9 R-Rated Adaptations of Children’s Stories

Who says children's stories are just for children? Adults can enjoy these timeless classics too. It's hard, though, to find a children's story adapted into an R-rated film that is both interesting and actually based on a fairytale or fable. For some inspiration, click through the slideshow as we've compiled nine unique R-rated adaptations of children's stories.

Released in 2010, "Black Swan" is a chilling psychological horror film with a lot of influence and inspiration from the play, Swan Lake. This family-friendly story is suitable for nearly all ages – but not "Black Swan." Instead, "Black Swan" is rated R. It stars Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis.

"Hard Candy" is a dark and gritty modern Little Red Riding Hood. Don't let the red hood on the posters fool you, this is a rated-R film meaning, it is definitely not suitable for kids. It touches on subjects like sexual assault and predators. "Hard Candy" features Patrick Wilson, Elliot Page, and Sandra Oh. The film is good and shortly after its release won a few awards including Málaga Film Festival's Best Cinematography Award.

Snow White is a little scary for a children's story. Imagine your stepmom sending someone to kill you out of jealousy. "Snow White: A Tale of Terror" is even more extreme. This creepy gothic film did okay when it was released. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film's Popcornmeter is at 56%. The film, though, had incredible actors including Sigourney Weaver, Sam Neill, and Monica Keena.

Little Red Riding Hood retellings are popular. This popular children's story is retold in "The Company of Wolves." It's a gothic horror retelling based on a short story of the same name. The film stars Angela Lansbury, David Warner, Micha Bergese, and Sarah Patterson. Although not incredibly popular, it's often listed as a hidden gem.

Reese Witherspoon doesn't just play sweet and bubbly characters, she's also played characters with a dark side, like her role in "Freeway." This is another Red Riding Hood retelling. Apart from Witherspoon, this cult classic also stars Kiefer Sutherland, Brooke Shields, and Wolfgang Bodison.

Did you expect to read about a movie based on/inspired by The Pied Piper? "The Sweet Hereafter" references the Pied Piper of Hamelin frequently. It's a tough and gut-wrenching rated-R drama about a class-action lawsuit after a traumatic bus accident kills 14 children. A few actors in this tragic drama include Ian Holm, Maury Chaykin, Peter Donaldson, Bruce Greenwood, and David Hemblen.

Another rated-R film based on children's stories is "Fairy Tales." The entire movie is a raunchy retelling of classics like Sleeping Beauty and Little Bo Peep. It's a 1976 spoof film with a run time of 76 minutes.

"No Such Thing" is a modern fairy tale that takes inspiration from many classic stories, mostly Beauty and the Beast and Beowulf. It was even previously titled Monster. It starred Sarah Polley, Robert John Burke, and Helen Mirren.

As the name suggests, this rated-R horror film is based on the story of the Pied Piper. Did you expect to see this fable twice? "The Piper" is a freaky concept. Imagine playing a song on an instrument, like the flute, and accidentally summoning an evil force. Some actors in this film are Julian Sands, Charlotte Hope, and Philipp Christopher.