The sound of a belt unbuckling. A quiet moan. A close-up of a thigh, a stomach or a nipple. The mechanics of the best sex scenes have a lot in common, but what sets our favourites apart is what they teach us about ourselves

PHOTOGRAPH: LOUIE BANKS. STYLING: BILLY LOBOS THE BEGINNING ...

Dir Julia Ducournao, France/Belgium, 2025 On digital platforms As the daughter of a gynæcologist and a dermatologist, it was perhaps inevitable that French screenwriter/director Julia Ducournao would

From Billy Elliot and Tracy Beaker to Baftas and Agatha Christie, bundle of energy Mia McKenna-Bruce is taking the lead

TV WEEK: 10-16 JANUARY

Inspector Lynley is back! But not as you know him, say the stars of the BBC remake, Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay