The sexiest movies and TV shows on Showtime

If you’re looking for porn on Showtime, you don’t have to look too hard. Cinemax might have had the distinction of being called Skin-a-max in middle schools, but Showtime has always been a reliable provider of erotic content. Its focus on less mainstream Hollywood fair often lands it sexy indie hits, while its original series are among the dirtiest on cable. From real-life swinger shows to mainstream movies and softcore produced by real porn companies, Showtime has plenty to offer. Here are the sexiest movies and shows on Showtime right now.

Porn on Showtime: movies

1) Total Recall (1990)

Paul Verhoeven’s dystopian sci-fi classic about an intergalactic spy who regains his memory is best remembered for its graphic violence and special effects. But in the over the top world of Verhoeven, even the special effects are sexy. From the unbelievably stunning Sharon Stone as a femme fatal and multi-breasted mutants, there’s a little something for everything. Come for titillation, stay for the liberation of Mars.


2) Desert Hearts (1985)

Donna Deitch’s 1985 project is one of the most important queer films of the decade, as forward-thinking and sensual today as when it was released. After divorcing her husband, a New York professor named Vivian (Helen Shaver) sets out on a journey across 1959 Reno. On the way she meets Cay, a carefree young woman who offers her something she’s never considered. Desert Hearts is a shining example of why it’s important to escape the male gaze and allow women to tell their own stories. Many films are sexy, but very few also manage to be truly beautiful. This is one of those movies.

A scene from desert hearts showing two women driving in a car

3) Drive Angry (2011)

Nick Cage has a long and storied career, but it wasn’t until Drive Angry that he got his first great sex scene. In keeping with the over the top majesty of his career, it’s only fitting that sex scene should also include a gunfight. Drive Angry is a tribute to ’70s horror exploitation films, full of devil worship, cultists, sex, and muscle cars. In a perfect world, you could see it at the drive-in movie theater, but frankly, the sex scene is more fun to watch alone at home.

a scene from drive angry showing Nicholas Cage driving with a hole in his windscreen

4) Wedding Swingers (2019)

Weddings are a time for people to come together to celebrate memories old and new. When a group of college friends head to Palm Springs for a destination wedding it seems like old times again. But not everything that happens in college stays there, leading to a madcap series of sexy hijinks, fights, and love scenes. This deeply silly indie sex comedy leans playfully into the classic softcore porn of Showtime’s past.

Marketing image for the porn on showtime movie wedding swingers showing several people in underwear

5) Palm Swings (2017)

This cheesy late-night steamer sees a young married couple discover their neighbors are swingers after moving to Palm Springs. Turned on by the revelation, they decide to try their hand at opening their marriage, only to discover they might not have been as open-minded as they thought. An older cast elevates this sexy melodrama, which is far more entertaining that its silly cover art would suggest.

A suggestive scene showing a man and a woman on a sofa from the movie Palm Swings

6) Compulsion (2018)

After a bad fight with her boyfriend, Sadie, a fledgling erotica novelist, needs to get away for a while. So she leaves town to go visit an ex, joining him and his friend Francesca at an Italian villa. Soon Sadie finds herself falling in love with Francesca, starting a spiral that makes her question her own boundaries. This steamy BDSM-inflected tale isn’t high art, but it’s a fun, sexy thriller.

A woman leans on her arms in a scene from Compulsion

7) American Satan (2017)

Throw up your devil horns and get ready for some softcore B-movie horror schlock. American Satan tells the age-old story of a band that sells its soul to the devil for stardom. Soon, their enemies are dead and their bus bunks are full of naked women. A spin-off TV series was recently announced, and hopefully it’s as hypersexual as the movie that inspired it. Orgies, groupies, intra-band sex: everyone who isn’t the devil seems to get laid. Cross yourself, then take off your pants.

A man sits in a red bar in a scene from American Satan

8) Sin City (2005)

Robert Rodriguez did the seemingly impossible when he brought Frank Miller’s black-and-white comic book masterpiece Sin City to the big screen. Carefully blending green greens with stylized props, the movie brought comic books to life unlike any film before it. It also kept in Miller’s signature mix of graphic sex and violence. While the unpleasant nature of the story and misogyny often overshadow the sensuality, Sin City is still a guilty hedonist journey well worth your time.

Jessica Alba in a bikini in a scene from Sin City

9) Survival Island (2006)

When a rich couple, model Kelly Brook and Titanic’s Billy Zane, crash-land on an island with their handsome servant, they band together in the name of survival. But isolation births a love triangle, and soon, lust is a greater danger than nature itself. This is 100% trash, but the cast is gorgeous and sex scenes graphic. Check your brain at the door and enjoy.

