Best Movies Like 365 Days

The Polish movie 365 DNI, or 365 Days in English, has been a massive success since getting a wide release on Netflix in 2020. Many fell quickly for the charms of Laura and Massimo, no matter how silly the story could be at times. Fans looking for a popcorn thriller with plenty of hot scenes will be more than happy with what’s on offer here.

While the sequels, 365 Days: This Day and The Next 365 Day, scratch much of the same itch, they still aren’t enough for fans, many are now looking for similarly steamy mainstream movies to indulge their need for more from this ever more popular sub-genre. While nothing out there presents the same style as 365 Days, many similar movies have been released over the years that are like the Polish thriller.

Updated December 25, 2024 by Mark Sammut: The holidays are here, and many groups from all walks of life will be sitting down to enjoy each other’s company. At some point, they might wish to put on a film. Now, admittedly, movies like 365 Days will probably not be most people’s first choices, but they can be incredibly entertaining with the right crowd. Two more recommendations have been added.

18

Eyes Wide Shut

A Twisted Tale Of Secrecy & Sex

Stanley Kubrick is a master of his craft, and it’s a shame that he didn’t manage to complete his editing process on Eyes Wide Shut before meeting an untimely demise that rocked the entire filmmaking world to its core. To this day, the director is touted by many as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, and people are still influenced by his work and hold it to an extremely high standard that very few people have managed to reach.

Eyes Wide Shut is an erotic psychological thriller that focuses on the exploits of a couple who deal with marital issues of their own while toying around with the concept of infidelity in many unique ways. The movie almost feels surreal in certain instances, making for an intense watch, and shows just how much of a master Kubrick was of his craft, relentlessly editing the movie days before his death.

17

Indiscretion

Fun & Sordid

A movie that combines a bunch of steamy scenes with a political thriller, Indiscretion is a unique blend of genres that fans of 365 Days will have a great time with. The movie’s setup deals with the wife of a politician who ends up having an affair with a young artist, only for things to spiral out of control after the man ends up developing a dangerous obsession with her.

It may not be a mind-blowing movie by any stretch of the imagination, but Indiscretion is a great choice for a couple looking for a more raunchy movie to watch over the weekend. The shots are decent, the plot gets the job done, and the actors succeed in convincing the audience just how crazy they are for each other throughout the movie’s runtime.

16

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

A More Artistic Option

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a unique movie that hooks viewers in from the get-go, featuring two young women who go on a trip to Barcelona and get enamored with an interesting man named Juan Antonio who offers to court them both for the night. However, it turns out that Juan has a crazy ex-wife who is still hopelessly in love with him…and this feeling is mutual, as the movie slowly progresses and explores their unique relationship.

The movie can be pretty funny, with its steamier scenes handled with great delicacy. The cast is also quite talented, with the trio of Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, and Penelope Cruz doing great justice to their characters and showing off the wealth of talents at their disposal.

15

Fair Play

Finance, Ambition, & Steamy Romance

Fair Play is all about power, somewhat similar to 365 Days. Now, on paper, the finance industry might not sound as exciting as Italy or Poland, but this 2023 movie does a fantastic job of exploring the world of hedge funds through a romance between two coworkers. Opting to keep their relationship a secret due to their company prohibiting fraternization, Luke and Emily are a pretty great couple who do not hesitate to embrace their passion when they are alone. They even plan to get married.

However, their dynamic takes a strange turn when Emily receives a promotion and Luke ends up working for her. This shift throws their balance off, turning this romance into a surprisingly intense thriller. While not featuring as many steamy scenes as some other recommendations, Fair Play is a well-written drama that throws out quite a few effective twists.

14

Fifty Shades Of Grey

A Mainstream Alternative

Fifty Shades of Grey is one of the first movies that comes to mind when people talk about 365 Days, and it’s easy to see why this is the case. The novel that inspired this movie became a cultural phenomenon, with its steamy content being right up the alley of many readers.

Expectations were high for Fifty Shades of Grey due to the popularity and infamy of the novels, and an argument could be made that the movie delivered despite having its fair share of flaws. It’s by no means a perfect adaptation, but Fifty Shades of Grey does enough things right to satiate most fans. The sequels are more of a mixed bag, though.

13

Young & Beautiful

A Rough Journey

Young & Beautiful is a very different film from 365 Days, taking a more melancholy and grounded look at sexuality. That said, fans interested in a story that examines unusual relationship dynamics will want to check this out, as long as they are not craving an escapist fantasy. On the cusp of adulthood, Isabelle comes from a well-off family and seems to have everything she could want; however, she feels a relentless unease and a lack of direction. As she begins to explore sex, she becomes more unfulfilled and unsure of who she is.

The movie follows Isabelle as she enters prostitution and has multiple encounters with different clients, including an older guy who she builds a connection with. Young & Beautiful provides a fascinating and nuanced look at sexual exploration and identity.

12

The Girl Next Door

Cute And Funny

The Girl Next Door is a funny rom-com that fans of 365 Days can have a great time with. The movie takes a look at the life of a high school student and how his life is turned upside down after a former adult actress moves in next door.

The chain of events that occurs is hilarious and makes this movie well worth a watch. It helps that Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert have great chemistry, which is readily apparent throughout the entire movie.

Not to be confused with 2007’s The Girl Next Door.

11

Burning Betrayal

Straight To The Point

A lot of criticisms have been flung at 365 Days‘ shallowness, but in its defense, the movie knows what it wants to be. Not every flick needs to be high art, and sometimes all that is required is two protagonists and a touch of chemistry. Burning Betrayal seems to agree as it wastes very little time in bringing its couple together.

Sure, there is something resembling a story as the female lead, Babi, learns that her partner has been cheating on her, causing her to jump on a bike and head out into the unknown. However, this premise mostly exists to get her into Marco’s path and arms, allowing the pair’s chemistry to carry the film. Hey, the formula works.

10

Friends With Benefits

Great Chemistry Between The Leads

Speaking of rom-coms, another great movie that comes to mind is Friends with Benefits. The duo of Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis starts in a hilarious movie that explores the concept of being more than friends and the complications that arise within such a dynamic.

Friends with Benefits is a great movie, and fans of 365 Days can definitely get some enjoyment out of watching this flick. The humor and writing are top-notch, keeping things fresh and engaging till the movie reaches its bombastic climax.

9

After

A Rough Relationship

After is less preoccupied with explicit scenes and focuses more on the loving, tumultuous relationship between the young, inexperienced Tessa and bad boy Hardin. While the book this adaptation came from was originally a piece of fan fiction about One Direction, that hasn’t limited the movie’s success. After all, many of the most generic rom-coms are great ones.

Whether the movie’s writing is up to scratch is up for debate among fans and critics, but if anyone hasn’t seen it yet, then it is still a good time to get on the hype train as another two sequels and a prequel are planned for the franchise. There are plenty of steamy scenes to please 365 Days fans as well.

After produced four sequels, and the series is not done yet.

8

The Voyeurs

A Different Sort Of Desire

While The Voyeurs is somewhat of a turn away from the exact style of 365 Days, this story about a young couple becoming obsessed with their neighbors’ sex life will thrill fans all the same. Sydney Sweeney and Justice Smith star as a young woman who can’t take her eyes off another couple, and her increasingly concerned boyfriend.

While The Voyeurs relies more on the thriller aspect and only has a few steamier scenes, it deals with the fascination with taboo sex that some fans of movies like 365 Days might be able to relate to. The twists and turns that the movie takes along the way are intriguing and will keep audiences hooked until the end.

7

Below Her Mouth

A Same-Gender Affair

If audiences wish they could find something on the LGBTQIA+ side of things in cinema that was similarly filled with scenes of an explicit nature, Below Her Mouth is perfect. The movie, about a young woman engaged to a man who meets a confident lesbian and falls for her, contains plenty of sex scenes and has been praised for the steaminess it brings to the screen.

