The film industry got its unofficial start in the late 19th century courtesy of the Lumière brothers in 1895 who projected a movie picture to paying audiences in Paris, France. By 1908, Hollywood had entered the scene, releasing the film, “The Count of Monte Cristo”. But neither of these early films or the numerous ones that arrived after, had a rating attached, a system that wouldn’t develop for years to come.
By 1930, the film industry created The Hayes Code, officially known Motion Picture Production Code, as a guideline to prevent censorship and complaints from the public. The original guidelines warned against abortion, drug use, interracial relationships, and prostitution, guidelines that were later removed but others remained. Films were to be devoid of blasphemy and ridicule of any religion; nudity, including silhouettes; and obscenity and profanity, with exceptions for “damn” and “hell” in certain situations.
By 1968, the Hayes Code was phased out in favor it the current rating system, developed by the Motion Picture Association of America, one that held more significance with the rise of television and foreign films, for which the earlier system held no sway.
Since the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) introduced ratings, close to 30,000 movies have been rated. Of those, 17,202 are rated R, the most prevalent rating, beating out G-rated movies (1,574), PG-rated (5,578), and PG-13 (4,913) combined. What goes into an R-rating? Here is a breakdown of what the MPAA looks at when rating films:
- Adult themes
- Cursing and adult language
- Drug use and abuse
- Sexually-oriented nudity
- Violence
A movie with an R-rating is not intended for children to see. This designation is a warning to parents that children under the age of 17 shouldn’t see the movie without an adult or guardian present. An NC-17 rating is higher and is a movie that children under the age of 17 wouldn’t be allowed to watch in a theater, even with an adult present. (The new “Deadpool & Wolverine” film is the first movie released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to garner an R-rating; earlier “Deadpool” films, also rated R, were released by 20th Century Fox.)
To determine this, 24/7 Tempo developed an index of movies using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of July 2024, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only R-rated movies with between 10,000 and 50,000 votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes. Documentaries were not considered. Directorial credits are from IMDb. (Discover additional best R-rated movies by reading 13 of the best cult classics of the ’70s.)
50. Gods and Monsters (1998)
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (33,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (71 reviews)
- Directed by: Bill Condon
49. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (56,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (51 reviews)
- Directed by: John Carpenter
48. Body Heat (1981)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (41,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (47 reviews)
- Directed by: Lawrence Kasdan
47. All That Jazz (1979)
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (36,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (47 reviews)
- Directed by: Bob Fosse
46. Sin Nombre (2009)
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (34,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (120 reviews)
- Directed by: Cary Joji Fukunaga
45. Lenny (1974)
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (18,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (5,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (31 reviews)
- Directed by: Bob Fosse
44. Mystery Train (1989)
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (31,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (36 reviews)
- Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
43. Vera Drake (2004)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (27,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (162 reviews)
- Directed by: Mike Leigh
42. The Tenant (1976)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (48,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (37 reviews)
- Directed by: Roman Polanski
41. The Joy Luck Club (1993)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (19,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (25,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (85 reviews)
- Directed by: Wayne Wang
40. Big Night (1996)
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (23,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (5,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (58 reviews)
- Directed by: Campbell Scott & Stanley Tucci
39. Nashville (1975)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (29,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (76 reviews)
- Directed by: Robert Altman
37. Diva (1982)
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (14,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (5,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (56 reviews)
- Directed by: Jean-Jacques Beineix
36. Seconds (1966)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (23,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (2,500+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (61 reviews)
- Directed by: John Frankenheimer
35. The Verdict (1982)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (46,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (40 reviews)
- Directed by: Sidney Lumet
34. Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (42,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (60 reviews)
- Directed by: Woody Allen
33. American Splendor (2003)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (53,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (25,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (187 reviews)
- Directed by: Robert Pulcini
31. Ordinary People (1980)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (57,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (104 reviews)
- Directed by: Robert Redford
30. Richard III (1995)
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (16,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (5,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (51 reviews)
- Directed by: Richard Loncraine
29. Husbands and Wives (1992)
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (31,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (43 reviews)
- Directed by: Woody Allen
28. The Commitments (1991)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (39,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (25,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (49 reviews)
- Directed by: Alan Parker
27. Fresh (1994)
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (15,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (5,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (41 reviews)
- Directed by: Boaz Yakin
26. Smoke (1995)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (38,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (34 reviews)
- Directed by: Wayne Wang
25. Monsoon Wedding (2001)
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (27,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (25,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (133 reviews)
- Directed by: Mira Nair
22. The Castle (1997)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (18,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (39 reviews)
- Directed by: Rob Sitch
21. Waiting for Guffman (1996)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (31,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (25,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (55 reviews)
- Directed by: Christopher Guest
20. The Long Goodbye (1973)
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (38,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (57 reviews)
- Directed by: Robert Altman
19. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (41,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (30 reviews)
- Directed by: Gus Van Sant
18. The Magdalene Sisters (2003)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (29,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (150 reviews)
- Directed by: Peter Mullan
17. Maria Full of Grace (2004)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (36,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (25,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (145 reviews)
- Directed by: Joshua Marston
16. You Can Count on Me (2000)
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (32,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (105 reviews)
- Directed by: Kenneth Lonergan
15. Down by Law (1986)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (56,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (32 reviews)
- Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
14. Belle de Jour (1968)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (50,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (2,500+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (60 reviews)
- Directed by: Luis Buñuel
13. Stranger Than Paradise (1984)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (41,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (28 reviews)
- Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
12. The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (37,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (61 reviews)
- Directed by: Atom Egoyan
11. The Wedding Banquet (1993)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (17,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (1,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (29 reviews)
- Directed by: Ang Lee
10. Short Cuts (1993)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (48,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (61 reviews)
- Directed by: Robert Altman
9. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (14,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (2,500+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (73 reviews)
- Directed by: Paul Schrader
8. Europa Europa (1991)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (18,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (5,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (21 reviews)
- Directed by: Agnieszka Holland
7. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (38,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (25,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (117 reviews)
- Directed by: John Cameron Mitchell
5. A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (29,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (5,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (35 reviews)
- Directed by: John Cassavetes
4. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (37,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (5,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (45 reviews)
- Directed by: Joseph Sargent
3. Once Were Warriors (1995)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (37,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (25,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (46 reviews)
- Directed by: Lee Tamahori
2. Secrets & Lies (1996)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (48,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (45 reviews)
- Directed by: Mike Leigh
1. The Last Picture Show (1971)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (53,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (10,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (116 reviews)
- Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich