The Best But Also Underappreciated R-Rated Movies in History

Movies have always been a popular outlet for many of us. The entire experience, from going to the theater and getting popcorn to seeing a film on the big screen, is an event that comprises many of our outings. The selections we have to choose from are typically quite extensive  – action-adventure, comedy, romance, drama, horror – and many of these are often given an R rating that can prevent a large portion of the population from enjoying them.

When an R-rated movie gets released in theaters, anyone under the age of 17 isn’t welcome to purchase tickets and enjoy the show. These films are specifically geared toward adults, and will only do well if adults are interested enough or have the ability to watch without worrying about children being exposed to them too early.

Numerous movies that are perhaps a bit more deserving of recognition have fallen into the “underrated” category over the years and didn’t perform too well at the box office. These epic movies deserve more clout and respect than what they originally received. There are several ways to determine a movie’s success from analyzing how much revenue was earned at the box office to reviewing opinions from critics and audiences.

The number of awards and accolades a movie receives is another factor to consider. Underrated movies don’t tend to garner full-fledged success, though and many R-rated movies occasionally fall prey to these unsavory scenarios. ( Click here to uncover the highest-grossing R-rated movies of all time. )

To gather this list of the best underrated R-rated movies in history, 24/7 Tempo consulted several entertainment sources including IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and ScreenRant. (To see athletes that have never been underrated, check out Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer.)

Blood Diamond (2006)

• Avg. IMDb rating: 8 out of 10
• Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly, Kagiso Kuypers

Although the film received five nominations (including one for Leonardo DiCaprio as Best Actor), the movie didn’t win any Oscars at all. “Blood Diamond” tells the story of two men venturing through Sierra Leone during the 1990s. One man is a Caucasian mercenary while the other is a Black fisherman.

They come from two different cultures, but they have one shared goal in mind – trying to track down a rare gem that will change the trajectory of their lives. When they team up with an American journalist, they realize their goal might be easier to achieve.

Plush (2013)

• Avg. IMDb rating: 5.2 out of 10
• Cast: Emily Browning, Xavier Samuel, Cam Gigandet, Dawn Olivieri

In 2013, “Plush” hit theaters as a horror movie that also fit into the drama and mystery categories. This film focuses on a young woman striving to succeed as a singer in the music industry. She’s married to a man who wants to be with her forever, but she still gets romantically involved with a guitar player with a dark past. Her romantic interest in the charming guitarist leads her down a dangerous path since his secrets are impossible to run away from.

Almost Famous (2000)

• Avg. IMDb rating: 7.9 out of 10
• Cast: Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand

Kate Hudson’s brilliance in this film is one of the reasons this movie deserves more respect and admiration. It only pulled in $47.4 million at the box office against its budget of $60 million. “Almost Famous” is set in the 1970s and focuses on a teenager who hangs out with a popular rock band during their ongoing concert tour.

Kick-Ass (2010)

• Avg. IMDb rating: 7.6 out of 10
• Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloë Grace Moretz, Garrett M. Brown

The movie only pulled in $48 million in gross domestic sales (U.S.).  With the impressive cast lineup, it only makes sense to question where this movie could have possibly gone wrong. “Kick-Ass” tells the story of an angsty teenager who’s obsessed with comic books.

Ready to reinvent himself as someone capable of saving others from doom, in true superhero form, he becomes a vigilante in the streets of his city. The only catch is that he doesn’t have any real superpowers backing him up as he fights against dangerous criminals.

I Know Who Killed Me (2007)

• Avg. IMDb rating: 3.6 out of 10
• Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Julia Ormond, Neal McDonough

The movie has a gripping storyline that should not have been judged so harshly when it first premiered. “I Know Who Killed Me” tells the edgy story of a young woman working as an exotic dancer in a nightclub. She goes missing for a temporary time, but when she finally resurfaces, she claims to be someone else stuck in the wrong body.

Before this movie, Lohan proved herself to be a reliable actress in films like “Mean Girls” and “Georgia Rule” and “I Know Who Killed Me” is another movie that should be added to Lohan’s list of films worth mentioning. The movie keeps viewers glued to the screen from start to finish, making it one of the most underrated R-rated movies ever.

Resident Evil (2002)

• Avg. IMDb rating: 6.6 out of 10
• Cast: Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Ryan McCluskey, Oscar Pearce

“Resident Evil” is a brilliant action movie that now deserves a modern remake. It tells the story of a special military unit fighting back against diabolical scientists who created a supercomputer. The technology they concocted mutated to a level that went completely out of control. With an IMDb score of 6.6 out of 10 and domestic box office earnings of $40 million, “Resident Evil” is the definition of an underrated R-rated movie.

Heathers (1988)

• Avg. IMDb rating : 7.2 out of 10
• Cast: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk

“Heathers” was the film with the original catty group of girls, before “Mean Girls” became popular. The comedy-crime movie focuses on a group of high school kids trying to navigate the differences between being exceptionally popular and being boringly average. The “Heathers” on campus are a clique of gorgeous girls who dominate over everyone else with their charm and beauty.

Ironically, all three girls in the group share the same first name: Heather. This movie goes far beyond the topic of bullying as it rears into its murderous territories. “Heathers” is an iconic 80s movie that’s constantly getting compared to “Mean Girls.” For this reason, it’s a super underrated film.

After the Dark (2013)

• Avg. IMDb rating: 5.6 out of 10
• Cast: James D’Arcy, Sophie Lowe, Daryl Sabara, Freddie Stroma

The plot of “After the Dark” is spell-binding, which is why its low IMDb rating of 5.6 out of 10 stars is a surprise. The mysterious film focuses on a philosophy teacher who poses a darkly creative challenge to his class of graduating seniors. Out of 20 students, he asks them to figure out which 10 of them should migrate to an underground shelter to restart humanity.

The 10 who are chosen will survive in the case of a massive nuclear apocalypse. Posing such a question to his class causes intense dialogue to unfold between his students. The heavy-hitting topic of survival makes this movie worthwhile, especially regarding the question of who deserves to live more than someone else.

Ex Machina (2014)

• Avg. IMDb rating: 7.7 out of 10
• Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Sonoya Mizuno

This sci-fi thriller started conversations among viewers about the way highly advanced artificial intelligence might impact the world someday. Despite its intriguing premise, it still didn’t do well at the box office. “Ex Machina” is considered an underrated movie since it only pulled in $37.3 million but it did still profit on its budget of $15 million.

It tells the story of a young programmer landing a job as an AI investigator. He’s forced to work with a female-gendered humanoid robot who exhibits human qualities. Her behaviors are realistic enough to confuse anyone who interacts with her. It’s been 10 years since “Ex Machina” made waves in the Hollywood industry. Fears about AI are just as fervent as they once were back then.

Perfect Sense (2011)

• Avg. IMDb rating: 7 out of 10
• Cast: Ewan McGregor, Eva Green, Lauren Tempany, Connie Nielsen

Love stories are often critiqued harsher than typical movies from other genres. When “Perfect Sense” premiered, it wasn’t received well by audiences. For that reason, it’s now become a completely underrated movie. Regardless, it deserves more positive attention from viewers.

It tells the story of a scientist and chef who develop feelings for each other amid a worldwide epidemic. The epidemic starts stealing everyone’s sensory perceptions, so they’re racing through time to experience romance with each other before their bodies go numb. To uncover more incredible R-rated movies, click here to read about the best R-rated movies you probably haven’t seen yet.

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