Top 20 Movies We All Watched Because We Weren't Allowed

Filled with violence, pop culture references, and a lot of cussing, Quentin Tarantinos magnum opus had everything a kid could want to see. Unlike so many other things we were banned from checking out as kids, old people seemed to really like this one too. Seeing the film praised in places like the Academy Awards and on TV by the likes of Siskel and Ebert, the children of the 90s knew it was one movie they had to find a way to see. In fact, only the most boring people in the world, like Bob Dole, seemed not to like it, giving us all the more reason to try and watch.

Sitting right in the middle of the Venn diagram of freaky sci-fi horror and skin flick, Species is one that our parents wanted to keep us away from for multiple reasons. The film follows Sil, an alien-human hybrid played by Natasha Henstridge, with her model beauty, whereas in alien form she looks like an H. R. Giger creation. The plot, where Sil attempts to mate with a human to create a race of hybrids that would take over the world, was little more than an excuse for some truly bizarre sex scenes.

Tobe Hoopers nasty little independent film was considered so bloody at the time that it had trouble getting a distributor. However, once it was released, it became one of the most profitable movies ever made. Over the years, its renown has only grown, heralded for establishing many of the tropes of the slasher genre and being one of the scariest movies ever made. Even today, the down-and-dirty flick is considered one of the most controversial films ever. With its depictions of a family of murderous cannibals, it's no wonder so many of us were barred from seeing it.

If there is ever a way to get people to try and watch something, it's to ban it, and such was the case in several countries for this historical epic jammed full of violence and sex. Even in the places where the uncensored version wasnt banned, it still met with several legal issues, and even some of the creators involved were dissatisfied with the hardcore sex scenes added late into production. While the violence and depravity caused critics to walk out and anti-pornography groups to protest, it only made the taboo movie more appealing.

In a rather rare move, A Clockwork Orange was pulled from British theaters at the insistence of director Stanley Kubrick. Critics were divided at the time on whether this display of graphic ultra-violence was despicable or a masterpiece. The only way to judge, of course, was to see it for ourselves. Because of the bans and its X rating in America, it was at first difficult to see, but with the advent of home video, that became much less of a hurdle. Knowing someone with an older relative meant you could easily get your hands on the VHS tape.

After decades of the War on Drugs, anything involving their use was certainly frowned upon by many. Despite anti-drug programs like D.A.R.E. being their most prominent in the years leading up to Requiem for a Dreams release, their effectiveness as a deterrent was highly questionable. Similarly, those attempting to deter people from watching this film, centering on a group of drug addicts, were equally ineffective. Ultimately, director Darren Aronofsky far from glamorized drug use in the film, with the film serving as an allegory about addiction in a larger sense, conveyed through some of the most stunning visuals ever put to film.

Yet another film that has sprung up on a number of the most controversial film lists and has been disavowed by parent groups. Its not hard to see why, as the Natural Born Killers follows a pair of lovers who bond over childhood trauma and their fondness for murder. With graphic violence, intense sex, and a script originally by Quentin Tarantino (even if he did disown the final film), the movie was tailor-made for edgy teens. Even better than the cut-down for theaters' R-rated version was Oliver Stones original version, if you could get your hands on the DVD, that is.

What could possibly be wrong with an animated film about bunny rabbits? Surely we were tough enough to watch this one. Few of us were expecting the frankly brutal and intense violence and buckets of animated blood as the poor bunnies bit the dust. Over the years, there have been a number of studies about whether or not the film traumatized a generation of children. Recently, however, some film critics have come to its defense as a kids' film due to its tackling of complex themes and the nature of death in a way they could digest. So maybe we were right to watch this one all along.

Coming out in the golden age of erotic thrillers in the 1990s, Wild Things had everything you could ask for from the genre. A twisty plot full of betrayal and deception, blackmail, tons of nudity, outdated tropes, and of course, a completely superfluous lesbian sex scene in a pool. Shot and set in the Everglades, and with a score from the composer for Austin Powers, George S. Clinton, everything about the film felt a bit sleazy. This one was undoubtedly meant to be watched with the volume low after Mom and Dad went to sleep.

What sets Kids apart from many of the other films on this list was that the ones barred from seeing the film, young people, were exactly who the film was about. Those coming of age in the 1990s, many of whom skated and lived with the ever-growing threat of AIDS hanging over them, felt they could relate to the film. As much of the older generation was shocked by a film featuring teenagers engaging in sex and recreational drug use, those '90s kids wanted to see something they felt was real.

