‘Fatal Attraction’ and the Disappearance of Erotic Thrillers
Elyssa Dudley and Listen and follow Still ProcessingApple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Amazon Music“Fatal Attraction” came out when Wesley Morris was 11, and it’s made a permanent impression on the way he thinks about certain aspects of lust and suspense. “There’s a lot wrong with this movie, and yet — and yet! — it’s such a good movie,” he said. Wesley invited Parul Sehgal, a staff writer at The New Yorker, to discuss the movie, starring Glenn Close and Michael Douglas.Both Wesley and Parul watched “Fatal Attraction” over and over as preteens, and they’ve rewatched it multiple times since. “Every time I see this movie, I identify with a different character,” Parul said. “I have a different sense of what this movie is about.”As Wesley and Parul break down the most powerful scenes, they are reminded of the loss of high-stakes sex onscreen today. They discuss why the erotic thriller genre has disappeared — and what they could gain from seeing more genuine, grown-up sex in movies.Michael Douglas and Glenn Close star in “Fatal Attraction,” directed by Adrian Lyne.Ullstein Bild via Getty ImagesHosted by: Wesley Morris and Jenna WorthamProduced by: Elyssa Dudley and Hans BuetowEdited by: Sara Sarasohn and Sasha WeissEngineered by: Marion LozanoExecutive Producer, Shows: Wendy Dorr More