On the surface, there’s very little about either Open Your Eyes or Vanilla Sky that screams Erotic Thriller. Both Alejandro Amenábar’s 1997 Spanish original and Cameron Crowe’s 2001 American remake are frequently classified as psychological thrillers, or even dramas, due to their interest in exploring the downward spiral of the main character.

And yet, upon closer examination, both films owe a heavy debt to the tropes of the Erotic Thriller.

As we’ve previously explored in this editorial series, Erotic Thrillers embody the characteristics of Film Noir, albeit with a more contemporary perspective when it comes to sex and violence. There’s often a healthy dose of voyeurism and fetishism, typically embodied in doubles of characters (usually women). And, naturally, sex and death become intertwined as the desires of characters tend to result in dangerous consequences.

Nearly all of these elements are present in Open Your Eyes and Vanilla Sky.