You want to watch porn but don’t want to deal with a bunch of HD dicks on PornHub? There is a happy medium between graphic porn flicks and ones that are just seductive enough to get the job done without skewing all of your internet advertisements for months. This is where softcore pornography, sometimes known as just softcore for those who prefer a little more sensuality and a little less sex. Softcore porn was popular in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, especially during the peak of the sexploitation genre.
While softcore porn is definitely more difficult to come by these days, that doesn’t imply it’s impossible. You can still view lots of old classics thanks to the wonders of the internet—and, believe it or not, there are still auteurs making new stuff in the softcore category. Is your curiosity piqued yet? If it is, but you’re not sure where to begin your own softcore porn watching trip, keep reading because we’ve compiled a list of possibilities that demonstrate the breadth of what this genre has to offer. May we respectfully recommend that you begin your softcore journey with these?
1. ‘Embrace of the Vampire’
Featuring, perhaps surprisingly, a teenage Alyssa Milano as—wait for it—what else? —a collegiate co-ed, this campy softcore classic has just the right amount of absurdity and eroticism. It’s as if Twilight had actually gone all the way.
2. ‘Animal Instincts’
This film’s plot revolves around a cop who wants to liven up his marriage by photographing his wife having numerous sexual encounters with other people.
There’s more to the story when they end up in trouble with a mobster—that classic narrative! —but, let’s be honest, you won’t be watching it for the plot if the sex scenes are this hot.
3. ‘Angels of Sex’
A sexy Spanish-language film about stunning students who have a lot of steamy sex with each other and learn a lot about love and growing up in the process. We adore coming-of-age softcore porn!
4. ‘A Perfect Ending’
A spicy, Spanish-language film about stunning students who have a bunch of steamy sex with one other and, in the process, learn some things about love and growing up. We adore a good coming-of-age softcore porn!
5. ‘The First Turn-On!’
If you want some softcore sexiness with a bit more fun and humor, check out The First Turn-On! from 1983. The plot revolves around a group of campers (and their mandatory counselor escort) who were trapped in a cave following a landslide and decided to pass the time by telling stories about their first experiences. Just like you.
6. ‘Erika’s Hot Summer’
Nothing quite catches the essence of softcore porn like the ’70s aesthetic, and Erika’s Hot Summer is about as typically ’70s softcore as it gets. In terms of plot, the film is about a photographer who travels the world photographing and having sex with a never-ending stream of gorgeous women—until he finds Erika. Erika is his personal playboy kryptonite, and once he’s had her, no one else can compare.
7. ‘Room in Rome’
If you’re looking for softcore porn that’s a little more character-driven, check out Room in Rome. The 2010 Spanish movie tells the story of two ladies who meet as strangers and share a passionate night together while exchanging private anecdotes about their traumatic pasts.
8. ‘Two Moon Junction’
Two Moon Junction is a must-see for everyone who enjoys a fair dose of ’80s camp in their softcore viewing. April Delongpre, a 21-year-old Southern belle (and senator’s daughter), has been pushed into an engagement to a boy named Chad Douglas Fairchild, who is exactly as Chad Douglas Fairchild-y as the name suggests. April eventually falls for the least Chad Douglas Fairchild-like guy in town, Perry, a carnival worker/drifter. Sexiness ensues.
9. ‘Love Camp’
Love Camp (also known as Die Todesgöttin des Liebescamps) is a 1981 West German softcore rock musical that is everything you never knew you wanted in a pornographic film. The film, which stars sex icon Laura Gemser, is about free love and sexual emancipation.
10. ‘The Key’
This 2014 sexual drama stars David Arquette and Bai Ling and is partially based on the 1956 Japanese novel of the same name. It depicts the narrative of a married couple who start keeping sex diaries to capture their love lives.
11. ‘Touch Me Not’
If you’re looking for a more recent offering in the softcore category, 2018’s Touch Me Not is an excellent choice. The film is part documentary, part fiction, and follows a filmmaker (Adina Pintilie) as she does personal research on intimacy with a collection of characters.
12. ‘Bikini Jones and the Temple of Eros’
If you want your softcore jollies with a strong dose of camp, then Bikini Jones and the Temple of Eros (shown here with its foreign release DVD cover since the art is so much nicer than the English cover art) is the film for you. The plot centers around Dr. Bikini Jones (Christine Nguyen), an archaeologist in the Indiana Jones tradition, who steals a golden idol that happens to be the key to the Temple of Eros. Bikini Jones competes against her arch adversary, the suitably titled Evilla Cruella, for ownership of a magical Tiara that transforms its bearer into the ultimate ruler of Moronica. No. Joke.
13. The ‘Emmanuelle’ Series
The Emmanuelle films are a collection of French softcore porn films about a woman who wants to spice up her sex life. The original (also known as Emmanuelle), which debuted in 1974, was the first X-rated film to be distributed in the United States (shout out to Columbia Pictures). That should be noted. This series, like many 1970s films, includes a lot of ambiguity, which has sparked a lot of feminist debate regarding whether Emmanuelle is a victim being exploited, or a woman enjoying her sexuality.
14. ‘Red Shoe Diaries’
No softcore porn is more classic than Red Shoe Diaries, a Showtime series (yes, a TV show, not a movie) about various women’s sexual experiences, narrated by none other than X-Files actor David Duchovny. The episodes are equally funny, iconic, and sexual.
15. ‘Emilienne’
Emilienne is a 1975 French erotic film about a thrupple. To cut a long story short, a man who is having an affair will not abandon his wife for his mistress. The good news is… Everyone appreciates a ménage à trois when the mistress and wife fall in love.
16. ‘Man of my Dreams’
This film, which won “Most Sensual Softcore” at the Feminist Porn Awards, stars eight men, each of whom represents a distinct sexual desire. Man of My Dreams is described by the Feminist Porn Awards as a “Choose Your Own Sexual Adventure,” including cameos by porn archetypes such as the gorgeous fireman, attractive handyman, and sexy masseur. Choose your poison.
17. ‘Eyes of Desire’
Nothing like some late ’90s softcore porn, right? The film Eyes of Desire is about a photojournalist who investigates certain casual sexual taboos while staying in a “hillside mansion.”
18. ‘The Pleasure Professionals’
JoyBear, a sex positive erotic video production firm, gave everyone The Pleasure Professionals in 2013, and it’s so wonderful that it won the Feminist Porn Awards’ Most Sensual Softcore Movie that year. The plot revolves around “Executive Relief Consultants,” which, as you might expect, is a specialized service for businessmen and ladies looking to better their sexual lives.
19. ‘Eros’
Eros isn’t *necessarily* a softcore film, but there is a lot of softcore sex in it. The 2004 anthology includes three short films on love/sex by Wong Kar-wai, Steven Soderbergh, and Michelangelo Antonioni.
20. ‘Christine’s Secret’
Candida Royalle, a former adult film star, wanted to make a difference in the pornographic game and founded Femme Productions, a firm dedicated to producing sexual pictures from a female perspective, in the 1980s. Christine’s Secret is a Femme Productions classic from 1986.
21. ‘Aphrodite’
Aphrodite (also spelled ‘AphrOdite’ — emphasis on the ‘O’) is a 1982 French-Swiss film based on Pierre Lous’ novel Aphrodite: murs antiques. The plot is straightforward: a group of people visit an island and participate in a variety of sensual activities.
