greatly frowned upon. The brief touches, glances, and moments alone that occur between Simon, the Duke of Hastings, (Regé-Jean Page) and Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) during their courtship are honestly just as hot as the scenes that come during their honeymoon. The tension builds across so many episodes that by the time Simon and Daphne finally sleep together, it’s not just the lovers that feel a sense of relief. But Bridgerton has even more to offer than sex. The series balances its horny energy with plenty of romance, mystery, drama, and scandal to keep you hooked on Simon and Daphne’s story. – Brynna Arens
Sense8 (2015-2018)
Creator: The Wachowski Sisters & J. Michael Straczynski
Cast: Tuppence Middleton, Bae Doona, Jamie Clayton, Brian J. Smith, Miguel Angel Silvestre, Tina Desai, Toby Onwumere, Max Reimelt
Netflix has become known as the home of algorithmic-driven content, but in fairness, they are also home to some of the most insanely imaginative original creations in TV history. Thanks to the streamers willingness to play outside the TV rating rule book and get absolutely weird with it, we got series that would have never been greenlit elsewhere. Shows like The OA. Shows like Sense8. Created by The Matrix auteurs Lana and Lily Wachowski and Babylon 5’s J. Michael Straczynski, Sense8 follows a group of eight strangers who discover they are telepathically linked, connecting mentally and physically from all over the world, and have to discover the strengths in each other that will help them survive the people trying to hunt them down. That sounds like a fairly conventional set-up for a superhero adjacent narrative, but Sense8 takes a hard left at every expected opportunity, resulting in one of the most gleefully strange and sensual genre-heightened character dramas out there. And there are probably more orgies than you’re expecting.
Easy (2016-2019)
Created by: Joe Swanberg
Cast: Malin Åkerman, Jane Adams, Andrew Bachelor, Orlando Bloom, Zazie Beetz, Hannibal Buress, Aya Cash, Raúl Castillo
An anthology series from Drinking Buddies filmmaker Joe Swanberg, Easy follows the love lives of an interconnected group of friends and strangers in Chicago, and it’s one of the most undercelebrated early entries in Netflix’s original series lineup. Boasting an ensemble cast that includes Elisabeth Reaser, Michael Chernus, Dave Franco, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Kiersey Clemmons, Marc Maron, Zazie Beetz, Jake Johnson and many, many more, Easy tells contained stories about folks from all walks of life trying to navigate the modern landscape of love and dating, tackling subjects like polyamory, Me Too, and lots of online dating with refreshing depth and candor.
Some characters only appear once, like Karley Sciortino’s high-class hooker, who has to navigate different forms of intimacy with her clients, while some recur throughout – most notably Reaser and Chernus as a longtime married couple whose desire to spice up their sex life leads them to a sometimes beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking journey into an open marriage. It’s all highkey horny, but it’s also genuinely thoughtful about the once-taboo subjects its tackling. And sometimes, it’s just swelteringly hot, like the one-off episode starring Orlando Bloom and Malin Ackerman as young parents who discover they just missed the world of online dating and wind up courting a threesome. Like all anthologies, the quality varies from episode to episode, but the consistent throughline is the integrity with which Easy treats its characters, its commitment to crafting gripping drama with high emotional stakes, and yes, the horniness.
Orange Is the New Black (2013-2019)
Created by: Jenji Kohan
Cast: Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Michael Harney, Michelle Hurst, Kate Mulgrew, Jason Biggs, Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Taryn Manning
Orange Is the New Black was a game-changer for Netflix’s original series programming, but it was also a game-changer for inclusive feminist storytelling, following the diverse lives of the women in a minimum-security women’s prison. Embracing women of all ages, races, and sexualities, Orange Is the New Black carved out a place to put a spotlight on the stories that don’t usually get told on television – and made it must-watch TV with a knockout ensemble of performances, tightly-crafted narratives that are as gripping as they are often heartbreaking, and a healthy dose classic cable network sexytimes. But the sex in Orange Is the New Black doesn’t feel exploitative or cheap, though it can be refreshingly goofy, giddy and campy at times, it’s another highlight in the series’ inclusion, offering an honest look at queer sexuality and the complicated, sometimes corrupt power dynamics in sexual relationships, endowing an unprecedented spectrum of bodies and beauties with a place to claim that sexuality for all the good and bad it entails.
