The New Yorker’s film critic Anthony Lane once said, “An alien watching modern movies would think that human intercourse consisted of nothing more than two faces approaching and docking in horizontal silhouette.” And in 99 percent of movies, his statement is true. Two beautiful people kiss; the man reveals his perfectly chiseled chest. After that, whatever nudity we see is the woman’s, and there’s no mention of the biology or physics of the whole thing. Thankfully, there are some exceptions to remind us that sex is awkward. It is flailing limbs, bony hips and strange animal noises. So, I present:  very awkward sex scenes.

Part I: 10 realistically awkward scenes

10. “Y Tu Mamá También”
Premature ejaculation is foreign to no guy. It’s not any less embarrassing in a Romance language.

9. “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”
Also known as “fast times in the Ridgemont High baseball dugout.” We all imagined our first time would be thrilling. But only a few of us were right.

8. “The Ice Storm”
Everyone experiments as a kid. We don’t all get walked in on by our dads while fooling around with the neighbor boy or while wearing a Richard Nixon mask, though…

7. “Brokeback Mountain”
Nothing kills the mood like bringing up relationship stress—whether it’s money or family planning—right before sex. Keeping a big secret from your partner doesn’t help, either. In this case, the secret is six feet tall and boyishly rugged. Aside from that, who can’t relate?

6. “Greenberg”
Sometimes you don’t really know each other. And you struggle to get undressed. And then it’s just no fun from there.

5. “Unfaithful”
Connie fights guilt for cheating on the husband she loves. Then she fights even harder not to do it again. The amazing sex doesn’t quite override the pain afterward, but it’s still hard to resist.

4. “Superbad”
Alcohol has ruined sex for everyone at some point. It’s not always quite this heartbreakingly awkward, but in the end we’re glad he does the right thing.

3. “Bridesmaids”
“This is awkward,” Jon Hamm says to Kristen Wiig after a night of hot sex, “but I really want you to leave.”

2. “Tiny Furniture”
Post-college, Aura doesn’t just struggle to find a job and assimilate back into life at home with her mom and sister. She also starts dating again after a terrible breakup. She falls hard for a guy with a girlfriend. When she finally gets what she wants, it’s heartbreakingly unspecial.

1. “The Squid and the Whale”
Walt and Frank are coming of age in the chaos of a bitter divorce. Anger at his mom makes sixteen-year-old Walt cruel to the girl who likes him most and competitive for the underage girl his dad likes. And all poor Frank can do is play with himself, in every sense. Good thing this family believes in therapy.

Part II: 5 Too-Awkward-to-Handle Scenes – ALERT ALERT

5. “Proof” (2005) – Gwyneth Paltrow + Jake Gyllenhaal
Talking turns to giggling, giggling to passionate eye-gazing, passionate eye-gazing leads to kissing again. Nerdy sex is cute, huh? Unfortunately, Gwyneth is retreating into madness after the death of her father. The sex is brief and ends in sobbing.

4. “Requiem for a Dream” (2000) – Jennifer Connelly
Connelly’s character is fully immersed in a drug habit that forces her into a world of prostitution. The editing is what makes this scene so cringe-worthy: sweaty frames of Connelly’s face, Ellen Burstyn receiving shock therapy, Marlon Wayans thrusting a giant paddle in and out of a massive tub of something resembling mashed potatoes…

3. “Pink Flamingos” (1972) – Divine + Some Actor
Transvestite mother + gross-looking son = incest blowjob. ‘Nuff said.

2. “American Beauty” (1999) – Kevin Spacey + His Hand
A sexually repressed father undergoing a midlife crisis develops an infatuation with his teenage daughter’s friend. He fantasizes about her as he masturbates in the shower. Taboo alert!

1. “Monster’s Ball” (2001) – Halle Berry + Billy Bob Thornton
Halle Berry’s character is an overworked single mother who lacks any form of love in her life now that her husband (played by Diddy) finds himself in jail. Billy Bob Thornton’s character, a cop, comes over to comfort her. This results in a very, very awkward sex scene.