While it’s true that family-friendly movies are a reliable option for movie nights, there are times when gatherings with friends or moments spent alone demand more thrilling alternatives. If you’re searching for heart-racing, exciting, or uniquely strange cinematic experiences, R-rated movies might be exactly what you need.
From new movies like the horror hit Nosferatu to classics like The Godfather, these top-notch R-rated films are available to stream on platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Max. You can’t go wrong with the 10 selections on this list.
Need more recommendations? We also have guides to the best new movies to stream this week, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, and the best movies on Max.
Nosferatu (2024)
In Robert Eggers’ 2024 reimagining of Nosferatu, the story begins as real estate agent Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) travels to the Carpathian Mountains to secure a property deal with Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), an infamously mysterious figure. Upon arrival, Hutter finds a decaying castle and a host who is even stranger than he expected. Hutter soon discovers Orlok’s true nature as a grotesque vampire intent on spreading his curse. Simultaneously, in their German hometown, Hutter’s wife, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), experiences disturbing visions, sensing impending doom.
Eggers’ gothic horror film is a worthy remake of the classic movie Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922), itself an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel. Both repulsive and mesmerizing, Nosferatu masterfully achieves a delicate balancing act that pays off in a way few modern horror films dare to attempt. The critically acclaimed work lures viewers in with a dark gothic elegance before sinking its fangs into more genuinely frightening moments. Skarsgård’s Orlok oozes malevolence, made convincing by the actor’s performance and the impeccable prosthetics. Depp is also fantastic as Ellen, whose intense descent into the supernatural anchors the entire film.
Nosferatu is streaming on Peacock.
Whiplash (2014)
An essential film about an artist’s obsession, Whiplash follows Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), a young jazz drummer who enrolls at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory. Eager to carve out a legacy, he believes he has found the way to make his mark when he meets Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), a teacher with notoriously brutal methods that push students beyond their limits. Fletcher’s philosophy is simple: greatness is forged in fire, and he’s more than willing to wield the torch. As Andrew endures humiliating verbal lashings and physically grueling practice sessions, his desire to impress turns into an obsession, eroding his personal relationships and bringing him closer to self-destruction.
Directed by Damien Chazelle, Whiplash is a taut and heart-pounding film that mimics the intense story with its own relentless pace. J.K. Simmons delivers a ferocious performance that makes Fletcher one of the most controversial figures in the genre. Teller, in turn, gives a career-defining performance, portraying Andrew’s journey towards becoming a near-mad virtuoso with the passion it requires. The 2014 film — and its explosive conclusion — leaves audiences questioning: Does true excellence require pain or is Fletcher’s philosophy a warped illusion?
Whiplash is streaming on Netflix.
Alien: Romulus (2024)
Director Fede Álvarez breathes new life into the iconic franchise through Alien: Romulus, which features a tale that takes place between the original Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986). It initially follows a young woman, Rain (Cailee Spaeny), who is determined to escape her desolate mining colony on Yvaga III alongside her anxious yet loyal android Andy (David Jonsson). She soon joins a group that hijacks a ship that takes them to a seemingly abandoned space station. They eventually learn that it isn’t abandoned at all, and soon face the terrifying resurgence of xenomorphs that take them down one by one.
In Romulus, Álvarez recaptures the claustrophobic tension that defined Ridley Scott’s original masterpiece. Cailee Spaeny delivers a compelling performance as Rain, a character who, while echoing Ellen Ripley, brings her own uniqueness to the role. While the 2024 sci-fi horror film has been criticized for relying too heavily on nostalgia, there’s no denying that both newcomers and established fans of the franchise will find some entertainment value in Alien: Romulus.
Alien: Romulus is streaming on Hulu.
The Substance (2024)
Now a Best Picture nominee, The Substance is a chilling body horror film that plunges viewers into the skin-crawling world of aging washed-up actress Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore). After being fired by her producer, the 50-year-old celebrity tries a revolutionary product called “The Substance” to create a younger, flawless version of herself (played by Qualley). What begins as a seemingly perfect solution to her problem morphs into a nightmare as her younger version upsets the balance and takes up more time in the real world.
Director Coralie Fargeat expertly criticizes the toxic commodification of beauty with a genuinely grotesque yet often hilarious satirical story. Numerous scenes in The Substance offer visceral, almost Cronenbergian body horror, which escalates as its protagonist sacrifices more of herself for fame and youth. Moore is outstanding as the fading actress, with her career-defining performance rightly earning her an Oscar nomination and Golden Globe for Best Actress.
The Substance is streaming on Mubi.
Gladiator (2000)
Before watching Paul Mescal dominate the Colosseum in Gladiator II, fans should revisit (or see for the first time) Russell Crowe’s iconic performance in Gladiator. One of Ridley Scott’s best films, this historical epic takes viewers to the twilight of the Roman Empire, where Maximus (Crowe), a revered general, is betrayed when Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) names him as his successor over Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). The jealous Commodus seizes the throne, orders Maximus’s execution, and has his family killed. Left for dead, Maximus becomes a gladiator in Rome, where his combat skills make him a legend, leading to a final showdown with Commodus.
