{"id":46953,"date":"2026-08-15T16:36:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T11:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=46953"},"modified":"2026-08-15T16:36:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T11:36:23","slug":"how-gen-z-killed-off-the-bonkbuster-and-made-cinemas-a-lust-free-zone-but-tvs-still-got-the-sex-factor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=46953","title":{"rendered":"How Gen Z killed off the bonkbuster and made cinemas a lust-free zone\u2026 but TV&#8217;s still got the sex factor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F6%2F2026%2F08%2Fnewspress-collage-0vbmm3g42-1786730679249.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall%261786724944\" \/><\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<p>IF you are looking for steamy thrills on the big screen, forget it \u2014 TV is now your best bet for a turn-on.<\/p>\n<p>Epic battles, superhero capers and cute romcoms fill the cinema without so much as a bedroom fumble these days.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16845432\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Sydney Sweeney is among the stars bringing sex scenes to TV as Hollywood loses the appetite<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit:  <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16845433\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Hollywood is focused on cleaner superhero movies \u2013 which are more profitable<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Raunchy flicks have become as extinct as the dinosaur, with many movies showing more prehistoric beasts than a simple snog.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, since 2000, the number of sex scenes has flopped by a whopping 40 per cent.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--thesun aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Entertainment\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the <span class=\"newsletter-name theme-entertainment\">Entertainment<\/span> newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThank you!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Back then, less a fifth of all films had no sex or nudity. Now, half have not a flicker of flesh or funny business.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that, when it comes to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/where\/hollywood\/\" rel=\"\">Hollywood<\/a>, sex no longer sells.<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, the same cannot be said for TV, where viewers can often see top A-list actors getting it on episode after episode.<\/p>\n<p>Shows such as Euphoria, Jilly Cooper\u2019s Rivals, Bridgerton and Sex Education have scratched many an itch behind closed doors.<\/p>\n<p>The latest series of Euphoria features character Cassie, played by siren Sydney Sweeney, filming OnlyFans content with a dummy in her mouth and legs seductively spread.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Bridgerton lovers Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie (Yerin Ha) romped in a stairwell.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16845434\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Sydney Sweeney filmed several outrageous scenes on TV series Euphoria which would never make it to the big screen<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16845435\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Viewers can easily access television sex scenes like in Bridgerton from their homes<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: \ufffd2023 Netflix, Inc.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Once upon a time, to see celebs naked, you bought a cinema ticket. Now there is Netflix and other bold streaming services.<\/p>\n<p>The rise of online porn has also helped kill the buzz of explicit films, as OnlyFans means racy action is only a few clicks away.<\/p>\n<p>Something that cannot be said for your local cinema, which is currently a lust-free zone.<\/p>\n<p>Even Christopher Nolan\u2019s The Odyssey provides hardly any X-rated action, in spite of the Homer poem on which it is based being packed full of the kink that the Greeks did so well.<\/p>\n<p>In the ancient literary epic, Odysseus, who is played by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/who\/matt-damon\/\">Matt Damon<\/a> in the movie, is kept on an island for seven years by Calypso \u2014 portrayed on screen by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/who\/charlize-theron\/\">Charlize Theron<\/a> \u2014 and the pair <span id=\"1aa40950-6822-489a-add0-6dcd8a141757\" class=\"suggested-link\">sleep<\/span> together.<\/p>\n<p>Yet in the film, she takes on a therapist role and all clothes stay on.<\/p>\n<p>Nolan has also ripped out all the poem\u2019s naked bathing scenes and endless acts of desire.<\/p>\n<p>His Hollywood-friendly version concentrates on mythical creatures and giant battles rather than sexual urges.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16845436\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Hollywood epic The Odyssey focuses on action and skips over the plot\u2019s sex and passion<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: PA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16845437\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>The Invite starring Penelope Cruz and Olivia Wilde has a racy plot \u2013 but little action<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Even historian Mary Beard is perturbed by the lack of passion in The Odyssey, as it is not true to the original poem.<\/p>\n<p>She wrote: \u201cWhile Nolan\u2019s Circe (Samantha <span id=\"75ad3fcd-4d11-4539-9009-a006a4dc2849\" class=\"suggested-link\">Morton<\/span>, on great form) is a tremendous force of nature, the film has managed to obscure the sex in her relationship with Odysseus.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Invite, directed by and starring Olivia Wilde, sounds like it might have more chance of getting down and dirty as it is about <span id=\"bb1221d4-2397-4a34-84f0-106302be5da0\" class=\"suggested-link\">swinging<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>But apart from some flashes of a fully-dressed Penelope Cruz\u2019s ample cleavage, and a few seconds of Olivia in a bra, sex remains something that is discussed but not seen.<\/p>\n<p>You only have to look at the current UK box office to see it is as sexy as a hosepipe ban.<\/p>\n<p>It includes Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Paw Patrol and Toy Story 5.<\/p>\n<p>And the release of Tony yesterday still hasn\u2019t brought any bang.<\/p>\n<p>Even though it is a coming-of-age film about the wild antics of a young Anthony Bourdain, there is absolutely no sign of anyone having sex.