[3] British academic Linda Ruth Williams described erotic thriller films as "noirish stories of sexual intrigue incorporating some form of criminality or duplicity, often as the flimsy framework for onscreen softcore sex".
[4] The late 1980s to the mid-1990s are regarded as the "classic period" of the erotic thriller,[5] and the most recognizable films of the genre, such as Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, and The Last Seduction were released in this era.
[2] Brian De Palma helped usher in the classic period of the genre with films Dressed to Kill and Body Double,[2] and directed Femme Fatale and Passion later in his career.
Other filmmakers include Atom Egoyan, Paul Schrader, Abel Ferrara, William Friedkin, David Cronenberg, and Zalman King.
Notable actresses include Sharon Stone,[2] Linda Fiorentino,[2] Glenn Close,[13] Kathleen Turner,[14] Demi Moore,[13] and Greta Scacchi.