The Witcher (2019-present)
Created by: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
Cast: Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Eamon Farren, Anya Chalotra
The Witcher was known for a lot of things before the novel and gaming series made its way to Netflix; an epic and engrossing fantasy, a curt but charming silver-haired monster-hunter named Geralt of Rivia, Geralt’s deep and abiding loyalty to his steed, generational sagas of romance, family, and duty. And of course, the bathtub scenes. There’s nothing Geralt loves more than his steed, except maybe a good bath. Lauren Hissrich’s delightful Netflix series adaptation didn’t skimp on any of the beloved hallmarks, and that includes the sexy-as-heck bathtub scenes. Starring the absurdly beefy and square-jawed Henry Cavill as Geralt and Anya Chalotra as the powerful sorceress Yennefer, The Witcher keeps things steamy without ever losing track of the goofy sense of humor that makes it such a pleasure to watch. Just look at the sheer annoyance on Geralt’s face when he makes his way through Yennefer’s magic-fuelled orgy and you’ll have a pretty good sense of the tonal balance. In short, it’s both hot and a hoot.
She's Gotta Have It (2017-2019)
Created by: Spike Lee
Cast: DeWanda Wise, Anthony Ramos, Lyriq Bent, Cleo Anthony, Margot Bingham, Chyna Layne, De'Adre Aziza
Inspired by Spike Lee’s breakthrough film of the same name, Netflix’s 2017 She's Gotta Have It series (created by Lee himself) sees the return of Nola Darling, played here by DeWanda Wise and originated by Tracy Camilla Johns in the 1986 film, a self-described “sex-positive, polyamorous pansexual” young woman juggling her three lovers in gentrified modern-day Brooklyn while striving to find success as an artist. Lee’s original film was celebrated as a revolutionary representation of black female sexuality, and the series continues proudly in that tradition, exploring Nola’s sexual relationships without defining her by them – even more so in the series, which sees Lee return to the material a matured filmmaker, smart enough to steer clear of the punishing rape scene in the original (a choice Lee singled out as his one regret in a 2014 interview.) Instead, Netflix’s unfortunately short-lived She’s Gotta Have It has been celebrated as an empowered and empowering exploration of the black sexual experience, expertly updated to today’s culture, with all the cheeky comedy intact.
How to Get Away with Murder (2014-2020)
Created By: Peter Nowalk
Starring: Viola Davis, Billy Brown, Alfred Enoch, Jack Falahee, Katie Findlay, Aja Naomi King, Matt McGorry, Karla Souza, Charlie Weber, Liza Weil
There is perhaps no one better in the game at the moment when it comes to blending procedural intrigue, soapy drama, and sexy romance than Shonda Rhimes. The Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice creator turned towards the realm of courtroom dramas with murder mystery twist, and gave it her signature sprinkle of operatic dramatics underpinned by lusty liaisons in How to Get Away with Murder. Anchored by a leading performance from Viola freaking Davis, hitting weekly home runs to such dramatic heights, each is like a little Oscar-worthy performance in its own right, How to Get Away with Murder follows lawyer legend Annalise Keating (Davis) and her cabal of ambitious law students when they wind up in an ever-escalating web of violence, sex, lies, love, and of course, murder. Bonus points for featuring some of the more progressive, thoughtful and anti-tragedy porn depictions of the HIV positive experience.
The Magicians (2015-2020)
Created by: Sera Gamble and John McNamara
Cast: Jason Ralph, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Stella Maeve, Arjun Gupta, Hale Appleman, Summer Bishil
Lev Grossman’s celebrated trilogy of fantasy novels earned a reputation as a college-aged Harry Potter by way of Narnia, and the Syfy series adaptation lives up to that reputation in every way – in fact, it often surpasses it. As a fantasy series that’s distinctly for adults, The Magicians can be profane, twisted, wickedly clever and yep, very sexy. Though it’s rarely quite as overtly thirsty as the photo above (which takes place in a very nerdy but oh-so-sexy dream sequence), The Magicians is without a doubt a horny show. Set in a college-level school for the magically gifted, the series follows a group of young adults contending with romance, relationships, their growing gifts, and potentially world-ending evils that lead them to a magical land called Fillory and all the wonders therein. It’s a challenging, emotionally complex series that balances its most provocative and fantastical elements with rewarding, thoughtful character arcs (and keeps it sexy all the while.)
Outlander (2014-present)
Creator: Ronald D. Moore.
Cast: Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Duncan Lacroix, Sophie Skelton
Starz has a well-earned reputation for setting the bar when it comes to pushing the boundaries of on-screen sex, but no one’s ever done it as beautifully as Outlander. Based on the beloved series of books by Diana Gabaldon, Ronald D. Moore’s Starz adaptation stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Hueghan as Claire and Jaime Fraser, two lovers from different eras, thrown together by a mysterious timey-wimey flux that allows their epic love story to travel through imperative moments of world history. Just as each new location challenges their relationship in new ways, each new love scene unfolds a new dynamic between them. Outlander is a master class in storytelling through action, it’s just a different kind of action. You won’t find any crass sexposition or set dressing via nude extras here, each sex scene works as much as a character beat as it does extremely effective eroticism, and the result is a seductive, sensual period romance you’ll want to binge for all the right reasons.