Cunnilingus In Mainstream Films

Catherine The Great cunnilingus scene

While blowjobs and intercourse are portrayed as a matter of course in mainstream Hollywood films, male-on-female cunnilingus is a rare act. Few films are willing to show guys going down but there are a few out there who took a chance - and we're so glad they did.

(Note 2024: This list was first written in 2016. Since then, film and TV shows have become a lot more relaxed about showing cunnilingus and it's not as rare as it was. I've added new entries up the top.

Don't Worry Darling
This 2022 film from director Olivia Wilde sees Harry Styles go down on his on-screen wife Florence Pugh on the dining table. In an interview with Variety, Wilde responded to criticism of the scene, saying: "Female pleasure, the best versions of it that you see nowadays, are in queer films,” Wilde says. “Why are we more comfortable with female pleasure when it’s two women on film? In hetero sex scenes in film, the focus on men as the recipients of pleasure is almost ubiquitous."

Annette
This 2021 film sees Adam Driver giving cunnilingus to Marion Cotillard in a forest while singing. The pair start out by singing "we love each other so much" as they walk and it turns into sex. Here's a breathless Adam-Driver fangirl dissection of the scene.

Mary Queen Of Scots
In this 2019 historical drama, Henry (Jack Lowden) goes down on Mary (Saoirse Ronan) in a handy way that will not get her pregnant. Director Josie Rourke told Refinery29: "I thought very carefully about that scene and it was nothing to do with the rating, it was to do with wanting to see the pleasure she is receiving and wanting to show that from a female gaze point of view. And she acts it brilliantly, to get what feels like an authentic female orgasm on screen? We need to see her face to do that. ‘It was so important to see this young girl experience this pleasure, probably for the first time, and have that be a real sort of revelation"

Blue Valentine
In a scene that caused the censors to slap a higher rating on the film, Ryan Gosling goes down on Michelle Williams. Afterwards she laughs and says "Oh my god." .

Monsters Ball
Halle Berry received the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in this film. At the end, Billy Bob Thornton responds to her request to "Give Me Pleasure" and the scene is considered to be healing to both characters..

Away We Go
This 2009 film features John Krasinski going down on Maya Rudolph beneath the sheets. He says: "You taste different. Did you know that?" She says: " No, Burt. How would I know that?"

Gone Girl
Blink and you'll miss it but there is a very brief cunnilingus scene in this film.

In The Cut
Jane Campion's fiercly female-oriented film sees Mark Rufalo go down on Meg Ryan for a full two minutes of screen time.

Better Than Sex
An Australian film with a very amusing and realistic cunnilingus scene. David Wenham goes down on Susie Porter, while we hear her thoughts about it.

Holy Smoke
Kate Winslet takes sexual control over Harvey Keitel and makes him give her oral sex.

American Pie
Well-known teen sex comedy sees plenty of sexual situations, and one amusing cunnilingus scene where the protagonist follows instructions written in a secret book while going down on his girlfriend.

Don't Look Now
Apparently this was a first - two major stars having oral sex on screen. It was quite shocking for the 70s. Donald Sutherland goes down on Julie Christie, after which they have very realistic looking sex.

Coming Home
Jon Voight plays a paraplegic Vietnam veteran giving Jane Fonda pleasure the only way he can - with his tongue.

The Postman Always Rings Twice

Jack Nicholson goes down on Jessica Lange. Nice to see Jack on his knees.

9 1/2 Weeks
This soft porn film is one of the best known sex movies of all time. Mickey Rourke gives Kim Basinger cunnilingus in an alley during a thunderstorm.

Basic Instinct (Directors Version)
The uncut version features Michael Douglas going the growl on Sharon Stone, scenes considered too steamy for normal cinema release.

Body of Evidence
Willem Dafoe gives Madonna cunnilingus while she hangs from a garage water sprinkler (not the most comfortable of positions, but what can you do).

Erotique
This is a soft porn film with an artistic bend, worth watching. Features a very hot threesome scene with lots of cunnilingus.

And God Created Woman
The 1987 remake has Rebecca DeMornay demanding oral sex like a queen

Pulp Fiction
Features a fairly memorable scene where Bruce Willis' character gives "oral pleasure" to his French girlfriend. Surprisingly tender in such a violent movie.

Two Girls and a Guy
Robert Downey Jnr fiercly goes down on Heather Graham from behind in this 1998 film

Cadillac Man
It's a strange thought: The Nanny Fran Drescher laying in bed while Robin Williams sidles down between her thighs. If you can handle the idea, this is the movie to watch.

Chasing Amy
This film only talks about cunnilingus, but it's well worth the hiring fee to hear lesbian Alyssa comparing notes with Banky about oral sex with women. The dialogue resembles the "comparing scars" scene in Jaws.

Henry and June
This is a true story about the triangular relationship between novelists Henry Miller, his wife and Anais Nin. Plenty of sex scenes and one good cunnilingus scene.

Romance
This French film was banned in some countries due to its real fellatio scene and erect penises. The heroine receives cunnilingus from a complete stranger in a stairwell. Unfortunately it ends badly and he rapes her. So yeah, trigger warning there.

The Hot Spot
Miami Vice star Don Johnson goes down on Virginia Madsen in the back seat of a car.

The Sweetest Thing
Cameron Diaz has a dream where she enjoys oral sex on the hour throughout the night.

Scary Movie
In a scene played for laughs, cunnilingus and fellatio are followed by a ridiculous geyser of an orgasm.

The Getaway
Real life husband and wife Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin simulate cunnilingus.

Fast Sofa
Jennifer Tilly enjoys the oral attention of a hot guy.

Crash
This weird movie features people who become sexually aroused by car crashes. In one scene, Alice Poon bends over and gets oral sex from a man behind her.

Knight Moves
Kehli O'Byrne receives cunnilingus from Christopher Lambert.

Year of the Gun
Sharon Stone watches a man go down while she leans up against a door.

Monkey Shines
Kate MacNeil sits on an unknown man's face as monkeys get noisy in the background.

Free Enterprise
This apparently atrocious Star Trek parody film features a scene where cunnilingus in the car results in a loss of driver attention and subsequent crash.

Re-Animator
This trashy horror film features a scene where a man carries around his own head, and then this head gives cunnilingus to a girl. This scene only appears in the unrated video version and may only be for the stout hearted!

Other films that feature cunnilingus include:
There's Something About Mary, Lawn Dogs, Good Will Hunting, Urban Legends: The Final Cut, Still Crazy

Cunnilingus on TV

The Great
Episode 7 of first series of The Great (2020) sees Peter surprise Catherine with cunnilingus at the prompting of his aunt. She enjoys it so much she finds herself urging Peter to do it again, despite her hatred of him.

True Blood
In the very first episode of the series, Ryan Kwanten's Jason goes down on Danielle Sapia

Birdsong
The BBC apaption of Sebastian Faulkes' novel saw Eddie Redmayne going down on his girl.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The TV Series
An episode entitled Buffy The Musical featured Willow going down on Tara, something the fans found rather shocking.

Seinfeld
Several episodes of Seinfeld dealt with oral sex. In one, George bemoaned his lack of cunnilingual skill and said his girlfriend had given him "The Tap" on the shoulder, telling him to stop. In another, Elaine's boyfriend refuses to "do Everything" until she finally convinces him. After he goes down on her, he heads off to play saxaphone in his band, and is unable to blow into the instrument. See quotes.

The Sopranos
One episode of this mafia series was devoted to the wise-guy belief that performing cunnilingus is a sign of weakness.