**Yep, this is explicit content, but nowhere near as [unnecessarily] raunchy as some of the movies mentioned.**

There’s a video on YouTube, by Netflix, where children react to the sex scenes from Lady Chatterley’s Lover with their parents. Of course all the body parts were blurred out because it’s YouTube.

Because of this video, I recently watched Lady Chatterley’s Lover and found myself being completely immersed in the love story.

The sex scenes in Lady Chatterley’s Lover added to the romance and intimacy of the characters’ love story. Instead of making the film seem raunchy or create moments of cringe, the physically intimate scenes made the film more of a work of art, both aesthetically and with the plot. It’s the first explicit work film I’ve watched in a while where the sex scenes didn’t make me cringe and give off soft porn energy.

Let me backtrack a moment.

Since the premiere/introduction of Fifty Shades of Grey, it feels like works based around sex and NSFW content are simply an excuse to release soft porn and capture the funds of those with insane sex drive… or sex addiction… or whatever. If I remember correctly, the Fifty Shades of Grey books appealed to the horny mid-40s crowd, but apparently the movies lack the same plot [and steam] as the books, which added to the unsettling scenes. The After movie series is on the same wavelength, except geared towards teenagers and young adults. It’s a movie with a weird plot that doesn’t match the book series—though both do an excellent job at showcasing a very toxic relationship—and has sex scenes thrown in at bad times, which just results in me cringing.

Though it puts Fifty Shades of Grey scenes to shame, 365 Days is another example of a weird way to put soft porn on any screen. Remember that trend on TikTok where people reacted the notorious boat scene? It’s a Netflix original movie with an uncomfortable, questionable plot that showcases a weird kidnapping turning into a weird, seemingly toxic, love story revolved around being rich and getting laid. Literally, the entire sequel was nothing but sex, a sad attempt at topping the boat scene, which became disturbing to watch as I settled in my discomfort.

With the aforementioned three movies, I felt nothing as I watched everyone get down and dirty. The only reason I finished any of those movies is because I am a big stickler for finishing everything I start (except egg-shaped Tootsie Rolls, as I’ve discovered recently), including raunchy film series with nonexistent plots.

As I watched Lady Chatterley’s Lover, I felt the longing she was experiencing. I could see the emptiness of her heart become full, and the sex added to the intimacy of the connection she was experiencing—the freedom she felt with her lover. There’s a scene where she attempts to pleasure herself, a physical representation of attempting to make herself feel whole, a wholeness she wasn’t getting from her disabled husband. The progression of the sex scenes, which showcased various kinds of sex, paralleled with her emotional journey. The love and plot and emotions of this story were so intense, I truly felt like I was intruding.

As many others on the internet have expressed, Fifty Shades of Grey started some form of “publicizing soft porn movement,” but the sex in Lady Chatterley’s Lover is changing the narrative by showcasing that sex can be art and a physical representation of a character’s emotional journey.