The R, or Restricted rating requires those under 17 to have an accompanying parent or adult guardian to view. The film in question contains adult material. While most people immediately think of horror films when talking about R-rated movies, not every R-rated movie is a blood-and-gore or supernatural horror film – although many certainly are.
Even rom-coms, satirical comedies, and historical legal dramas can fall under the Restricted rating. Netflix features a massive library of movies and television series available for streaming. Among them are dozens of R-rated films, ranging from seemingly innocuous comedies with questionable themes to all-out horror.
Updated on November 11th, 2023 by Scoot Allan: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
9 The Lovebirds (2020)
The Lovebirds
- Release Date
- May 22, 2020
- Director
- Michael Showalter
- Cast
- Kyle Bornheimer, Kumail Nanjiani, Anna Camp, Issa Rae, Paul Sparks, Joe Chrest
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 1hr 26min
- Genres
- Comedy, Action, Crime
The Lovebirds is a 2020 romantic comedy movie starring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani, with Paul Sparks, Anna Camp, and Kyle Bornheimer in supporting roles. While a rom-com doesn’t seem like an R-rated movie, the plot follows a couple who go on the run after witnessing a murder. Jibran (Nanjiani) and Leilani (Rae) have been together for four years, and their relationship is filled with constant arguments over various topics. They agree to end the relationship, but while driving to a dinner party, a man uses their car to hit someone repeatedly. Now, they must work together to clear their names.
What Makes It Great?
The Lovebirds lives and dies on the hilarious chemistry of the leads. Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae keep the movie moving with quick-witted jokes that set this film apart from the rest and make it a must-watch on Netflix.
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8 Chloe (2009)
Chloe
- Release Date
- March 25, 2009
- Director
- Atom Egoyan
- Cast
- Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Max Thieriot, R.H. Thomson, Nina Dobrev
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 96
- Genres
- Drama, Documentary, Mystery, Thriller
Chloe is a 2009 erotic thriller starring Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, and Amanda Seyfried in the titular role. The film follows gynecologist Dr. Catherine Stewart (Moore) who begins suspecting her husband, David (Neeson), of infidelity. This comes after she sees a cell phone picture of him with a female student. To test his faithfulness, she hires an escort named Chloe to try and seduce him. Soon, the relationship between all three of them intensifies.
What Makes It Great?
The film is a remake of the 2003 French film Nathalie directed by Atom Egoyan. It’s a solid erotic thriller filled with great performances that are sure to unsettle anyone watching. However, it isn’t really bringing anything new to the table so fans of films like Fatal Attraction might find it a bit tedious.
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7 Don’t Look Up (2021)
Don’t Look Up
- Release Date
- December 24, 2021
- Director
- Adam McKay
- Cast
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothee Chalamet, Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett, Gina Gershon
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 2hr 18min
- Genres
- Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
Don’t Look Up is a 2021 apocalyptic political satire black comedy film featuring an ensemble cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Timothee Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi, Himesh Patel, Melanie Lynskey, Cate Blanchett, and Meryl Streep. The film’s plot follows two astronomers who must warn (and convince) humanity that an approaching comet will destroy human civilization.
What Makes It Great?
Don’t Look Up is an allegory of climate change, while the film satirizes the governmental, political, celebrity, and media indifference to the ongoing climate crisis. It’s a darkly comical look at what our world’s actual reaction might be to such catastrophic news, which is actually the saddest part about the movie.
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6 It Follows (2014)
It Follows
- Release Date
- February 4, 2015
- Director
- David Robert Mitchell
- Cast
- Bailey Spry, Carollette Phillips, Loren Bass, Keir Gilchrist, Maika Monroe, Lili Sepe
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 100
- Genres
- Horror, Thriller
Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, It Follows is a 2014 American horror film starring Maika Monroe. Monroe plays Jaime “Jay” Height, a young woman who becomes targeted by a supernatural entity following a sexual encounter.
What Makes It Great?
It Follows does not follow the as-of-late typical horror movie tactics. It is light on the jump scares and instead increases the fear factor with the ongoing sense of dread as Jay is haunted by a mysterious entity that is only visible to her. Alongside Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, and Lili Sepe appear in supporting roles.
