Best R-Rated Movies That Were Almost Rated NC-17

This remake of Wes Craven’s 1977 cannibal mutant horror film has been called “horror porn” and was deemed too gory by the MPA until the most outrageous scenes were cut. However, the original uncut version has since been released for viewing.

This vigilante revenge film follows a man who targets not only the people who killed his family but anyone who supports the corrupt criminal justice system. A few graphic images were cut in order to secure an R rating, including a decapitated head and a rape scene.

Set in the Bronx during the 1977 shootings committed by serial killer David Berkowitz, this film captures the paranoia and mayhem that enveloped the city amidst the spate of violence. Some explicit sex scenes were edited after the MPA threatened an NC-17 rating.

Set in a bedraggled Midwestern town in the aftermath of a devastating tornado, this provocative experimental film follows various young residents as they cope with their boredom by fighting, killing cats, and sniffing glue. Director Harmony Korine has stated that “Gummo” originally received an NC-17 rating for its nihilism.

This neo-noir tale of passion, sex, and murder was submitted to the MPAA seven times before a version acceptable of an R rating was found. Explicit sexual scenes, detailed depictions of violent murders, and a rape scene were all toned down for U.S. audiences – however the unrated European version is available.

Originally rated NC-17 for its violence and sexual content, Dominic Sena’s directorial debut about a journalist couple who tour the sites of serial killings, unaware that they are traveling with a serial killer, was granted an R rating after an appeal.

This remake of Sam Raimi’s 1981 classic horror film has all the violence and gore of the original – which was initially rated X. Director Álvarez tweeted about having to remove certain shots to get the film into theaters.

This animated film about sentient foods in a grocery store that discover the brutal truth about what lies in wait for them after purchase was at risk of an NC-17 rating for a hairy detail in a food orgy scene. As soon as a pita with a scrotum was altered to have no pubic hair, the R rating was granted.

This brutal drama about a Vietnam veteran who turns to crime to support his family was threatened with an NC-17 rating until a robbery scene was heavily edited. Although the Criterion LaserDisc version includes some of the restored scenes, the full uncut version of the film has never been released.

This classic teen comedy was submitted to the MPA three times before finally being granted an R rating. The infamous sex with a pie scene was the main culprit – specifically the number of thrusts, which was cut from four to two.

Kevin Smith’s films often face NC-17 ratings due to graphic dialogue, and this 2001 movie was no different. Smith submitted three versions before the MPA granted it an R rating. Scenes involving George Carlin were cut, as were scenes in which two women kissed.

This vigilante film about the underbelly of organized crime in Boston was edited for its straight-to-video release, with several murder scenes being toned down to include less blood and less gun violence.

After eight submissions to the MPA, the sequel to Rob Zombie’s “House of 1000 Corpses” finally achieved an R rating. Most notably, two whole minutes of the brutal motel scene were cut.

Loosely based on a screenplay by master of cinematic violence Quentin Tarantino, this crime film follows two lovers from broken homes who go on a killing spree and end up glorified by the media. Director Oliver Stone made 150 cuts to the film in order to appease the MPA and secure an R rating.

Despite being known for their violent mob hit scenes, the first two “Godfather” films scored R ratings, but a particularly graphic scene involving the death of Don Licio Lucchese in the third film garnered it an NC-17 rating until the bloodiest parts were edited out.

This black comedy thriller about a murder for hire earned an NC-17 rating for its “graphic disturbing content including violence and sexuality and a scene of brutality.” After an appeal failed to lower the rating, nearly a dozen edits did the trick. The director’s cut is available to view.

The original version of this biopic on rock star Jim Morrison was loaded with nudity, profanity, drug use, and wild sex scenes, some of which made the final R-rated cut, and some of which are only viewable in the NC-17 release.

A single half-second clip of Maria Bello’s pubic hair landed this casino crime drama the dreaded rating. Even after an appeal, the MPAA wouldn’t budge and an alternate take was swapped in to get the film into theaters.

“Jason’s Lyric” follows two Houston brothers from a broken home who deal with their childhood trauma in wildly different ways, one by pursuing love and one by turning to crime. A few seconds were deleted from sex scenes to get the film an R rating.

Several scenes of graphic violence were cut from this neo-Western crime film before it achieved an R rating, including the deaths of Quentin Tarantino’s and Danny Trejo’s characters, as well as depictions of a crotch gun. A fatal shootout near the end of the film was so butchered after editing that director Robert Rodriguez opted to simply delete the whole scene.

