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The year’s most impactful nudity in film

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Actors are often commended for being “brave” when they do full-frontal nude scenes, or they won’t do nudity unless it “serves a purpose” for the story. Intimacy coordinators have also been in demand to manage how much nudity should be seen and help stage sex scenes to make actors and actresses feel safe on set.

Curiously, there seems to be an uptick in onscreen nudity recently, particularly full-frontal nudity in films this year. Maybe it is because HBO opened the floodgates  with its programming a few years back and it became less risqué and more de rigueur for actors to “let it all hang out.” Nowadays, it seems as if talent is taking any and every opportunity to expose their assets. (Even the trailer for the new film “Anyone But You” includes a shot of actor Glenn Powell’s behind to entice viewers.) 

But are we starting to reach the saturation point? Are films taking nudity too far? Or are filmmakers satisfying our culture’s desire to see more beautiful people naked?

This year’s crop of screen skin is notable because in some cases characters are comfortable in their own skin, and in others, their nudity is designed to make viewers feel uncomfortable. There was a shocking amount of nudity on screens this year, and while some of the scenes were celebratory or sensual, many seemed to be designed for mere shock value. 

Here’s a rundown of this year’s best screen nudity and the talent who dared to bare all.

Joaquin Phoenix in “Beau Is Afraid” (A24)
Beau (Joaquin Phoenix) gets an unexpected visitor when he is taking a bath, and, after an aggressive wrestling match, flees naked (running through broken glass) out into the street. There he encounters both a bloody naked man as well as a police officer who threatens to shoot the unarmed Beau. This surreal moment becomes even more surreal when Beau’s predicament is ended by a deux ex machina-like deliverance that acts almost like a rebirth, especially since he is naked.
Dicks: The MusicalJosh Sharp, Bowen Yang and Aaron Jackson in “Dicks: The Musical” (A24)

The comedy musical features gratuitous male nudity in an incestuous sex scene montage as long-lost twin brothers Craig (Josh Sharp) and Trevor (Aaron Jackson) consummate their love for one another in various energetic, acrobatic positions. But the arguably more shocking scene involves their mother Evelyn’s (Megan Mullally) vagina, which “fell off” as she explains in one musical number. (She keeps it in a bag). It makes a most memorable appearance in the film, flying in front of the screen, flapping its “wings” and chirping, “The End!” Never has bad taste been so good.

Infinity PoolAlexander Skarsgård in “Infinity Pool” (Elevation Pictures)
Early in Brandon Cronenberg’ gleefully nasty thriller, James (Alexander Skarsgård) receives a hand job from the manipulative Mia Goth. However, the erection, seen in the uncut version, was — ahem, circumcised — for the film’s theatrical release.

 

Nevertheless, the film still featured copious nudity during a trippy three-plus minute psychedelic orgy sequence (featuring some scary nipples!) And it was unsettling to see Mia Goth walking towards the camera, totally nude and totally in control in this out-of-control film.

Joy RideStephanie Hsu as Kat, Sabrina Wu as Deadeye, Ashley Park as Audrey and Sherry Cola as Lolo in “Joy Ride” (Ed Araquel/Lionsgate)
In this hilarious and crude comedy, Kat (Stephanie Hsu) is rumored to have a tattoo on her vagina. When a wardrobe malfunction occurs during a particularly inspired impromptu, airport rendition of “WAP,” Kat’s tat is revealed. The camera closes in on it, and it can never be unseen. Kat exclaims, “My vagina is the devil, and she’s here to stay!” Nor can it be erased. “It’s on the inside, too!” Kat proclaims, as another sight gag confirms. “Joy Ride” sets up this joke beautifully, and the “shocking” full-frontal nudity is a terrific payoff for fans of embarrassment humor.
Kokomo CityDominique in “Kokomo City” (Magnolia Pictures)
D. Smith’s illuminating documentary features four Black trans sex workers talking about their life and work, as well as topics such as race and masculinity. Shot in gorgeous black and white, there are explicit descriptions and depictions of sex. The subjects’ candor about sexuality and gender is refreshing and it is matched by their willingness to expose and reveal themselves, most notably when Dominique is seen proudly displaying her full breasts in addition to her genitalia, as “Ain’t I A Woman” plays on the soundtrack.
LonesomeJosh Lavery in “Lonesome” (Dark Star Pictures)

Casey (Josh Lavery) has a sexy body, and it is his currency; Casey uses his sex appeal — and sex — to find places to stay or earn a little money. Casey may seem comfortable in his skin, but he is running from his past. As Casey has a series of encounters, some quite intense, Lavery is making choices out of need. Director Craig Boreham’s character study is wall-to-wall sex and nudity, and Lavery delivers an eye-catching performance as a man who just wants to be loved.

