But for many movie buffs, the NC-17 rating is intriguing and even a badge of honour. When mainstream films receive the rating, which happens extremely infrequently, it raises a lot of interest in them. Regardless of the rating, American culture is always fixated on the illegal, the sensational, and the frightening, thus NC-17 films will always maintain a special place in the world of cinema thanks to their amazing storylines.
‘A Clockwork Orange’ (1971)
Available to stream on HBO Max.
In “A Clockwork Orange,” Alex is shown gazing into the camera wearing his recognisable suspenders attire.
A Clockwork Orange is among the most recognisable X-rated films in cinematic history, living up to its designation in every way. Eventually, the film’s rating was lowered to R, but not without a cost. With fewer orgy and assault sequences, the newly released version in cinemas replaced the first 31 seconds.
A Clockwork Orange is still regarded as one of Stanley Kubrick’s finest films, despite its frightening subject matter. The film, which follows the character of Alex and his insatiable love of violence, is heartbreaking and challenging to see. Finally imprisoned for his restlessness, he consents to behaviour modification in order to be released, only to end up becoming a victim himself.
‘Bad Lieutenant’ (1992)
Available to stream on Tubi TV.
It is not surprising that the MPAA included Harvey Keitel’s criminal thriller as the first film to ever receive the NC-17 rating. Sexual violence, harsh speech, and drug usage are all prevalent in the film. While examining a man who is captive to some of humanity’s worst instincts, Abel Ferrara’s venture into the cop movie genre, which is abundant in Hollywood, never once pauses.
The Lieutenant, a dishonest police officer who is heavily indebted and abuses drugs, sexually harasses underage girls, and steals money, is the focus of the film. When the mob demands that he pay off his obligations, his problems in life come to a head. When the Lieutenant discovers that there is a reward for finding the two men who attacked the nun, he seizes the chance to collect the cash.
‘Blue Is the Warmest Color’ (2013)
Available to stream on AMC+ Amazon Channel and Kanopy.
Abdellatif Kechiche’s coming-of-age love drama film Blue is the Warmest Color (La Vie d’Adèle), which is based on the same-named graphic novel, is a coming-of-age story. Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos), a high school student, and Emma (Léa Seydoux), an older art student, are the main characters in the plot. The story spans several years as it follows the couple as they grow in love, deal with relationship issues, and ultimately make a difficult choice. The movie is renowned for its raw and honest portrayal of two ladies in love as well as the remarkable performances by the major actors.
The film’s explicit sexual material earned it the NC-17 rating. The movie has a number of lengthy, violent, and graphically explicit sexual scenes that were deemed too graphic for a R rating. In addition, several of these sequences were shot in amazing detail, rendering them astonishingly true to life, which the rating board was probably not prepared for at the time.
‘Crash’ (1996)
Based on J.G. Ballard’s 1973 novel of the same name, Crash is a psychological thriller film by acclaimed director David Cronenberg. A group of persons in and around Toronto who get sexually obsessed with car accidents are the subject of the film. The movie explores technology, fetishism, and human sexuality in startling and frequently weird ways.
It is not surprising that Crash received an NC-17 rating due to its violent sexual material, general brutality, and core subject matter, which was thought to be too sensitive for a R rating. The film features numerous violent incidents and explicit sexual interactions that are deemed too graphic for a wide audience. The movie’s theme—car crash fetishism—was also criticised for being too frightening and unconventional. In spite of this, among Cronenberg devotees, the film has developed into a cult classic.
‘Happiness’ (1998)
Happiness, a 1998 American black comedy-drama movie with Jane Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Dylan Baker, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Camryn Manheim, was directed by Todd Solondz. As they seek to find pleasure and fulfilment in their lives, the film follows three sisters and their families. The movie explores issues like family dynamics, depression, and sexual desire.
The movie was given an NC-17 rating due to its obscene sexual content and contentious paedophilia and sexual abuse themes. The film has numerous overt sexual moments in addition to graphic sexual content that was deemed too graphic for a R certification. Happiness is renowned today for its fearless examination of common human weaknesses and its ability to humanise evil characters.
