The Sexiest Movie Scenes of 2024: Challengers' Steamy 3-Way Kiss and More

The temperatures may be dropping as 2024 comes to an end, but this year’s sexiest movie scenes still have Us sweating.

From a sports drama about three tennis superstars in a decades-long love triangle to a movie musical adaptation of a Broadway show, every genre delivered steamy, red-hot moments to keep viewers swooning. For Glen Powell and Adria Arjona’s Hit Man — a romantic thriller about a fake bounty hunter falling in love with a desperate woman trying to flee her abusive husband – that cackling chemistry was imperative to making their movie a success.

Luckily, Arjona had ideas. The actress, who stars as Madison in the film, came up with a Pinterest board where she and Powell could share images from their favorite movies to understand each other’s tastes.

“Everyone finds different things sensual,” Arjona explained to Variety in a June interview. “It was interesting to see both of our perspectives, hone in and start molding it from that sense. It sparked conversations that you wouldn’t normally have, because we were in the process of creating it.”

Michael Douglas Feels Like Intimacy Coordinators Take 'Control Away'

Powell, for his part, agreed that connecting in other ways helped them become more intimate on screen, likening it to storyboarding the emotional journey the characters would take.

“So often, sex scenes feel almost divorced from the movie, like a marketing play or it feels icky,” Powell, who plays Gary — among other characters — explained to the outlet. “In [Hit Man], those scenes are crucial in the changing and seizing of identity. You have to see a guy who sees the world in such a binary, stale place checking logic at the door and becoming a whole new person. This romantic relationship is really expediting it. It’s the catalyst for everything.”

Keep scrolling for the sexiest movie scenes of 2024:

Ryan Gosling’s Slo-Mo Wet T-Shirt Moment in ‘The Fall Guy’

We’d like to personally thank Daivd Leitch for his contribution to this list. While the director could technically be credited for every Ryan Gosling scene in The Fall Guy — and for that matter, every Emily Blunt scene as well — a particular shoutout must be made to Gosling’s third-act rise from the ashes where, after viewers think his character, Colt Seavers, has just launched himself into a fiery pit of death, he uses his stuntman expertise to swim to safety.

As Colt picks himself up and rises from the water, bruised and battered and totally drenched in a tight white tank top, “I Was Made for Loving You” by Yungblud plays in the background and the camera catches every glistening muscle on Gosling’s body in slow motion. Leitch knew exactly what he was doing here and we’re not sure anyone has ever looked hotter.

Jonathan Bailey Dancing Through Life in ‘Wicked’

We could spout off a million words to describe Jonathan Bailey’s rendition of “Dancing Through Life” in the Wicked movie, but we really only need one: swoon. The actor had Us — and all of Shiz University — totally mesmerized as he glided, flipped and flirted his way through the iconic song, proving that his sex appeal is undeniable in any universe.

The hair, the smirk, the voice, the blue contacts — not to mention the fact he did his own stunts and sang live — are more than enough to send Us over the edge. Is Wicked Part 2 out yet? We’ve never been attracted to a Scarecrow before, but we’re willing to try new things.

All of ‘Gladiator II’ 

Sorry, you expected Us to watch a movie starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington and pick its sexiest moment? This entire movie is sizzling with (often shirtless) attractive men making grand speeches in various accents, and it is all worthy of this list.

And while we are absolutely positive there is a plot happening in this Ridley Scott-directed sequel, it’s admittedly hard to think straight while staring into Mescal’s baby blues. We’re pretty sure we were supposed to root for him in the movie, but truth be told, we’d follow him into any arena. Actually, villains or not, we’d do the same for Pascal and Washington, too.

Challengers’ 3-Way Kiss 

The makeout scene between Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor’s Challengers characters was one of the most hyped-up movie moments of 2024 and it did not disappoint.

The film centers on a love triangle between three professional tennis players over the course of multiple decades. If you asked the actors or director Luca Guadagnino, they’d likely say that tennis is the sex of the sports drama. But with the chemistry between the three leads and the intense electronic-disco-type score, it’s hard to ignore the moments where the sex is all about, well, sex.

The three-way kiss — which takes place in the first act of the film before things truly get deeply messy between the three friends — never goes any further, but the tension is what makes it so successful. It lays the groundwork for the mutual attraction (and at times, hatred) between all involved, something that continues to build throughout the movie.

