A 2013 film has been leaving some unsuspecting viewers scarred after they were caught off guard by its unsimulated sex scenes.
Viewers have been warned to seriously consider where and when they watch the two-part Lars von Trier erotic art project, Nymphomaniac, which made headlines at the time because of its full frontal scenes.
The film also boasts a star-studded cast including Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgård, Stacy Martin, Shia LaBeouf, Jamie Bell, Christian Slater, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe, Jean-Marc Barr, Connie Nielsen, and Mia Goth.
Split into two volumes, Nymphomaniac rose to prominence for pushing boundaries. It centers on a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac (Gainsbourg) who reflects on her life after being found beaten in an alley by an older man (Skarsgård) who takes her in, though her attacker remains unknown.
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Across eight chapters, she recounts her life from childhood into adulthood, exploring her sexual experiences, relationships, personal struggles, and addiction, while the man listening offers intellectual and often unusual interpretations of her story.
Because the film features explicit scenes created through a combination of performance and digital effects, it has earned a reputation as risky viewing, with many viewers warning against watching it in shared spaces.
“If your (sic) planning to watch Nymphomaniac pt.1 & 2. Watch it alone,” warned a view on X.
Another viewer added: ”I feel like I should probably watch Nymphomaniac alone… Don’t ask questions.”
Before the film’s release, producer Louise Vesth detailed the unique approach to the movie’s explicit scenes in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter at Cannes.
She explained that the production involved a combination of performance and digital effects: “We shot the actors pretending to have sex and then had the body doubles who really did have sex and in post we will digital impose the two.
“So above the waist it will be the star and below the waist it will be the doubles.”
And while a lot of focus has been directed at the sex scenes, lots of viewers have critiqued the film based on the emotional weight of the premise.
One Redditor confessed that watching Nymphomaniac was a gut‑wrenching experience that ‘completely destroyed’ them.
In a thread about watching both volumes, someone also mentioned that you should experience the film once and never again, implying it’s intense enough to leave a lasting (and uncomfortable) impression.
Both volumes 1 and 2 of Nymphomaniac are available to rent or buy on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
Other movies where actors have actual unsimulated sex in them
While some films carefully craft scenes just for the camera, others actually go all the way and feature unsimulated sex scenes.
Antichrist (2009)
Starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg, Antichrist follows a couple who carry out acts of sexual behaviour and sadomasochism when they initially sought safety in a cabin.
With the main theme of religion as its backdrop, the actors are replaced with body doubles and have intercourse by a dead tree, where bodies are kept in the exposed roots - making for a very uneasy watch.
The Brown Bunny (2003)
Vincent Gallo wrote, directed and starred in his 2003 movie The Brown Bunny alongside Chloë Sevigny.
A scene that drew significant controversy at the time shows Sevigny’s character performing unsimulated oral sex on Gallo, something she later dubbed 'very complicated'.
She told Playboy in 2001 that the scene elicited 'a lot of emotions', adding: "I'll probably have to go to therapy at some point."
But Sevigny went on to admit: "But I love Vincent. The film is tragic and beautiful, and I'm proud of it and my performance.
"I'm sad that people think one way of the movie, but what can you do? I've done many explicit sex scenes, but I'm not that interested in doing any more. I'm more self-aware now and wouldn't be able to be as free, so why even do it?"
Love (2015)
Gaspar Noé’s film follows a passionate couple who introduce a third person to their relationship, which they later regret as she becomes pregnant.
Starring Aomi Muyock, Karl Glusman and Klara Kristin as the throuple, it follows the characters as they break up and one is left with the third in a loveless relationship.
The unsimulated sex scenes are pretty shocking and even include a graphic ejaculation scene.
9 Songs (2004)
The flick sees Kieran O'Brien and Margo Stilley take part in a number of sex scenes - something the latter has spoken out about.
Addressing the heavy backlash the 9 Songs received, Stilley told LADbible: "It's a shame that it's been torn apart into these little pieces and bastardised online, to be honest."
Intimacy (2001)
In the 2001 release Intimacy, actors Mark Rylance and Kerry Fox engage in an unsimulated oral sex scene.
Reflecting on the movie, Rylance said it was the 'most difficult job' he's taken on in his career.
He explained: "I was convinced it was a vital story about the difficulties people face finding intimacy in a big city like London.
"Hanif Kureishi's writing couldn't have been more intimate and revealing, but I found the making of the film and the subsequent publicity and personal attacks very, very painful. I wish I hadn't made it."
Meanwhile, Fox claimed it was 'not one of her regrets'.
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Film and TV, Shia LaBeouf
Greg Harris