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IS THERE ANYTHING more of a turn-off than the two words, “erotic thriller”? It is tricky to make on-screen sex look sexy: awkward scripts, even more awkward filming situations and debatable chemistry plague the genre. Few productions manage to reach a decent climax, and many recent attempts have fallen pathetically flat.

The Idol, initially conceived as an edgy series which explored power dynamics and BDSM, had the worst sex scene I’ve seen in my life (and I’ve sat through Fifty Shades Of Grey). Last year, Netflix’s Anatomy Of A Scandal was equally grubby, with a laughable portrayal of a torrid affair, and this year’s horny offering from the platform, the cheesy Obsession, died a petit mort with that pillow-humping scene. The 365 Days trilogy, as well as having highly problematic handling of consent, was terrible in every possible way (though it still debuted as Netflix’s most viewed film for a few days, with a total viewership of 77,980,000 hours in its first week of release. Also related: we were all half-way through the first lockdown at the time of release).

We are a long way from Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, Eyes Wide Shut or even ‘90s literal coming-of-age films, such as Wild Things or Cruel Intentions: films which combine gripping storylines and explosive between-the-sheets action. There’s a bit of an old-world, retro appeal to all these films, though. The mists of time make them seem almost charming, and certainly more enjoyable in comparison to any of recent attempts in the same genre.

This all might be about to change with the release of Fair Play. Written by debut director Chloe Domont, it stars Oppenheimer’s Alden Ehrenreich and Bridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor as a newly engaged couple whose relationship becomes complicated when one of them gets a promotion at the hedge fund where they both work. Think of it as Industry, but with even more sex and sabotage, perhaps.

The finance world is a smart setting for the film (power and money are almost as powerful an aphrodisiac as oysters) and fiery gender politics between the gorgeous, young couple stand it in good stead for being a compelling, intelligent (and hopefully hot) watch.

Critics who have already seen the film—it premiered at Sundance in February of this year—seem to think so too. The first reviews are promising. Harper’s BAZAAR described it as “an expertly calibrated urban thriller that kicks off with a sexy bloodbath, and crawls into gender battles both crafty and explosive,” and the Huffington Post says it “has the distinction of being both slick and thorny at the same time — and utterly arresting”. Rolling Stone commented: “Fair Play balances the needs of a proper corporate nail-biter and a piece of filthy, sweaty, Michelin-starred trash.” And isn’t that all a person, standing in front of a multinational streamer, is asking for?

Whether it’s enough to usher in a new era of properly provocative productions remains to be seen. But maybe it’s not such dirty talk to suggest that the erotic thriller might be on the cusp of a seriously sexy revival.

Related: How the Philippou brothers went from raucous YouTubers to unlikely A24 auteurs

When will Fair Play be released?

Fair Play will be available to stream on Netflix from October 13.

Related: A24 is releasing its first ever musical film, and it’s called… Dicks?

A version of this article originally appeared on Esquire UK.