‘Below Her Mouth’ Fans, These Steamy Sapphic Romances Need To Be Your Next Watch

If you walked away from ‘Below Her Mouth’ wanting more of that intoxicating chemistry between two women caught in something they cannot resist, you are far from alone. The 2016 Canadian drama directed by April Mullen has become a touchstone for viewers chasing sapphic stories told without apology, partly because it dared to film desire entirely on its own terms.

The good news for fans is that there is a whole lineage of films exploring queer female intimacy with similar boldness. Some lean into emotional yearning. Others go right for the heat. The picks below cover both ends of the spectrum so that anyone hoping to recreate that ‘Below Her Mouth’ feeling has plenty of new options waiting.

What Made ‘Below Her Mouth’ A Standout In Sapphic Cinema

Before diving into the recommendations, it helps to understand why ‘Below Her Mouth’ resonated in the first place. Mullen’s film was famously shot with an all-female crew, a decision producer Melissa Coghlan made to keep the set comfortable during the many intimate scenes. That choice gave the film an unmistakably female gaze that critics and viewers alike pointed to as its defining quality.

The story follows Dallas, a Toronto roofer played by Swedish model Erika Linder, and Jasmine, a fashion designer played by Natalie Krill, whose engagement to a man named Rile unravels over a passionate affair. The plot is sparse on purpose. Mullen has said the film was inspired by her own experience of falling desperately in love, and her aim was expressing that electrical feeling within ninety minutes.

In an interview with MovieMaker Magazine, Mullen described how the team wanted to expose themselves creatively and emotionally so the intimacy on screen would feel honest. A fun bit of trivia is that Erika Linder apprenticed as a roofer for two weeks before shooting and even fooled a customer into thinking she was an experienced one. That commitment is exactly what fans tend to chase when looking for similar films.

‘Blue Is The Warmest Color’ And ‘Carol’ Define Sapphic Drama

The most frequently cited comparison to ‘Below Her Mouth’ is ‘Blue Is The Warmest Color’, the 2013 French film from Abdellatif Kechiche. It became the first film to have the Palme d’Or awarded to both the director and the lead actresses, with Lea Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos receiving the honor at Cannes. The film was rated NC-17 in the United States for explicit sexual content, and that sustained nearly ten-minute centerpiece scene became as talked about as its awards run.

Then there is ‘Carol’, Todd Haynes’ 2015 adaptation starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as two women whose chance meeting in a 1950s department store grows into a forbidden affair. The film trades ‘Below Her Mouth’s’ urgency for restrained longing, but the chemistry between its leads is just as electric. It is beloved by many lesbian viewers, even if some prominent queer critics have expressed reservations about its male-directed framing.

For viewers who liked the rawness of Mullen’s film but want a more sweeping emotional arc, these two are essentially required viewing. They sit at opposite tonal poles, with ‘Blue’ leaning into bodily intensity and ‘Carol’ leaning into elegant repression. Both leave a lasting impression long after the screen fades to black.

‘Portrait Of A Lady On Fire’ And ‘The Handmaiden’ Bring Slow-Burn Yearning

If ‘Below Her Mouth’ lit a spark, ‘Portrait Of A Lady On Fire’ fans the kind of slow-burn flame that lingers long after the credits. Celine Sciamma’s 2019 film picked up the award for Best Screenplay at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it also won the Queer Palm. It follows a portrait artist, Marianne, sent to paint Heloise, a young noblewoman who refuses to sit for the painting in protest of her unwanted marriage.

Park Chan-wook’s ‘The Handmaiden’ takes a much more complex approach, weaving deception and politics into a queer love story that runs nearly three hours. The 2016 Korean film follows a con artist plot involving a wealthy heiress and the maid hired to deceive her, building toward a sensual story that fans of Mullen’s intensity will appreciate. The two films sit comfortably side by side on any sapphic watchlist.

Sciamma’s pacing is famously soft and tentative, full of yearning, while Kechiche’s is quick and at times overwhelming. Both films prove that intimacy on screen can hit just as hard when it is paced like a held breath. They reward viewers who want desire to feel earned rather than instant.

More Steamy Romances To Round Out Your Watchlist

Beyond the heavy hitters, there are several titles regularly recommended for ‘Below Her Mouth’ fans by outlets compiling sapphic film lists. ‘Bound’ from 1996 frequently lands on these rankings, blending neo-noir tension with a queer central romance. Some viewers even argue it deserves more credit than ‘Blue Is The Warmest Color’ for setting the modern bar in this space.

The Swedish romance ‘Kiss Me’ from 2011 is another natural fit, telling the story of a woman whose engagement is upended when she falls for her future stepsister. It mirrors the central tension of Jasmine’s storyline closely. ‘Desert Hearts’ from 1985 also belongs in this rotation as a foundational sapphic title, perfect for those wanting something older and more contemplative.

Streaming options keep expanding too. Titles like ‘365 Days’, ‘After We Fell’, and ‘Addicted’ are often grouped with ‘Below Her Mouth’ on Netflix recommendation lists for steamy romance fans, even though their stories are not queer. They scratch the same itch for viewers who simply want something passionate and immersive.

What did ‘Below Her Mouth’ unlock for you that the rest of these films either matched or completely missed, and which one is climbing to the top of your queue first?