Naman Shrestha
Based on the eponymous 1957 novel by Patricia Highsmith, Adrian Lyne’s ‘Deep Water‘ is an erotic psychological thriller movie that revolves around a married couple — Vic (Ben Affleck) and Melinda (Ana de Armas) — and the frailties of their matrimony. In order to save their marriage, Vic gives Melinda a free pass to have affairs, but when her lovers start disappearing, he becomes a prime suspect in the eyes of everyone.
Renowned for helming gripping and erotic thrillers, Adrian depicts the very essence of the genre by filling ‘Deep Water’ with themes such as infidelity, deceit, toxic mind games, and most importantly, murder and blood. If you are looking to dive deeper into the genre and watch similar movies like the Ben Affleck-starrer, here is a list of recommendations for you. You can watch most of these movies similar to ‘Deep Water’ on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
7. A Perfect Murder (1998)
The Andrew Davis directorial, ‘A Perfect Murder,’ revolves around a wealthy Wall Street industrialist, Steven Taylor, his wife, Emily Bradford Taylor, and her secret lover, David Shaw. After discovering that his wife is having an affair, Steven plots to commit “a perfect murder” by manipulating David into murdering Emily so that he can collect her inheritance. Much like ‘Deep Water,’ ‘A Perfect Murder’ touches on the themes of adultery and murder, the only difference being that the wife is in the crosshairs instead of the lover.
6. Unfaithful (2002)
‘Unfaithful‘ follows the turn of events in the lives of a seemingly perfect married couple, Connie Summer (Diane Lane) and Edward Summer (Richard Gere). One day, Connie has a chance encounter with a young stranger while shopping. One thing leads to another, and Connie starts having an affair with the charming man, only for it to turn into an obsession. However, the two would have to face the consequences of their actions.
As the name and storyline suggest, ‘Unfaithful’ is a movie about adultery while also focusing on the themes of jealousy and loyalty, all of which are also found in ‘Deep Water.’ In both the Adrian Lyne directorial, the husbands feel the surge of jealousy taking over them that makes them want to get their hands dirty.
5. The Last Seduction (1994)
Starring Linda Fiorentino and Peter Berg, ‘The Last Seduction’ portrays a thrilling and suspenseful tale of Bridget Gregory, who persuades her husband Clay to do business with some drug dealers. Having done that, she runs off with almost a million dollars and hides in a small town in middle America. Meanwhile, Clay is obliged to send some detectives after her to get the money back and pay off a loan shark who is constantly threatening him.
Much like ‘Deep Water,’ the John Dahl directorial depicts the control and manipulative power that the wife holds over her husband, forcing the husband to agree to the absurd demands of his wife, only to regret his decisions later.
4. Fatal Attraction (1987)
Another one of Adrian Lyne’s classic erotic thrillers, ‘Fatal Attraction’ revolves around a married lawyer Dan Gallagher who has a one-night stand with his colleague Alex while his wife and kids are away. But when Alex starts to stalk him and his family — to want him for herself — Dan regrets it. ‘Fatal Attraction’ shares quite a few similarities with ‘Deep Water,’ apart from the fact the two films are directed by Adrian Lyne. Both the movies contain erotic and intimate scenes, a married couple with frailties in their relationship and a lover resorting to some questionable measures to get what they want.
3. Body Heat (1981)
Lawrence Kasdan kicked off his directorial career with ‘Body Heat,’ which revolves around a married woman Matty Walker and her newly found lover Ned Racine. They start having an affair so passionate that they contemplate getting rid of Matty’s husband Edmund for good, so that she can inherit his money and they can live happily ever after. The classic erotic thriller comprises all the elements that are required to make for a thrilling and gripping watch, just like ‘Deep Water.’ The careful plotting of a murder, a weak marriage, and the involvement of a lover, make both of the movies similar.
2. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
The Tom Cruise-starrer, ‘Eyes Wide Shut,’ centers upon the sexual adventures of Dr. Bill Hartford when his wife Alice lets him know about her fantasies and some sinister threats that he has to deal with. Bill gets shocked when Alice reveals that she had thought about having an affair a year earlier. Following this revelation, he embarks on a bizarre night-long adventure, only to be warned that his life is in danger.
Much like ‘Deep Water,’ we see the husband on the receiving end of cheating from his wife, after which he takes some actions that he laments later on. Apart from the thrilling narrative and Stanley Kubrick’s masterful direction, both the erotic thrillers use vivid imagery and erotic scenes to highlight the genre even better.
1. Gone Girl (2014)
Based on the eponymous novel, the David Fincher directorial, ‘Gone Girl‘ revolves around a seemingly happily married couple, Nick Dunne and Amy. When Amy disappears out of the blue, Nick gets thrown under the scope — with the media all over him and his house — as he becomes the prime suspect in the sudden disappearance of his wife.
Apart from Ben Affleck essaying the role of a suspected husband in both the movies, there are other instances throughout the narrative that makes them alike — the gripping theme of unfaithfulness, the cracks in the marriage, and a husband who seems to be guilty of his wife’s disappearance. Not only that, but ‘Gone Girl’ also consists of some sensual scenes combined with murderous ones, just like ‘Deep Water.’
Read More: Where Was Deep Water Filmed?