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16845438\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Tony is a movie about wild antics of a young Anthony Bourdain \u2013 with no sign of anyone having sex<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: PA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16845442\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Heated Rivalry, a show about same-sex relationships, was a TV hit earlier this year<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He said: \u201cThere are far fewer romance films being made than there have been in the past.<\/p>\n<p>Film data scientist Stephen Follows has studied the reasons for this considerable droop in bedroom antics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo the genre that keeps sex on screen alive is getting fewer and fewer outings. And the genres that don\u2019t need sex now dominate the release calendar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stephen studied parental guides, censorship bodies and certification notes over decades of cinema and found that scenes including violence, drugs and swearing remain the same.<\/p>\n<p>Sex is the only subject that has sharply declined in cinemas.<\/p>\n<p>So what on <span id=\"8248c436-614e-4659-b7ec-9c422b014b0b\" class=\"suggested-link\">earth<\/span> do film-makers have against the natural act of sexual congress?<\/p>\n<p>Well, it seems we can, once again, blame Gen Z for ruining all our fun. A survey by UCLA, which featured in The Hollywood Reporter, asked the under-30s what they like to watch, with 51 per cent saying they wanted to see more friendship and platonic relationships and 47 per cent claiming that sex \u201cisn\u2019t needed\u201d in the majority of movies.<\/p>\n<p>And while younger people are getting more prudish, sex-free films have multiplied. Stephen\u2019s data found the biggest decline in frisky footage has been among action films and thrillers, with sexual content dropping by 60 per cent over two decades.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16845439\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Emily Atack went fully nude for a scene in Disney+ hit show Rivals<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Planet Photos<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16845441\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Gillian Anderson starred in Sex Education, another streaming hit too raunchy for today\u2019s movies<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Netflix<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Even top directors are pushing back on filming a bonk as technicalities can be tricky.<\/p>\n<p>Following #MeToo, it takes on-set intimacy coaches and contractual agreements before a sex scene is even considered.<\/p>\n<p>Filmmakers are more conscious of how sexual content is perceived now and whether it is necessary at all.<\/p>\n<p>Pulp <span id=\"c2dba5d1-998d-4dae-986f-33207f9a6e6d\" class=\"suggested-link\">Fiction<\/span> and Kill Bill director Quentin Tarantino said: \u201cIt\u2019s true, sex is not part of my vision of cinema\u2009.\u2009.\u2009.\u2009And the truth is that, in real life, it\u2019s a pain to shoot sex scenes; everyone is very tense.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He added that if a script genuinely demanded it, he would include racy material, but \u201cso far it hasn\u2019t been necessary\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Luca Guadagnino, director of 2024\u2019s hit film Challengers, starring Zendaya, is also no fan of the on-screen romp, saying: \u201cTo shoot sex on screen, in my <span id=\"b6408ef2-4009-401e-913d-b51bd0541a64\" class=\"suggested-link\">opinion<\/span>, it\u2019s so unexotic and it\u2019s so normal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe illusion that there is an actual deep physicality between the characters on screen, it\u2019s an illusion. Truthfully, it\u2019s so technical.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But let\u2019s be real. Hollywood is mostly driven by one thing \u2014 money.<\/p>\n<p>Blockbusters cost millions to make, so must have broad appeal.<\/p>\n<p>A film featuring sex scenes has immediately narrowed its audience, and any nudity raises the certificate, cutting out younger viewers and families.<\/p>\n<p>The golden ticket for cinema certificates is 12A, as it appeals to older generations who think it might have a bit of edge compared to a PG, but will not be problematic to watch with the kids.<\/p>\n<p>This can mean that even if sex is in <span id=\"f94d51cb-99a8-4668-9358-00053759539b\" class=\"suggested-link\">the script<\/span>, scenes of passion are cut entirely to appeal to the board of film classifications to give the film a lucrative 12A certificate.<\/p>\n<p>Then there is the global picture.<\/p>\n<p>Movie studios now rely heavily on audiences overseas, with China and much of the Middle East having become a huge market. <\/p>\n<p>There, they have much stricter rules about any sexual content. <\/p>\n<p>And, of course, the superhero has a lot to answer for.<\/p>\n<p>Those licence-to-print-money movies are filled with characters who have never felt a twinge under their Lycra and capes.<\/p>\n<p>Marvel Studios, owned by Disney, and DC Studios, owned by Warner Bros, are responsible for some of the biggest box office hits of the past decade, such as Avengers, Spider-Man, the first Aquaman flick and Batman \u2014 all without a sex scene between them.<\/p>\n<p>Marvel did allow a sexual encounter to play out in 2021\u2019s Eternals. But it ended up being a box office flop.<\/p>\n<p>And superheroes haven\u2019t had any of that sort of action since.<\/p>\n<p>These films not only have to appeal to millions worldwide; they also need to sell dolls, lunchboxes and duvet covers.<\/p>\n<p>And showing The Hulk getting all horny won\u2019t do that.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever the reason for the current abstention, let\u2019s hope the big-screen bonk isn\u2019t banished for good.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>IF you are looking for steamy thrills on the big screen, forget it \u2014 TV is now your best bet for a turn-on. Epic battles, superhero capers and cute romcoms fill the cinema without so much as a bedroom fumble these days. Sydney Sweeney is among the stars bringing sex scenes to TV as Hollywood&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":46954,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/newspress-collage-0vbmm3g42-1786730679249.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&1786724944&w=1920&h=1080&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=46953"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46953\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/46954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=46953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=46953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=46953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}