Known for its expansive movie library, Hulu is the streaming service to choose if you want access to a wide variety of quality films, including R-rated offerings. This month, the best R-rated films on Hulu are largely newer releases from the 21st century.
To determine the best R-rated movies to stream on Hulu this May, 24/7 Tempo developed an index 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 early May 2023, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies with at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes, and ruled out documentaries. Data on streaming availability, also current as of early May, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood. Directorial credits are from IMDb. (Here’s a list of R-rated movies with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.)
Choose between artistic masterpieces like Darren Aronofsky’s psychological horror “Black Swan” and Guillermo del Toro’s inter-species romantic fantasy “The Shape of Water” – or watch both. Or take a dive into the true story of one powerful government agent’s obsession with taking down a jazz legend in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” directed by Lee Daniels.
Offbeat comedies abound, including Wes Anderson’s directorial debut, “Bottle Rocket;” the zombie comedy “Little Monsters,” starring Lupita Nyong’o; and the rom-com turned sci-fi flick “Palm Springs,” starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti as wedding guests who find themselves stuck in an infinite time loop. (These are some R-rated movies loved by the critics but hated by everybody else.)
Click here to see the best R-rated movies on Hulu this month
The list also features plenty of action movies and thrillers, including the classic ‘80s and 90’s films “Commando,” “Enemy of the State,” and “Speed,” as well as newer releases like “Patriot’s Day,” which follows the manhunt for two brothers suspected of bombing the Boston Marathon.
50. The Equalizer 2 (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (144,978 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 60% (5,004 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 52% (206 reviews)
> Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
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49. V/H/S/2 (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (37,609 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 51% (11,881 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: Simon Barrett & others
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48. Splinter (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (35,635 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 49% (13,245 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (38 reviews)
> Directed by: Toby Wilkins
47. Great Expectations (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (52,585 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (47,565 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 37% (35 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
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46. The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021)
> IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (13,558 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (925 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 56% (179 reviews)
> Directed by: Lee Daniels
45. Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (135,800 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (5,091 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 62% (290 reviews)
> Directed by: Stefano Sollima
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44. Shirley (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (10,270 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55% (416 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (250 reviews)
> Directed by: Josephine Decker
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43. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (233,592 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (369,517 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 49% (280 reviews)
> Directed by: Mel Gibson
42. Don Jon (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (234,114 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 58% (76,582 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (205 reviews)
> Directed by: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
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41. Pretty Woman (1990)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (304,022 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (32,709,375 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (69 reviews)
> Directed by: Garry Marshall
40. Commando (1985)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (152,766 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (138,255 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (35 reviews)
> Directed by: Mark L. Lester
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39. The Pledge (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (56,138 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (22,119 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (125 reviews)
> Directed by: Sean Penn
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38. Horrible Bosses (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (432,420 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (106,781 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (223 reviews)
> Directed by: Seth Gordon
37. Boys on the Side (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (12,526 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (35,213 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (35 reviews)
> Directed by: Herbert Ross
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36. My Friend Dahmer (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (22,006 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 61% (5,476 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (104 reviews)
> Directed by: Marc Meyers
35. Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (51,399 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (56,519 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: Jeff Kanew
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34. Copycat (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (57,126 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (41,148 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (38 reviews)
> Directed by: Jon Amiel
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33. History of the World: Part I (1981)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (47,701 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (60,539 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 59% (32 reviews)
> Directed by: Mel Brooks
32. Julia (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (6,143 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (17,312 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (59 reviews)
> Directed by: Erick Zonca
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31. The Brothers (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (4,578 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (10,184 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 63% (67 reviews)
> Directed by: Gary Hardwick
30. Identity (2003)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (235,237 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (190,894 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 62% (173 reviews)
> Directed by: James Mangold
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29. The Infiltrator (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (75,017 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (19,098 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (179 reviews)
> Directed by: Brad Furman
28. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (300,719 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 61% (33,121,539 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (84 reviews)
> Directed by: Bobby & Peter Farrelly
27. Courage Under Fire (1996)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (52,470 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (46,899 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: Edward Zwick
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26. Hostiles (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (77,767 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (5,554 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (224 reviews)
> Directed by: Scott Cooper
25. Prospect (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (25,086 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (1,287 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (52 reviews)
> Directed by: Zeek Earl & Christopher Caldwell
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24. Dredd (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (263,296 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (153,915 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (168 reviews)
> Directed by: Pete Travis
23. Enemy of the State (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (234,497 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (373,095 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (86 reviews)
> Directed by: Tony Scott
22. Dangerous Beauty (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (16,612 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (9,262 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (28 reviews)
> Directed by: Marshall Herskovitz
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21. Haunt (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (24,396 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 100% (50 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (48 reviews)
> Directed by: Scott Beck & Bryan Woods
20. American Psycho (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (525,565 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (304,898 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (150 reviews)
> Directed by: Mary Harron
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19. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (100,426 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (86,616 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (178 reviews)
> Directed by: Sidney Lumet
18. Bottle Rocket (1996)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (73,251 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (61,613 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (66 reviews)
> Directed by: Wes Anderson
17. The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (30,812 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (12,015 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (168 reviews)
> Directed by: Marielle Heller
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16. The Shape of Water (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (393,136 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (26,084 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (459 reviews)
> Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
15. Little Monsters (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (15,650 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 100% (50 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (131 reviews)
> Directed by: Abe Forsythe
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14. Patriots Day (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (104,734 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (26,155 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (237 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Berg
13. Speed (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (344,662 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (669,034 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (69 reviews)
> Directed by: Jan de Bont
12. Black Dynamite (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (47,489 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (15,678 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (64 reviews)
> Directed by: Scott Sanders
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11. Atonement (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (262,734 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (227,243 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (219 reviews)
> Directed by: Joe Wright
10. It (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (488,616 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (67,821 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (386 reviews)
> Directed by: Andy Muschietti
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9. Red Cliff (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (45,071 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (22,595 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (117 reviews)
> Directed by: John Woo
8. Black Swan (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (724,171 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (178,225 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (318 reviews)
> Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
7. I, Tonya (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (219,878 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (12,586 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (384 reviews)
> Directed by: Craig Gillespie
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6. High Fidelity (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (173,740 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (211,818 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (165 reviews)
> Directed by: Stephen Frears
5. Palm Springs (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (130,989 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (2,596 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (241 reviews)
> Directed by: Max Barbakow
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4. Glory (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (136,710 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (60,300 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (44 reviews)
> Directed by: Edward Zwick
3. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (329,016 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (75,039 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (54 reviews)
> Directed by: Sergio Leone
2. Fight Club (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (1,940,882 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (1,093,796 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (179 reviews)
> Directed by: David Fincher
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1. L.A. Confidential (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (551,824 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (150,890 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (115 reviews)
> Directed by: Curtis Hanson
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