Top 10 Movies About Flirting – A unique Perspective on Love, Romance and Intimacy
Flirting is completely different from hitting on somebody, making moves or when you happen to be drunk and lose your ability to say no. It is not love or romancing. It can be sexy, but doesn’t have to be. Sometimes it’s innocent and sometimes it’s quite pre-meditated with a desired outcome. It should be a subtle way to share what you think is special about yourself and what you think is special about the person you are with or interested in.
Not always wanting to end up in bed or especially close to the person you are flirting with. Sometimes it’s just a way to affirm your status, manhood or ability to attract a man, a Cougar or young woman from college (yes, both men and women flirt and often with the same goal in mind!). You can flirt as a married person or as a single, it just depends on how far you take it or how often you do it. Your consideration for your partner is also important here and if it isn’t, then you’re likely not flirting.
Couples Company has researched the top 10 movies that have flirting as their main theme and have some of the best (not necessarily outcomes) scenes with flirting in them. Our focus is on movies that appeared after the early 1980’s because of the generational, technical and cultural differences that exist between movies of different time periods. We address these issues on a sister article; “Lust, Love and Relationships; Generational Differences In Movies” and invite you to learn more about how much we have and haven’t changed over the past century. We hope you enjoy reading about these Top Flirting Films. With the thousands of films that have been released, we expect that we may be some differences in opinions about the list, so feel free to comment and add your thoughts. We also have an honorable mention list following this group and if you are interested in the methodology of how these movies were picked, we’ll be happy to share it with you!
1. Unfaithful – Heat index 5
R: 2002. Starring: Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Olivier Martinez. Director: Adrian Lyne. Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller. Awards (3) including: National Society of Film Critics Awards, best actress; New York Film Critics Circle Awards, best actress. Running Time: 124 min
Description: What a career Ms. Lane has had. Converting her ability to seduce and at the same time, be seduced into one of the most attractive and confident on screen characters oozing sexuality. When mixed with a Frenchman whose only interest is in helping her pick-up her lost papers (yeah, right), the flirting gives way to heated lust and ultimately murder. Absolutely worth a watch with your partner!
Rent or Buy: Now available for immediate streaming or download.
2. The Other Boleyn Sister – Natalie Portman and Scarlet Johansson (heat index 4)
Set in Henry the Eighths Court in Tudor England, this movie featured two sexy, vibrant women eventually succumbing to jealousy, lust, betrayal and any manner of consequences that can be imagined before losing ones head. The generations are featured here, first flirting innocently with no expected outcome and then, more directly with a desire for the throne. While reviews were mixed, relationships, intimacy, passion, sex and all manner in between were certainly dealt with and it deserves high mention in this article.
3. Flirt (1995) – Parker Posey (heat index 2)
A meandering art flick that tries to explore different aspects of flirting and the consequences of it (emotionally if not physically), it has earned some Rotten Tomato high mentions, but appears here not because of the word being in the title, but because it’s sexual tension, sometimes bizarre storyline transfers and bumpy acting (see the lead female actress) seems out of place and miscast. However, there are real benefits to trying to understand what is going on as flirting often causes the same angst as this movie did.
4. Dirty Dancing (1987) – Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray (heat index 3)
One of the most memorable films with innocent sexual tension bordering on fraying the accepted contemporary line for intimacy between a teenage girl and young man. There is plenty of verbal puppy dog love interplay as well as sweat and lip biting sensuality between these two while they were on the dance floor.
5. Dangerous Liaisons (1988) – Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer (heat index 4)
This is a period piece that plays very deeply into the romantic and passionate lives of bored aristocrats in Rococo France. All of the imagined sexual tension, expectations and betrayal are included with some fine acting and ideal casting. Removing the heat index level which includes the pre-sex, aggression and lust (conquest is more likely the actual objective in this movie), there is plenty of exceptionally talented flirting in the perceived old style that many individuals would consider fortunate to have heaped upon them in this courtship devoid culture we now live in.
6. Body of Evidence (1993) – Madonna and Willem Dafoe (heat index 3)
Not known for her acting, Madonna does demand a certain level of heat and can turn on the rough flirting with a rough potential suitor in Mr. Dafoe. The movie was described as titillating and was certainly that beyond the nudity which Madge frequently has not shied away from in her career. In this movie, there was no innocent, light hearted flirting. There were goals and objectives and all of the needs of the characters were provided with the end goals.
7. Pretty Woman (1990) – Julia Roberts and Richard Gere (heat index 1)
Well known as the break-out movie for Ms. Roberts, the idea of a call girl/hooker falling for a rich client is and vice versa, is not out of the feature film norm. There was plenty of good natured and then more directed flirting that went on as Ms. Roberts fought with her reality and what she could and couldn’t trust in humanity. A lighter movie than the previous two for sure, but a good example of calculating and then pre-meditated flirting on the part of both of these well known actors.
8. Lie With Me (2005) – Lauren Lee Smith and Eric Balfour (heat index 5)
An overtly sexual movie (more like soft porn), this Indie movie makes no excuses what the subject matter is about. Beyond the overt sexual scenes and appetite that the key characters have for sex everywhere, the fact that it is just that and crosses the bounds with the initial flirting, teasing being brought back to play each time the characters refuse to participate anymore, is a good example of the different types of flirting for something, just to tease, after a break-up and when reconnected. It can be painfully slow at times to watch, but is a fine example of the many types of flirting and the consequences, known and unknown.
9. Flirting (1991) – Nicole Kidman (heat index 2)
At the beginning of her career, Ms. Kidman uses her (earlier) feminine wiles to make mince meat out of a variety of young males. While it is not Oscar worthy, it has it’s cute moments and was likely missed by the majority of North Americans. Good for a rainy day or any day to see some true, young, sexual tension.
10. Little Mermaid (1989) – Animated Disney Jodi Benson as Ariel (heat index 1)
Now really, how could I not include Ariel when she fought so hard to win the attention and love of the Prince. She even gave up her home and fins! This movie is beloved by s many Echo Boomers and their parents for the innocent and youthful flirting that goes on for the better part of this movie to win the affections of the Prince despite Ariels fathers (and not just any father, but Neptune himself) objections. There are plenty of other animated movies with similar flirting such as with Shrek, Aladdin and others, but this one stand out above all the others for it’s sincerity, honesty and unabashed feelings.
Honorable Mention
You may see a theme in all of these movies with excellent examples of flirting in them. They start naively and innocently enough with the exception of a couple of movies. They also have excellent actors that can pull off the transitions from simple flirting to hot, intimate and sexually charged scenes. Diane Lane stands out here as she has played that part in a number of movies such as Nights in Rodanthe (2008) and in Under The Tuscan Sun (2003). We can also look to models turned actresses like Michele Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman.
For leading men that have the ability to convert flirting without being complete asses, into love, romance and passion, the late Heath Ledger had a movie in A Knight’s Tale (2001) similar to that of A Princess Bride (1987) with Carey Elwes and Robin Wright. We also can’t ignore the 007 franchise with heaping quantities of gratuitous flirting leading to sex with the main character and his female (usually) opponent, although that type of flirting is a little campy set with humor and expectation.
Other overt examples come from the perennial relationship mangler who is Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers (2005) and The Break-up (2006), as well as Ashton Kutcher in No Strings Attached (2011) and Valentine’s Day (2010). Other passive aggressive portrayals of flirting (almost deadly that is) came in Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. They each have flirting down to a science and use it well in that movie.