Gladiator captures the grandeur and brutality of Ancient Rome with a deeply moving tale of revenge. It’s impossible not to root for Maximus as he wins one fight after another, with Crowe’s legendary performance imbuing the character with both limitless courage and heartbreaking vulnerability. Paired with impressive set pieces and practical effects, Gladiator is just as exciting today as it was over two decades ago.
Gladiator is streaming on Paramount+.
Parasite (2019)
Parasite is a film that needs no introduction. The award-winning social thriller became a global phenomenon when it first premiered in 2019, rightly turning director Bong Joon-ho into a household name. It has a deceptively simple premise: the impoverished Kim family, who live in a basement, get an upgrade when they scheme to infiltrate the wealthy Park family’s home by posing as skilled workers. While they enjoy their time in the luxurious house, they make a dark discovery that changes everything.
Parasite has become synonymous with its mid-point plot twist, which sees the film take a disturbing turn. This revelation, along with the movie’s meticulous cinematography and symbolism, is all clever and hard-hitting commentary on capitalism and class divides. Smart, darkly funny, and deeply unsettling, Parasite is the quintessential eat-the-rich movie that should be considered necessary viewing for any cinephile.
Parasite is streaming on Max.
Challengers (2024)
Who knew tennis could be so exciting … and so erotic? That’s just what Challengers, the new film from Luca Guadagnino, serves up throughout its 131-minute runtime as the film uses a tennis match to probe the lives of three people caught in a very unusual love triangle. That these three people are played by Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist only makes the movie more pleasurable to watch in the moment, and more thoughtful to consider long after the credits have rolled.
During the final of a minor league tennis tournament in New Rochelle, New York, two longtime sports rivals, and former best friends, Patrick and Art, reflect on what led them to this point in their lives … and the woman, Tashi, who made it all happen. By cutting between the past, which shows the three meeting and falling in love with one another, to the present, which depicts their frayed relationships with one another, Challengers showcases how ambition can be both ruinous and save a person’s professional and personal life.
Challengers is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
One of the biggest flops of the year is also one of the best movies of 2024. Furiosa didn’t quite connect with moviegoers when it was released in late May, making only $172 million against a $168 million budget. And since studios only keep half of the grosses, and the budget doesn’t factor in marketing and distribution costs, Warner Bros. lost millions of dollars on what many thought was a sure thing. Now that it’s streaming on Max, it’s time for many to discover a sure-to-be classic action movie.
Set years before the events in Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa chronicles the origin of its title character (Anya Taylor-Joy) from childhood, when she’s kidnapped and forced to watch her mother’s murder, to a young woman who is dead set on getting revenge. The only things in her way are Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme), and countless postapocalyptical hoodlums who are all too willing to kill her. Featuring great performances by Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth and action sequences worthy of comparison to Fury Road‘s, Furiosa is a must-see movie for anyone willing to call themselves a movie fan.
Furiosa is streaming on Max.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Already being called director Christopher Nolan’s best movie, Oppenheimer is an epic biographical thriller that dramatizes the life of the “father of the atomic bomb,” J. Robert Oppenheimer. Oscar winner Cillian Murphy stars as the theoretical physicist in the film, which chronicles his experiences in universities before being recruited to lead the Manhattan Project. It also depicts his downfall after World War II, with a 1954 security hearing condemning his part in the creation of nuclear weapons.
Oppenheimer quickly gained critical acclaim for its unique portrayal of the complicated historical figure’s story, with Murphy infusing his character with both brilliance and imperfections. Aside from the protagonist’s gory visions of his creation’s victims, Oppenheimer earned its R-rating for its straightforward portrayals of sex and nudity. A scene with Florence Pugh’s Jean Tatlock has even been censored using a CGI black dress in the Middle East and India, with the latter also censoring any scenes that show characters smoking.
Oppenheimer is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
The Godfather (1972)
Director Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather is a legendary mob drama that’s often called the best crime movie ever made. Based on Mario Puzo’s eponymous 1969 novel, the sweeping epic chronicles the Corleone crime family’s rise to power in post-World War II America. The story specifically follows Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) and his reluctant son, Michael (Al Pacino), who is drawn into the world of organized crime after his father is nearly assassinated.
The first in the award-winning trilogy sees Michael experience brutality and betrayal as he learns more about the family business. Its R rating was unavoidable, as the glimpse into the inner workings of the mafia comes with shootings, murders, physical fights, and more kinds of gore and violence. Despite premiering over half a century ago, The Godfather has lost none of its impact and is still celebrated for the way it set a new standard for the gangster genre and cinema as a whole.
The Godfather is streaming on Paramount+.