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5 The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
The Trial of the Chicago 7
- Release Date
- September 25, 2020
- Director
- Aaron Sorkin
- Cast
- Eddie Redmayne, Jeremy Strong, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sacha Baron Cohen, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Michael Keaton
- Rating
- NONE
- Runtime
- 129
- Genres
- Drama
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a historical legal drama film that follows the true story of Chicago Seven, a group of anti-Vietnam War protestors charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The screenplay was initially written in 2007, with Steven Spielberg attached to direct the film and mostly unknown actors cast. However, the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike forced Spielberg to drop out, and Aaron Sorkin took place as the director in October 2018, with much of the cast joining the same month.
What Makes It Great?
A large ensemble cast carries The Trial of the Chicago 7 and includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Eddie Redmayne, and Sacha Baron Cohen. It’s a fantastic courtroom drama with a political twist that will appeal to modern viewers.
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4 Call Me by Your Name (2017)
Call Me By Your Name
- Release Date
- September 1, 2017
- Director
- Luca Guadagnino
- Cast
- Armie Hammer, Timothee Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel, Victoire Du Bois
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 130
- Genres
- Drama, Documentary, Romance
Call Me by Your Name is a 2017 coming-of-age romantic drama film based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Andre Aciman. The plot follows the romantic relationship between 17-year-old Elio Perlman (Chalamet) and 24-year-old graduate student Oliver (Hammer).
What Makes It Great?
Call Me by Your Name became such a success because of the great cast. The film stars Timothee Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel, and Victoire Du Bois. This film is the final installment in director Luca Guadagnino’s thematic “Desire Trilogy,” after I Am Love and A Bigger Splash from 2009 and 2015, respectively.
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3 Berlin Syndrome (2017)
Berlin Syndrome
- Release Date
- April 20, 2017
- Director
- Cate Shortland
- Cast
- Teresa Palmer, Max Riemelt, Matthias Habich, Kristina Kostiv, Peter Young, Lucie Aron
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 116
- Genres
- Thriller, Documentary, Horror, Mystery
Directed by Cate Shortland and based on the 2012 novel of the same name, Berlin Syndrome is a 2017 psychological horror thriller film. Starring Teresa Palmer and Max Riemelt, the film follows a young Australian photographer (Palmer) who travels to Germany where she meets an attractive, young English teacher (Riemelt). The two share a passionate night, only for the photographer to wake up and realize she is suddenly taken hostage by her would-be lover.
What Makes It Great?
Berlin Syndrome had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and received very positive reviews from critics. Palmer and Riemelt both shined in their respective roles, and Shortland’s directing captured the tense standoff between two dynamic personalities perfectly.
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2 Prisoners (2013)
Prisoners
- Release Date
- September 18, 2013
- Director
- Denis Villeneuve
- Cast
- Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 153
- Genres
- Crime, Documentary, Drama, Thriller
Prisoners is a 2013 thriller film starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano. The film follows the abduction of two girls in Pennsylvania and the police’s search for the abductor. After the police arrest a suspect and later release him, the father of one of the girls takes matters into his own hands.
What Makes It Great?
Prisoners was a financial and critical success and was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top 10 films of 2013. Additionally, it was also nominated for Best Cinematography at the 86th Academy Awards.
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1 This Is the End (2013)
This is the End
- Release Date
- June 12, 2013
- Cast
- James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 107
- Genres
- Comedy, Action, Fantasy
This is the End is a 2013 apocalyptic black comedy film written, directed, and produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. It is a feature-length adaptation of the short film Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse. The film stars James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Michael Cera, and Emma Watson as fictionalized versions of themselves as they fight to survive in the wake of a global biblical apocalypse.
What Makes It Great?
Not only does This is the End hilariously tackle the horrifying subject matter, but the stellar cast of comedic actors also lampoon themselves for increased laughs. Seth Rogen is as good behind the camera as he is in front of it, and the film gives viewers an interesting look into the dynamic, whether real or exaggerated, of this iconic group of Hollywood friends.
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