While critics have panned the movie as failing on a more dramatic level, fans of 365 Days should enjoy what it brings and the two characters’ emotional journeys throughout. While Below Her Mouth deals with several LGBT tropes that are familiar, it does it knowingly and will make interesting viewing for fans of the sub-genre.

6

Newness

Raunch With A Side Of Depth

Dealing much more with modern relationships and dating apps, Newness features Nicholas Hoult and Laia Costa as a pair of millennials who meet on a dating app and begin a relationship. After they both cheat on each other, they decide to have an open relationship which turns tumultuous and begins causing arguments between them.

Filled with sexual scenes featuring the couple and each of them individually sleeping with other people, Newness deals with the emotional side of modern dating as well as the sexier side of things and will intrigue fans of 365 Days who themselves are in the midst of this modern dating culture. None of the other movies like 365 Days are exactly wholesome but Newness tries to bring things to a nicer conclusion than some others above and below it.

5

Elles

A European Exercise

If the European style of 365 Days is something that someone is seeking more of, Elles should be perfect. About a journalist writing an article on prostitution, this French/Polish movie deals with several sexual and emotional topics.

The movie focuses on the interviews conducted between the journalist and two prostitutes as they recount many experiences they have had over the years and how they feel about their work. It also reveals how this later affects the journalist and her relationship with her husband. While a quieter, more contemplative movie than some others included in this article, Elles does plenty to keep the scenes steamy for viewers as well.

4

Secretary

Best In Class

Honestly, Secretary is a better shout for Fifty Shades of Grey fans than 365 Days, but it is a good enough movie to warrant a general recommendation. As implied by the title, the story revolves around the relationship between an attorney and his secretary, both of whom struggle with control to an extent. While James Spader’s Edward Grey is very rigid and domineering, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Lee is the exact opposite, preferring to surrender control whenever possible. Secretary does a great job of exploring their psyches and histories, providing insight into their development without focusing too much on their backstories.

Led by two charismatic actors who are both more than capable of handling drama and comedy, Secretary has a wicked sense of humor that manages to produce big laughs without coming across like a parody. As far as stories dealing with this type of relationship are concerned, this movie is right up there with the best of them.

3

Amar

Intense Love

A Spanish movie about a complicated, intense relationship that lasts for one year, Amar deals with Laura and Carlos. The pair decide to love each other as if every day was their last together, and Laura dreams of becoming pregnant one day as she breaks away from her previous life.

While Amar focuses greatly on the relationship between these two people, it also has a great number of steamier sex scenes that audiences were thrilled by when it was first released in 2017. It’s also got a similarly European vibe to 365 Days, dealing with the intensity of the sudden relationship.

2

Through My Window

Sordid Trilogy

Another Spanish movie, Through My Window deals with a couple that fans of 365 Days will love. Raquel is a teenage girl obsessed with Ares, one of the three heirs to a huge company that lives in a mansion next to her house.

When their lives become entangled, Raquel goes after what she wants, and they end up together, though a series of petty arguments slow the progress of their relationship. However, Through My Window doesn’t shy away from many moments of steamy glances which evolve by the end of the second act into the kind of steamy scenes fans of 365 Days will cherish. While it may not be one of the best recent comedies out there, it is a fun and interesting movie.

Through My Window also has sequels.

1

Gabriel’s Inferno (& Sequels)

An Epic & Lengthy Romance

Now, here is a romance that should keep 365 Days fans busy for a while. Including Gabriel’s Rapture and Gabriel’s Redemption, this franchise has produced nine movies, all of which are based on books by Sylvain Reynard. The story is not done yet either, as Gabriel’s Promise is still waiting to be adapted, which could result in another trilogy. While not quite as cinematic as some alternatives, these films are fairly consistent; consequently, if the first entry hits the mark with a viewer, they are likely to enjoy the rest.

This time around, the taboo relationship involves a university professor and his student, with Giulio Berruti and Melanie Zanetti portraying these roles respectively. Linked together through a past that they cannot quite leave behind, these two reconnect in a collision that could bring both pleasure and pain. Their relationship develops quite a lot throughout the series, and the leads have more than enough chemistry to carry the story.