Since 1968, when the Motion Picture Association of America instituted a film rating system to give parents a tool for determining what to allow their children to watch, over half of the films they’ve judged have received an R (restricted) rating. Movies that contain strong elements considered adult material, including sexuality and nudity, persistent violence and gore, drug or alcohol use, and profanity are often rated R.
While some explicit films depict sex or violence gratuitously, the best R-rated movies make use of the creative liberty the rating permits to relay more nuanced themes or situations than might be found in those deemed to be G, PG, or PG-13. Many of these have received critical acclaim and even gone on to win Oscars. (These are considered the best R-rated films of all time.)
One sure sign that a movie – R-rated or otherwise – is superlative is a 100% approval rating on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, measuring the collective opinion of a wide range of critics. Reviewing Tomatometer ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, 24/7 Tempo discovered 20 films that had a Tomatometer score of 100% and a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of at least 60% as of April 2023. Listed here, the movies are ordered based on release date. Documentaries were not considered. Cast and director credits are from IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon.
Click here for a list of 20 R-rated movies with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes
With the notable exception of “The Terminator,” most of these films are not blockbusters, and they’re not necessarily Best Picture winners. Instead, the majority are rather niche films with a cult following, or smaller budget indie pictures that struck a chord with audiences and critics due to their in-depth exploration of humanity.
Multiple ‘70s-era exploitation films made the cut, as did war movies, coming-of-age stories, and crime films. A few comedies and action adventures have received perfect scores, as have some award-winning independent films that debuted at festivals, including Allison Anders’ “Things Behind the Sun,” which explores the effects of rape on both the perpetrators and survivors, and Richard Linklater’s European romance “Before Sunrise.” (Linklater’s film is featured on our list of movies so good they should have won an Oscar, but didn’t.)
Source: Courtesy of Fairway International Pictures
19. The Sadist (1963)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (5 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (1,207 votes)
> Starring: Joan Howard, Arch Hall Jr., Helen Hovey
> Directed by: James Landis
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Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
18. The Last Picture Show (1971)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (58 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (14,197 votes)
> Starring: Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd
> Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
17. Heat (1972)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (9 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 62% (2,681 votes)
> Starring: Joe Dallesandro, Sylvia Miles, Andrea Feldman
> Directed by: Paul Morrissey
Source: Courtesy of New World Pictures
16. The Big Bird Cage (1972)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (5 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (2,411 votes)
> Starring: Pam Grier, Anitra Ford, Candice Roman
> Directed by: Jack Hill
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Source: Courtesy of New World Pictures
15. Cockfighter (1974)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (6 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (809 votes)
> Starring: Warren Oates, Richard B. Shull, Harry Dean Stanton
> Directed by: Monte Hellman
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
14. Smithereens (1982)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (11 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (559 votes)
> Starring: Susan Berman, Brad Rijn, Richard Hell
> Directed by: Susan Seidelman
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Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
13. The Terminator (1984)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (65 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (776,923 votes)
> Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn
> Directed by: James Cameron
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
12. Hamburger Hill (1987)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (12 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (33,083 votes)
> Starring: Anthony Barrile, Michael Boatman, Don Cheadle
> Directed by: John Irvin
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Source: Hulton Archive / Getty Images
11. Swimming to Cambodia (1987)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (10 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (1,581 votes)
> Starring: Spalding Gray
> Directed by: Jonathan Demme
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
10. Deadly Pursuit (1988)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (14 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (6,108 votes)
> Starring: Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger, Kirstie Alley
> Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode
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Source: David Klein / Getty Images
9. South Central (1992)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (6 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (6,135 votes)
> Starring: Glenn Plummer, Byron Minns, Lexie Bigham
> Directed by: Stephen Milburn Anderson
Source: Courtesy of Columbia TriStar Home Video
8. Passion Fish (1992)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (25 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (2,874 votes)
> Starring: Mary McDonnell, Alfre Woodard, Angela Bassett
> Directed by: John Sayles
Source: Courtesy of IRS Media
7. The Music of Chance (1993)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (14 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (844 votes)
> Starring: James Spader, Mandy Patinkin, M. Emmet Walsh
> Directed by: Philip Haas
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Source: Courtesy of Miramax
6. Three Colors: Red (1994)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (62 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (25,000 votes)
> Starring: Irène Jacob, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Frédérique Feder
> Directed by: Krzysztof Kieślowski
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
5. Before Sunrise (1995)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (46 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (73,661 votes)
> Starring: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Andrea Eckert
> Directed by: Richard Linklater
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Source: Courtesy of Showtime Networks
4. Bаstard Out of Carolina (1996)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (9 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (5,301 votes)
> Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ron Eldard, Glenne Headly
> Directed by: Anjelica Huston
Source: Courtesy of Showtime Networks
3. Things Behind the Sun (2001)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (12 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (1,069 votes)
> Starring: Kim Dickens, Gabriel Mann, Aria Alpert Adjani
> Directed by: Allison Anders
Source: Courtesy of Arrival Pictures
2. Melvin Goes to Dinner (2003)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (11 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (2,757 votes)
> Starring: Michael Blieden, Stephanie Courtney, Matt Price
> Directed by: Bob Odenkirk
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Source: Stephen Shugerman / Getty Images
1. The Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down (2006)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (5 reviews)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (500 votes)
> Starring: Cricket Leigh, Kat Turner, John McGarr
> Directed by: Paul Sapiano
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