A topless woman stands on a beach in a scene from Survival Island

10) Swung (2018) 

Movies about swinging and swapping partners are all the rage but they’re often very silly. The British drama Swung is a friendly exception, taking a thoughtful if sometimes oversimplified look at the world of open relationships. While the story is soapy fun, the real star of the show is the multiple kinky sex scenes and ample nudity. Don’t go in expecting anything too serious and you’ll have fun. 


Porn on Showtime: original series

11) The Borgias

If The Sopranos were the aspirational crime family of the ’00s, the Borgias held the title for the 15th century. The Borgias is a ruthless historical drama, rooted in murder and religious corruption in the name pursuing power. There’s also plenty of beautifully shot sex scenes. The series eventually starts to explore the concept of incest, though Game of Thrones proved that’s not a deal-breaker for many viewers.

Three people stand in old fashioned outfits in an image from borgias

12) Californication

Showtime’s hit comedy Californication is sort of a sex addiction-fueled cousin to Curb Your Enthusiasm, full of morally repugnant characters you’ll want to follow anyway. David Duchovny stars as Hank Moody, a novelist who moves to Los Angeles when the film rights to one of his books are purchased. Struggling to juggle writer’s block, a steady stream of women, and his life as a single father, Hank consistently finds himself sabotaged by his own arrogance. Duchovny’s charming performance anchors the series, giving him humanity even when his libido gets him in trouble. If you removed the graphic sex, this show could be a hit on A&E. Of course, each episode would also be five minutes shorter.  

A man sits smoking in a convertible in an image from Californication

13) The L Word

When it debuted in 2004, The L Word was the first TV show to focus entirely on a group of queer women. While understandably criticized for mostly focusing on conventionally beautiful and skinny cis white women, The L Word also holds the distinction of showing the wildly nuanced world of lesbian sex in a way that traditionally heteronormative movies and series haven’t. Despite what media directed by straight men has taught us, lesbian sex is not monolithic, and The L Word explored a broad range of its nuances. The result is an intensely erotic soap opera, with characters you’ll fall in love with and betrayals that hurt. Just don’t judge it too harshly for the last season.

Multiple women embrace in an image from the showtime original series The L Word

14) Polyamory: Married & Dating

The makers of Polyamory seem to want the show to be a thoughtful examination of the ups and downs of open relationships. Showtime, on the other hand, wanted a softcore show. It’s viewers who win with the compromise, a sexy mix of obscured real sex, drama, and interview footage from actual couples.

Three people hold hands in a scene from the showtime original series polyamory

15) Secret Diary of a Call Girl

Hannah Baxter’s parents are positive she’s working as a legal secretary, but their college graduate daughter has a secret. At night she lives as Belle, an exclusive London escort, having sex with men to fund her lavish lifestyle. At first its all fun and games, but when her two worlds threaten to merge, Hannah has to act fast to cover her tracks. Sexy, often funny, and just trashy enough to be fun, Secret Diary of a Call Girl is a steamy delight. It’s one of the more obvious porn on Showtime offerings.

Billie Piper talks on a mobile phone in a scene from secret diary of a call girl

16) Shameless

Shameless is a dark comedy, anchored by incredible performances from William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum, and a steady stream of sex scenes. Macy stars as Frank Gallagher, a single father of six kids and an alcoholic. His eldest daughter Fiona, played by Rossum, does her best to hold the family together with hysterical and occasionally heartbreaking results. It may not sound like an erotic story, but tell that to the people who compile each season’s sex scenes on sites like Pornhub to watch later. Don’t just look it up online. 

William H. MAcy stands in a Godlike pose in a scene from shameless

17) Submission

Created by porn director Jacky St. James after she was unhappy with the way BDSM was portrayed in 50 Shades of Grey, Submission is an erotic alternative for spanking fans. After escaping a bad relationship, Ashley Pendleton finds a mysterious erotic novel entitled SLAVE. Her investigation into the book opens a door to the world of BDSM, a place where discipline, pain, and sexual pleasures co-exist. Flirting with kink and polyamory, Submission is an erotically charged ride starring actual porn performers. It’s some of the most legit porn on Showtime.

Two women in bikinis talk in a scene from Submission

Still not sure what to watch on Showtime? Here are the best documentaries and movies on Showtime streaming right now, and the best Showtime original series of all time.

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Editor’s note: This article is regularly updated for relevance.