May DecemberCharles Melton as Joe in “May December” (Courtesy of Netflix/François Duhamel)
In Todd Haynes’ juicy drama, there is a brief full-frontal shot as Joe (Charles Melton) has sex outside his marriage. He has been seduced by Elizabeth (Natalie Portman), an actress researching Joe’s wife Gracie (Julianne Moore) for a film she is making. As Elizabeth flirts with Joe, she seduces him to “experience” what Gracie did when Gracie was intimate with 13-year-old Joe. However, the adult Joe is acting on his real attraction. As issues of consent and exploitation are raised, “May December” offers a multilayered examination of inappropriate desire.
No Hard FeelingsJennifer Lawrence in “No Hard Feelings” (Columbia Pictures)
In this raunchy comedy, Maddie Barker (Jennifer Lawrence) hopes to coax a socially inexperienced teen, Percy Becker (Andrew Barth Feldman), out of his shell by taking him skinny-dipping. But when a trio of jokers try to steal their clothes, the naked Maddie beats up the thieves and suffers a punch to her crotch in the process. The nudity here goes for comedic effect not gross-out, as illustrated by scenes of Percy splayed naked on the hood of Maddie’s car, or a hot guy (Matthew Noszka) dropping trou while hoping to get Maddie to touch his penis in a finger trap.
OppenheimerFlorence Pugh is Jean Tatlock and Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)

As Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) testifies to a committee about his relationship with Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), is seen fully naked and sitting in a chair, breasts prominent, while he is nude, but more discreetly posed. Oppenheimer is also seen naked in the hearing, literally exposing himself and his personal life for recorded history. But having an imaginary Jean writhing naked on his lap as he recounts their affair is awkward in every sense. Jean’s nudity might be an expression of her insecurity and vulnerability, but it also feels like a cheap storytelling device. Nolan is often criticized for not making his female characters three-dimensional, but Pugh’s nudity here feel especially exploitative.

PassagesFranz Rogowski and Ben Whishaw in “Passages” (MUBI/SBS Productions)
Ira Sachs’ aching romantic drama got unfairly slapped with an NC-17 rating this year. And “Passages” does, in fact, include a flash of a penis — which used to ensure NC-17 ratings — as Martin’s (Ben Whishaw) lover, Amad (Erwan Kepoa Fale), walks nude across a room. But the scene that triggered the ratings board is likely a two-minute sex scene between the breaking-up married couple, Tomas (Franz Rogowski) and Martin. While the only nudity is Whishaw’s bare behind, “Passages” was snared because of the intensity of the lovemaking — and likely because it was a gay male couple. Fighting censorship, the film was released unrated.
Poor ThingsEmma Stone in “Poor Things” (Yorgos Lanthimos/Searchlight)

As Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) goes off on a grand adventure with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), she engages in “furious jumping” (her term for sex). Bella and Duncan go at it with uninhibited gusto, and she is ready at the drop of her shorts. When Bella later earns money for sex work in Swiney’s (Kathryn Hunter) “musty-smelling establishment of good time fornication,” a series of naked men have their way with the very naked Bella — touching her, tying her up, and even demonstrating copulation for children. She also has an enjoyable sapphic encounter. It is all very funny and illustrates that Bella is a woman with no shame about her body or sexuality. Emma Stone’s nakedness is shameless (in a good way) as well.

Rotting in the SunRotting in the Sun (MUBI)
Director Sebastián Silva’s outrageous film features countless penises as Sebastián (Silva, playing himself) visits a nude beach. Getting caught in the riptide, he meets Jordan Firstman (Firstman, playing himself) who hopes to collaborate on a series with the filmmaker. While “Rotting in the Sun” includes some real eroticized moments and all kinds of sex and nudity in the foreground and background of this extended sequence, a later episode where Firstman is having an orgy of sorts in Silva’s apartment makes “Rotting in the Sun” the most explicit film released this year.
SaltburnBarry Keoghan in “Saltburn” (Prime Video)

When Oliver (Barry Keoghan) is told “no trunks allowed in the field,” Farleigh Start (Archie Makekwe) observes, “Well, well, well. Good for you. What a twist!” as he appreciates Oliver’s family jewels although viewers only see Oliver naked from behind. But after all the murder and mayhem that takes place — and that includes Oliver getting naked and fornicating with a fresh grave — he dances and prances naked to “Murder on the Dancefloor” through the halls of the Saltburn estate, having achieved the freedom he craved (and that his nudity symbolizes). It’s a delicious moment, and Keoghan, ahem, rises to the challenge. 

Smoke Sauna SisterhoodSmoke Sauna Sisterhood” (Greenwich Entertainment)

The group of Estonian women in this inspiring and artfully made documentary bare their bodies and their souls as they sit naked in a sauna — a place of cleansing and purification. They talk poignantly about their body image and issues, discuss sex, and sexuality, menstruation, childbirth and families, as well as abuse and rape. The nameless women “sweat out their pain and fear,” and recounting their stories in the safe space of a smoke sauna, become mighty and more powerful in the process. 

SwallowedMark Patton as Rich and Cooper Koch as Benjamin in “Swallowed” (Momentum Pictures)
Carter Smith’s nervy thriller has both its male leads spending long stretches of the film with their pants down. Forced to swallow sachets and transport them across the border. Dom (Jose Colon) has a bad reaction. Benjamin (Copper Koch of “They/Them”) gets the unenviable task of “collecting” the sachets from Dom’s anal cavity, which is as unpleasant as it sounds. Later, Rich (Mark Patton) forces the vulnerable Benjamin to strip. Viewers may also feel as pervy as Rich when Benjamin does bare all.

 

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Gary M. Kramer

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