‘Killer Joe’ (2011)
Available to stream on Showtime and fuboTV. In the movie Killer Joe, a police officer doubles as a hitman. In exchange for a desperate drug dealer’s virginal sister, Matthew McConaughey’s Killer Joe Cooper offers to kill the man’s loathed mother. The superb display of ferocious emotions and mistaken fake morals by William Friedkin gives the term “crooked officer” a whole new meaning.
One of the heinously undervalued films of all time is still Killer Joe. The psychosexual crime movie was given an NC-17 rating because of its graphic violence, excessive nastiness, and unsettling images of psychological abuse. The movie succeeds as a Southern Gothic trailer park narrative with unstable characters who are persuaded they are making a difference in the world, despite its weighty subject matter.
‘Man Bites Dog’ (1992)
Available to stream on HBO Max and The Criterion Channel.
A willingly complicit documentary team records the actions of a rampaging serial killer named Ben (Benoît Poelvoorde) in this black comedy mockumentary. The squad finally joins Ben in his misdeeds as he explains the nature of his “job” and makes commentary on it.
Without delving into specifics regarding the shockingly graphic violence depicted in the movie, it is impossible to adequately explain why the film received an NC-17 rating. However, detractors also recognise its insightful and provocative implications, such as how an ethically dubious journalist’s duty to be “neutral” may preempt the basic human need to step in and help in a dire circumstance.
‘Midnight Cowboy’ (1969)
Available to stream on Hoopla, Tubi TV, Kanopy and Pluto TV.
In “Midnight Cowboy,” Jon Voight is seen donning a black cowboy hat while in the city lights of New York.
Before the NC-17 grade was included in the Motion Picture Association picture rating system, Midnight Cowboy was released. However, because to its homosexual content, it received the equally contentious X-rating at the time of its debut. Despite the rating, the movie was the only X-rated picture to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
Midnight Cowboy’s rating was finally reduced over time to an R, which is more appropriate. The movie depicts the journey of Texan Joe Buck, portrayed by Jon Voight, through vibrant New York City. His attraction to women is not as strong as he once assumed, so he teams up with a sick man instead of waiting around to hook up with a wealthy dowager.
‘Mysterious Skin’ (2004)
Available to rent on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video and Google Play Movies.
Gregg Araki is well-versed in LGBTQ youth, explicit sexual content, and some of the most pressing problems in LGBT+ society as a key figure in the New Queer Cinema movement. He has not only contributed to the development of LGBT cinema, but his filmmaking is also stunningly audacious and oozing with punk style.
Because of its frequent use of profanity, sexual and drug content, and nudity, Mysterious Skin was granted an NC-17 rating. The film follows Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Brian (Brady Corbet), the latter of whom uses hustling to cope with his childhood trauma after the former becomes obsessed with UFOs as a way to repress his sexual abuse.
‘Perfect Blue’ (1997)
Available to stream on Shudder and AMC+ Amazon Channel.
Perfect Blue is a renowned animated psychological thriller film directed by Satoshi Kon that centres on Mima Kirigoe, a teenage pop singer who decides to leave her well-liked girl group in order to pursue a career as an actor. However, as she becomes more well-known and successful in her new work, she starts to observe odd happenings and can’t help but feel increasingly paranoid, believing that someone is watching her every move. The movie explores issues including voyeurism, identity, and the dangers of celebrity.
Because of its violent violence, sexual content, and frightening sequences, the movie was given the NC-17 rating. Many bloody and violent scenes, including a horrifying rape scene, were found to be too graphic for a R rating. Additionally, the movie’s portrayal of voyeurism and stalking was deemed inappropriate for younger viewers.
‘Shame’ (2011)
Available to rent on Apple iTunes.
In the movie “Shame,” Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan are seated side by side on a couch.
Michael Fassbender’s performance in Shame launched his acting career for a variety of reasons, including his outstanding acting skills, his unrivalled onscreen presence, his ability to frighten even the toughest audience members, and of course, his full-frontal nudity. The latter factor contributed to this movie’s NC-17 rating.
Due to its extremely explicit sexual material, the wild classic movie received the rating, which is fair. The plot of the film centres on Brandon, a prosperous and attractive New Yorker, and there is a lot of explicit sexual content. He appears to have a typical life, but he is actually hiding his secret addiction to sex. He starts to become numb to everything in his life as a result of his incessant craving for satisfaction.
‘The Devils’ (1971)
The beautiful backdrop of 17th-century France serves as the scene for The Devils. Oliver Reed plays Father Grandier, a priest with heretical beliefs on sex and religion who has a fervent following of nuns who are sexually fascinated. However, in order to take over France, the ruthless Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue) understands he must kill Grandier. In order to stir up public controversy and damage the priest’s well-loved image, Richelieu presents the priest as a Satanist.
Even with its NC-17 rating, The Devils remains a classic in film. It is based on real historical occurrences surrounding the executed Urbain Grandier. But before it was released, the film underwent extensive editing to remove brutal scenes that combined sex and violence with Christian rituals and sacred items.
‘The Dreamers’ (2003)
Available to stream on HBO Max
The romantic relationship between three friends—an American exchange student named Matthew (Michael Pitt) and two French siblings, Isabelle (Eva Green) and Théo—is the focus of the romance drama The Dreamers, which is set in 1968 in Paris (Louis Garrel). The film, which was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, explores the social turmoil of the 1960s as well as problems of politics and sexuality.
The movie was given an NC-17 rating because it contains multiple explicit nudity and graphic sexual scenes. The movie is also well-known for its vivid and erotic portrayal of sexuality, which some people found offensive. Its strong message of sexual liberty, which is evident in the way the protagonists engage in sexual experimentation and self-expression with one another, may appeal to new audiences.
‘The Evil Dead’ (1981)
Available to rent on Amazon Video.
The Evil Dead, the first movie in the Evil Dead series, is a well-known horror film that was directed by Sam Raimi. It spawned a number of sequels, and a fifth feature, titled Evil Dead Rise, will be released in March 2023. The movie tells the tale of a group of friends who visit a lodge in the woods and unintentionally let out evil spirits that are possessed by them one by one.
The movie is renowned for its shocking horror and graphic violence. Given an X rating at first, it later acquired an NC-17 certification because of the various scenes of extreme violence, gore, and horror that were present. The film is renowned for using practical effects and make-up to create graphic and violent scenes that were thought to be too realistic and frightful for the time.
‘Y tu mamá también’ (2001)
Available to stream on AMC+. The lives of Julio (Gael Garca Bernal) and Tenoch (Diego Luna), both of whom are 17 years old, are controlled by raging hormones, sexual thoughts, and strong relationships. The film Y tu mamá también chronicles the summertime adventures of the two best friends as they travel cross-country with an elderly grandmother (Maribel Verd).
Although there are numerous close relationships between the lads and the women, the explicit nudity and sexual content are what give the film its grade. It’s also fairly amazing to consider that Alfonso Cuarón, the film’s director, went on to helm a Harry Potter film right after this NC-17 coming-of-age masterpiece.
In the movie Killer Joe, a police officer doubles as a hitman. In exchange for a desperate drug dealer’s virginal sister, Matthew McConaughey’s Killer Joe Cooper offers to kill the man’s loathed mother. The superb display of ferocious emotions and mistaken fake morals by William Friedkin gives the term “crooked officer” a whole new meaning.
The lives of Julio (Gael Garca Bernal) and Tenoch (Diego Luna), both of whom are 17 years old, are controlled by raging hormones, sexual thoughts, and strong relationships. The film Y tu mamá también chronicles the summertime adventures of the two best friends as they travel cross-country with an elderly grandmother (Maribel Verd).