It all culminates to a final knockdown, drag out match between O’Connor and Faist, with Zendaya — much like their kiss — sitting sandwiched in the middle. The only downside? Challengers unfortunately ends before viewers ever really get what they want, which is for this trio to leave the fighting behind and just live happily ever after as a throuple.

Hit Man’s Sexy Sting Note Operation 

You probably thought we were going to choose Glen Powell and Adria Arjona’s steamy roleplay montage for Hit Man’s sexiest moment — and we get that. But nothing was quite hotter than watching Powell and Arjona’s character’s come together in the climax of the film and successfully get away with (literal) murder via the use of the iPhone Notes app.

When Powell’s Gary, fully wearing a wire, comes up with an on-the-fly, surprise plan to shake off the cops, Arjona’s Madison doesn’t miss a beat as the two concoct a fake blowout in order to look innocent. The pair remain fully clothed, but something about their undeniable sparks — and ability to read each other’s minds — is sexier than any moment where they’re actually getting naked (which is also very hot, to be clear).

Austin Butler and Jodie Comer’s Sexy Meet Cute in ‘Bikeriders’

There’s nothing sweeter than watching two people lock eyes across the room and form an instant connection. Make those two people Austin Butler and Jodie Comer and things are taken to a whole new level. The couple’s tumultuous romance endures its ups and downs throughout the entirety of Jeff Nichols’ Bikeriders but their first night together — where Comer’s character Kathy has a very relatable reaction of being speechless at the mere sight of Butler’s Benny — is pure perfection.

As Benny saunters over to Comer and spins his chair around to gaze into her eyes, the two stare longingly at each other so intimately it feels like the viewer is intruding. While Kathy tries to play it cool, she still ends up riding off with Benny on the back of his bike — despite having a serious boyfriend at home. If Austin Butler looked at Us like that, we’d follow him anywhere, too.

Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine’s Hot Hotel Rendezvous in ‘The Idea of You’

Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine sizzle from start to finish in this age-gap romantic drama which follows Soléne (Hathaway) as she embarks on an unexpected and passionate tryst with boy bander Hayes (Galitzine). Based on the book of the same name by Robinne Lee, the movie is total wish fulfillment and fantasy, which only adds to the overall sex appeal.

However with all due respect to Galitzine’s perfectly played rockstar vibe, the real sexy standout of this film is Hathaway, who, after her character endures a painful divorce, reclaims her sexuality, self and power. Watching her explore new adventures and realize that, yes, women are allowed to still feel pleasure and be desired at any age, is as sexy as it gets.

Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brien’s ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ Stretch Session

There is toxicity up and down all of Rose Glass’ erotic thriller but that doesn’t negate the undeniable red-hot moments that also exist between Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brien’s Lou and Jackie. When they aren’t fighting, the two deliver an endless array of steamy moments just by their natural magnet-like chemistry together.

However, nothing beats Lou saying she wants to “stretch” Jackie to “see how far” she can go. Between puffs of her joint, Lou enters the bathroom and makes her declaration, showing a true understanding of her partner’s competitive spirit. The pleasure that the two experience from there is something you’ll just have to see for yourself.

Wolverine Ripping His Shirt Off in ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’

We’re sure that a lot of important information and plot was revealed during the climactic scene of Deadpool & Wolverine but don’t ask Us to explain it. Truth is, we were too mesmerized by Wolverine a.k.a Hugh Jackman’s suit exploding off his body exposing an array of rippling, glistening muscles to follow along all that closely.

We mean no disrespect to the superhero flick, but at age 56, Jackman looks better than any of Us ever will and it was impossible not to marvel at his perfectly toned physique. Something tells Us director Shawn Levy would understand — he did shoot the scene that way for a reason — and even the canonically bisexual Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) can’t help but take a moment to drool over Jackman’s eight-pack.

Chad Michael Murray’s ‘Magic Mike’ Moment in ‘The Merry Gentlemen’

Let’s keep this last item on the list short and sweet. The Merry Gentlemen follows Chad Michael Murray as he joins a all-male revue to help his love interest’s (played by Britt Robertson) failing bar stay afloat. Yes, his character is a small town handyman named Lucas (One Tree Hill fans, IYKYK) with a heart of gold who spends most of the movie showing off his six pack doing body rolls while shirtless on stage. Any questions?