Top 10 R-Rated Movies We All Snuck Into
Top 10 Rated R Movies We All Snuck Into As Minors
When dealing with R-Rated flicks, age is but a number. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Rated-R Movies We All Snuck Into As Minors. For this list, we’re looking at restricted movies released since the ‘80s that have appealed to minors under the age of 17.
#10: “Speed” (1994)
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Armed with the most excellent tagline of "Get Ready for Rush Hour," this action thriller is basically the cinematic equivalent of smashing together toy cars while pretending to be John McClane. Starring Keanu Reeves from "Point Break" and "Bram Stoker's Dracula," "Speed" didn’t take long to pick up steam at the box office, and eventually grew into one of 1994's best-performing films. With an amazingly simple premise perfect for a B-movie action fest and an attractive young cast, "Speed" is the type of adrenaline fest associated more with the '80s than the ‘90s, and everyone – including teenagers – love a bit of "Die Hard."
#9: “Superbad” (2007)
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An R-Rated coming-of-age teen comedy almost seems like an oxymoron; yet, "Superbad" exists and is pretty darn awesome. According to the film's two writers – Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg – the script started to take shape while the pair were only teenagers, with the story taking heavy inspiration from personal experience. Foul-mouthed and unapologetically raunchy, "Superbad" portrays late adolescence in all of its irreverent glory; ironically, the film's authenticity prohibited anyone under the age of 17 from attending a screening. If there is one comedy worth breaking the rules for, "Superbad" has to be it, although 'This is the End" comes in at a close second.
#8: “Wild Things” (1998)
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Look, there is no point in being coy; sex sells and adolescent boys are always buying. "Wild Things" is an erotic thriller starring Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, and Denise Richards. The 1998 film more than lives up to its genre, notoriously including multiple explicit scenes, including a threesome featuring "Scream's" Sidney Prescott and a future Bond girl. With the internet still in its infancy, the temptation to sneak in and catch a screening of the infamous and scandalous "Wild Things" might have seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime.
#7: “Scream” (1996)
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Even though direct-to-video sequels continued to be distributed at an exhausting rate, the horror and slasher genres were on the brink of irrelevance in the mid-'90s. Casting recognizable actors and directed by Wes Craven, "Scream" was the self-aware breath of fresh air desperately needed by the genre, and even managed to impress critics. As a teenager, who didn’t love the taboo of a horror film? Your parents hated them out of principle and that made them thrilling regardless of quality. But a new slasher film starring Monica from "Friends" and Drew Barrymore? That was an absolute must-watch.
#6: “The Hangover” (2009)
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"Superbad," only with adults replacing the high school students, "The Hangover" came out in 2009 to a surprisingly positive critical reception and became a huge commercial success. A masterclass of building anticipation and hype, "The Hangover's" trailer shows four friends going to Vegas, blacking out, and waking up without any memories to face the consequences of a reckless night. Anyone who saw the trailer couldn’t help but want to learn what happened just as much as the characters in the film. Add Mike Tyson, a tiger, and a baby to the equation, and "The Hangover" became mandatory viewing, whether you were a minor or not.
#5: “American Pie” (1999)
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1999's unsubtle teen comedy has to be analyzed in context to be truly appreciated. During an era defined by enjoyable albeit tame teen flicks like "She's All That" and "Clueless," "American Pie" announced its arrival with a high school student masturbating into a sock, and revolves around four friends making a pact to lose their virginity. Compared to other movies released during the same period, "American Pie's" depiction of adolescence is a touch more genuine - if at times exaggerated. Culturally, the film capitalized on America's newfound willingness to address sex following the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal; for teens, it was a nasty slice of life that everyone was talking about.
#4: “The Matrix” (1999)
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In the late '90s, action movies were more preoccupied with big explosions than anything of actual substance. For every "Men in Black," there were five "Wild Wild Wests." Besides being a big-budget cyberpunk blockbuster about super-powered characters jumping through the air in slow motion, "The Matrix" willingly explores several philosophical subjects like existentialism and Marxism. The Wachowskis birthed a cultural phenomenon that helped usher in a new era in Hollywood, and "The Matrix" was impossible to escape at the time. Even more so than the innovative special effects or thoughtful themes, the main reason to sneak into this Rated-R movie was far simpler: "The Matrix" just looked really cool (and it was).
#3: “Deadpool” (2016)
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Rated-R superhero flicks are not completely out of the norm; however, "Kick-Ass" and "Dredd" do not take place within 20th Century Fox's "X-Men" universe. Fueled by a sense of injustice at the character's portrayal in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," "Deadpool" profited from an unconventional marketing company driven by Ryan Reynolds' willingness to appear as the Merc with a Mouth to promote the film. The superhero movie expertly utilized the internet to amass enough hype to become one of the highest grossing R-Rated films of all time, and that is without taking into account the countless people who likely bought a ticket for "Kung Fu Panda 3" but actually watched "Deadpool." “Logan” is another R-rated superhero flick that also needed to be watched in cinemas.
#2: “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991)
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"The Terminator" introduced an iconic movie villain and cemented Arnold Schwarzenegger as an A-list actor. For the sequel, James Cameron only had to confirm the T-800 was returning for more to guarantee success - and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day's" teaser trailer accomplished this goal splendidly. Due to the sequel coming out seven years after the original, most people, regardless of age, were familiar with "The Terminator." Boasting the highest – at the time – production budget, and a theme song by Guns N' Roses, "Judgment Day" was pretty much the event of the summer. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “RoboCop” (1987) “Aliens” (1986) “Jackass: The Movie” (2002) “Ted” (2012) “Fight Club” (1999)
#1: “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut” (1999)
The opening sequence literally involves the iconic four boys sneaking into an R-Rated screening of Terrance and Phillip's "Asses of Fire." Of course, an R-Rating did not prevent anyone from seeing "South Park." For the subversive cartoon's feature-length debut, Trey Parker and Matt Stone fought tooth and nail to convince the MPAA to reduce "South Park's" rating from an NC-17 to an R. The lower rating allowed for a wider distribution and provided more opportunities for fans to sneak into a screening after purchasing a ticket for "Wild Wild West." Life really does imitate art.