Although the European version of Stanley Kubrick’s last film was released uncensored, a lavish orgy scene was censored for the U.S. R-rated release. Rather than cutting the scene, additional characters were digitally added to obscure certain sexual acts.

This black comedy about an investment banker who leads a violent double life is based on a book whose own author considered it unfilmable due to extremely graphic contents including murders. After filming, the only scene flagged by the MPA was a sex scene, which was edited slightly for an R rating.

Wes Craven submitted his classic teen slasher film before the MPA eight times and had trouble finding an acceptable cut, as the association had a problem with the film’s overall intensity. After editing out some gruesome details and explaining that the film was a satire on the slasher genre, Craven finally got the rating he was after.

The third installment of the “Evil Dead” franchise got hit with an NC-17 rating largely for a scene where Bruce Campbell’s character decapitates a female Deadite. Universal was aiming for PG-13, but in the end the film received an R rating.

This marriage drama made the news when the MPA based its initial rating on a critique of an intimate scene between a young groom and his wife. Star Ryan Gosling publicly blasted the board for misogyny, and eventually the film received an R rating without changing the scene.

Set in Los Angeles, this crime drama explores the complex ways that racial prejudices and realities play out, both in the intentional acts and subconscious minds of a diverse array of intersecting characters. According to IMDb, this Best Picture winner was initially rated NC-17.

The first feature length film based on the animated sitcom “South Park” was designated NC-17 for its “pervasive vulgar language and crude, sexual humor,” following six MPA screenings. After sparse cuts, the film finally received an R rating.

This exploitation double feature is packed with graphic violence, but the faux movie trailers that play between the two films are what almost landed “Grindhouse” an NC-17. Eli Roth’s trailer for a fake film called “Thanksgiving” featured three decapitations and was just one of the offending segments.

Quentin Tarantino knew that his quintessential revenge film was headed for an NC-17, so before showing the film to the MPA board, he rendered a particularly bloody fight scene into black and white, and another into anime.

This historical drama about the First Scottish War of Independence features brutal medieval battle and torture scenes that were toned down for the MPA board. Notably, William Wallace’s disembowelment occurs off screen as the camera lingers on his face.

This sci-fi action film follows a cyborg crime fighting machine that turns on its masters. Director Paul Verhoeven had to cut the film ten separate times, deleting the bloodiest and most graphic murder scenes to secure an R rating.

This biographical drama about a transgender man in rural Nebraska initially caught flack, not for a brutal rape scene, but for a sex scene between Hilary Swank and Chloë Sevigny in which the climax was reportedly “too long.”

Kevin Smith’s directorial debut scored an NC-17 on its first pass – not for violence or sex, but solely for its use of explicit language. After Miramax hired a lawyer to appeal the rating, the MPA backed down and no cuts were made to the film.

Martin Scorsese has admitted to including a particular torture scene in “Casino” as a sacrificial decoy, as he was sure the MPA would ask him to cut it in lieu of other violent scenes he hoped to keep. The film went to appeal, and in the end, the scene in question, in which a man’s head is squeezed in a vice until his eyes pop out, was left intact.

Darren Aronofsky’s horrifying depiction of four people’s descents into addiction, “Requiem for a Dream,” earned an NC-17 rating for multiple graphic sex scenes. Aronofsky appealed the decision, stating that cutting the scenes would dilute the message of the film. When the MPA didn’t back down, the film was released unrated, with an edited R-rated version supplied to video stores.

In this ultra-violent gangster epic, Al Pacino stars as Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee turned drug lord whose greed and brutality threaten to destroy everything he’s worked for. The film was initially rated X until director Brian De Palma edited a chainsaw murder scene.

The second installment in the Evil Dead film series is a bloodbath of comedic horror that includes a chainsaw decapitation scene, among other over-the-top depictions of violence. Realizing the film would get an X rating if submitted to the MPAA, its distributor created a pseudonymous company who distributed the film unrated to select theaters.

It’s no surprise that a film about the adult entertainment industry in the ’70s would receive an NC-17 rating. Contractually obligated to deliver an R-rated picture, director Paul Thomas Anderson submitted the film to the MPA 18 times, and in the end only lost about 45 seconds of material.

A psychological thriller based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, “Fight Club” follows a disaffected insurance assessor and his enigmatic new friend as they start an underground fighting ring that risks going out of control. Several scenes were cut or re-shot in order to achieve an R rating.

This neo-noir crime comedy follows a series of Los Angeles criminals – including two hitmen, their boss and his wife, a double-crossing boxer, and a couple of small-time crooks. Numerous scenes had to be trimmed to satisfy the MPA, including a head explosion special effect.