Remember 2004, when Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen turned 18 and Lindsay Lohan became pop culture royalty thanks to Mean Girls? Oh, what a simpler time. In some ways, a lot has changed since 2004 — there are teenagers who don't remember a time when Friends was on the air, believe it or not — but in other ways, much has remained the same. People still get upset when an artist does something remotely controversial at the Super Bowl halftime show, for instance, and there are still a lot of sexy movies being made. Ever since the release of Fifty Shades of Grey, it feels like we have entered into a new era of sexy, mainstream films. And, while it's true that Fifty Shades pushed boundaries, there were plenty of super sexy movies released way back in the days of 2004.
If you're sitting there thinking that all you watched in 2004 was 13 Going On 30 and The Incredibles, you're not alone. A pretty big majority of the sexy movies released that year were made overseas, and didn't exactly have much lasting power. But some certainly did, and with that in mind, here are the top 11 sexiest movies of 2004.
11. Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
If you were a teenager in 2004, then you were definitely feeling a little something something when Diego Luna grinded with Romola Garai.
10. Spider-Man 2
Another movie that causes sexual awakenings in tweens, Spider-Man 2 was peak Tobey Maguire. It was also the only superhero movie at the time (can you imagine?), making Spider-Man the sexy superhero everyone wanted to bang.
9. Before Sunset
Sure, Richard Linklater's follow up to Before Sunrise is really just Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy talking for two hours, but there's a simmering tension between the two main characters that's just undeniably sexy.
8. A Very Long Engagement
This French romantic drama doesn't have a whole lot of sex in it, but what it does have is certainly sexy.
7. Taking Lives
Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke star in this thriller. Oh, and they have pretty hot, destructive sex in it too.
6. Troy
Brad Pitt. Naked. You're welcome.
5. When Will I Be Loved
Neve Campbell starred in this R-rated drama about a woman who explores her sexuality.
4. My Summer Of Love
Emily Blunt and Natalie Press led this British drama about two young women who fall in love.
3. Head In The Clouds
Charlize Theron starred alongside her then-fiancé Stuart Townsend and Penélope Cruz in this romantic period film. Now, I don't know about you, but when I think period films, I think Jane Austen — movies decidedly without sex. Head in the Clouds definitely puts the myth that period movies aren't sexy to rest.
2. Closer
Mike Nichols' Closer caused quite a bit of controversy when it was released, mostly because Natalie Portman played a stripper (gasp!). As if that weren't deliciously taboo enough, the film also starred heartthrobs Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, and man-of-the-moment Jude Law.
1. The Notebook
Finally, The Notebook. The movie that made grown men cry (and also grown women, teenagers, tweens and, well, really everyone) is known for being an epic romance, but it's really pretty sexy. The film has two fairly long sex scenes, and anybody who has seen the extended scenes on the DVD knows there's a whole lot more where that came from.
Who knew 2004 was so dirty?
Images: New Line Cinema; Giphy (9); livelifeascrazyasyoucan/tumblr; lexagf/tumblr