Starting in the late 70s, the Heavy Metal magazine provided readers with the most depraved genre stories they could get their hands on. Whether it was sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk, or even erotica, the pages were filled with some of the messed-up stuff an impressionable reader could hope for. An animated film adaptation anthology featuring all of the dark fantasy, sex, and violence the magazine had been known for was released in 1981. Both those who had stuck the magazine under their mattresses and an entirely new audience of young delinquents flocked to this forbidden fruit.

For many, long before we were old enough to see the film, the harrowing design of the Xenomorph, the alien species from the film, haunted our nightmares. Some may have even seen the excellent sequel first, which, while still having tons of thrills, was more of an action film. The first entry, however, was pure horror. Those brave enough to check it out were rewarded, or perhaps scarred by some of the most terrifying stuff ever set in space. The chestburster scene alone was enough to make many of us turn off the TV.

Paul Verhoevens camp 90s classic about an aspiring stripper trying to make her way in Las Vegas received the most forbidden of all ratings, NC-17. The reason given by the Motion Picture Association was for nudity and erotic sexuality throughout, some graphic language, and sexual violence. MGM, who distributed the film, even went as far as to send staffers to theaters to keep those under seventeen years of age from sneaking in. Despite being a box office bomb, the film flourished once released on home media, with one group in particular praising the much reviled film. The film had become an icon in the LGBTQ community, many of whom secretly saw it at an early age.

In the years since its release, Cuban drug lord Tony Montana has become an icon, with many of his profanity-laden lines becoming the most quotable in history. His story is filled with plenty of guns, explosions, cocaine, and Al Pacino chewing the scenery, making it irresistible to much of the youth audience. Thanks to its setting in Miami and the score from legendary synth composer Giorgio Moroder, the movie is dripping with 1980s coolness. While it was criticized heavily at the time, it's grown to be a cult classic, thanks in no small part to those who watched it without permission coming of age.

When it came to the TV shows we watched because we werent allowed, South Park, with its crude over-the-top humor, was at the top of the list. So when the movie came out with a subtitle that promised a ton of the same and uncensored content, we couldnt wait. In a true moment of art mirroring life, the films plot concerns the group of kids from South Park sneaking into an R-rated movie. Afterwards, a number of bad words slip into their vocabulary, and an overblown moral panic sweeps the nation.

A cultural phenomenon and arguably the first blockbuster film ever, there is a reason that Jaws is one of the highest-regarded thrillers and adventure films ever. Generations have shown it to their children, but many question what age is appropriate. The film certainly has its fill of frightening shark attacks and floating limbs. For the burgeoning film buff, who likely first learned who a director was when they learned of Steven Spielberg, they couldnt wait for parental approval. As such, many of us watched the film far too young, and despite a horrifying initial scene, we were treated to a great film.

Few films are as well remembered from a single scene as Basic Instinct. The scene in question, involving a sitting Sharon Stone uncrossing her legs, was often the reason we were given for not being allowed to see the film. The same scene is also what drove many to try and see the film. The film was a box office smash, and thats not even factoring in untold teens who snuck into the R-rated film. Whether the film they snuck into was exploitative and trashy or one of the best erotic thrillers of the 90s remains debated to this day.

For many, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade were childhood staples; the adventures of Indian Jones captivated multiple generations. However, with child slavery, a grim tone, cultural insensitivity, and intense violence, including someones still beating heart being ripped out of their chest, the dark second chapter was much less family-friendly. That didn't stop kids from getting their hands on it any way they could, especially due to its somewhat controversial PG rating. In fact, that rating caused such a stir that it was one of the main factors for the establishment of the PG-13 rating.

While Jason famously wasnt the killer until the second installment, the original Friday the 13th was a cornerstone of early slasher films. Following a group of horny teenage camp counselors hooking up in the woods, a mysterious killer slowly picks them off one by one. Whether it was this installment or one of the sequels released on a near annual basis, sneaking into a Friday the 13th was almost a rite of passage for teens in the 80s. For many, it was the first chance they got a chance to see that level of violence, as well as exposed breasts.

Praised by many as perhaps the scariest movie of all time, for decades, parents have stopped their kids from watching The Exorcist. Some might have done this for religious reasons, as the film was filled with taboo imagery, most notably involving a young girl and a crucifix, while others just didnt want their kids to get nightmares. Either way, its reputation, thanks to its ever-growing presence in pop culture, made it unavoidable. Those bold enough to defy their elders and watch this were treated to scenes of pure horror involving an innocent child possessed by an unspeakable evil and some of the most chilling practical makeup ever put to screen. And yeah, we admit it, we struggled to sleep for a few days afterward.

Which movies did you watch without permission? Let us know in the comments below.