The best R rated and 18+ movies of the 21st century
These films are rated R for ridiculously good
Marc Chacksfield
The 21st century has served up some of the wildest, most unforgettable films, and if you’re over 12, this is where some of the best films can be found.
This is a list of movies that shock, thrill, and sometimes make you blush. From jaw-dropping dramas and twisted thrillers to the odd comedy, these R-rated and 18+ films don’t just entertain, they linger, haunt, and make you want to recommend them to the next person you see.
So grab your popcorn, make sure the kids are in bed, and get ready for a ride through the boldest, most unforgettable films the 21st century has to offer.
15. The Substance
From jaw-dropping imagery to moments that make you question your moral compass, The Substance is the type of film that sparks debates, memes, and a little existential panic. Some will call it genius; others will ask, “What did I just watch?” Either way, it’s unforgettable, bending the rules of cinema and daring you to keep up. This is the newest film on the list; however, in many ways, it feels like a throwback to thrillers of old, alongside boasting cracking performances from Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley.
14. Suspiria
Suspiria is strange and all the better for it. A remake of the classic Dario Argento horror movie - instead of being a carbon copy, it treads its own horror tightrope that's both psychedelic and nightmarish. Dakota Johnson is mesmerising in her role, fresh from the 50 Shades saga and proving to the world how good an actress she is. As for the score, it was always hard to beat Goblin, but Thom Yorke is a fine substitute
13. Gone Girl
![Gone Girl | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2-_-1nJf8Vg/maxresdefault.jpg)
Ben Affleck is charmingly doomed, Rosamund Pike is terrifyingly perfect, and the plot twists hit like a cinematic sucker punch. Gone Girl is sharp and so unsettling you’ll be questioning everyone you know the next day. Smart, unflinching, and addictive, it’s a thriller that rewards patience, and maybe a glass of wine to calm your nerves. David Fincher proves yet again that sometimes, the most gripping crimes are the ones happening in your own home.
12. Green Room
OK, I’m going to lay it out there right away: Green Room isn’t pleasant viewing. In fact, at times, it’s actively unpleasant viewing. However, it’s expertly put together and exactly the right kind of uncomfortable. You were already sold, I know, but it’s also got Patrick Stewart as a white supremacist, Arrested Development’s Alia Shawkat in a rare big-screen role, and one of Anton Yelchin’s career-best performances, just one year before his untimely death.
11. A History of Violence
He might have done a lot more before and since, but in 2005, Viggo Mortensen was best known for his portrayal of Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings series. There is no two ways about it – once you’re involved with something so big, it sticks with you until you produce something that helps you escape it. That something was A History of Violence, which saw Mortensen make exactly the sort of departure needed to escape his blockbuster past. It’s a David Cronenberg film adapted from a graphic novel, so you know what you’re getting to a point, but there are many things you don’t know and won’t anticipate.
10. The Wolf of Wall Street
Scorsese throws you into the life of Jordan Belfort like a rollercoaster on steroids. Leonardo DiCaprio is magnetic, the parties are madness, and the moral compass… well, it’s long gone. It’s indulgent, gleefully immoral, and somehow addictively watchable, like staring at a car crash in slow motion. Wall Street’s decadence, greed, and utter madness get a cinematic makeover, and you’ll love every chaotic, obscene, hilarious minute.
9. Drive
Drive is the movie that made Ryan Gosling a brooding legend. Neon-soaked nights, a synth-heavy soundtrack, and bursts of hyper-violent action make this a stylistic masterpiece. It’s quiet, tense, and emotionally lean, but that’s the point. Every moment counts, every glance says more than dialogue ever could. It’s a slow burn, and when the fire finally ignites, it’s unforgettable. Nicolas Winding Refn proves that less is often more, and sometimes, the coolest movie is the one that lets you soak in the mood, then punches you in the gut when you least expect it.
8. Inglourious Basterds
Tarantino is doing what he does best: chaos, humour, and revenge. Inglourious Basterds takes World War II and turns it into a violent, hilarious, and endlessly quotable fever dream. Christoph Waltz is the ultimate villain, Brad Pitt is charmingly absurd, and the set pieces are tense enough to make you sweat in your seat. It’s audacious, it’s brutal, and it’s so Tarantino you can taste the pop culture references. Historical events are bent for the sake of cinematic justice, and somehow it works beautifully. Blood, laughs, and revenge never looked this stylish.
7. Poor Things
Poor Things is a film that dares you to pay attention. Bold visuals, bizarre concepts, and Emma Stone absolutely owning every frame make it a standout. It’s a Frankenstein-style story twisted into something uniquely 21st century, mixing dark humour, horror, and absurdity. It’s the kind of film you either fall in love with immediately or walk out thinking “what the hell did I just watch?” Either way, it sticks with you.
6. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Yep, it's another Tarantino. For us, this is his best movie since Pulp Fiction. Another revisionist tale of history, this one is set in the 60s with a backdrop of fading classic Hollywood actors and Charles Manson. The result is a sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying and occasionally graphic look at the era. Both Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are fantastic here, putting in career-best performances.
5. In Bruges
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are hitmen hiding out in the picturesque Belgian city of Bruges, and Martin McDonagh’s script makes you laugh, squirm, and maybe even cry. Witty dialogue, existential musings, and unexpected violence make this a unique black comedy that balances charm and darkness effortlessly. The city is gorgeous, the story is sharp, and the characters are unforgettable. In Bruges proves that even hitmen can be endearing if they have the right lines, the right scenery, and the right existential crisis.
4. Oldboy
Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy is a revenge story for the ages: shocking, stylish, and heartbreakingly dark. It’s violent, surreal, and brilliantly plotted, with twists that leave your jaw on the floor. The hallway fight scene alone is cinematic history, but the emotional weight beneath it all is what elevates the film. Dark, disturbing, and impossible to forget, it’s the kind of movie that haunts your thoughts long after you finish watching and makes you simultaneously admire and fear the genius behind it.
3. City of God
City of God doesn’t sugarcoat anything. Crime, poverty, and survival in the favelas of Brazil are depicted with a brutal honesty that’s impossible to ignore. Fast editing, brilliant acting, and storytelling that jumps through time make it gripping from start to finish. It’s heartbreaking, exhilarating, and unforgettable, a film that doesn’t just show life in the favelas, it makes you feel it. There’s no hero here, just survival, chaos, and the human cost of violence, told with an energy that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
2. The Departed
Scorsese at his tense, twisty best. The Departed is crime cinema with teeth: double-crosses, intense performances, and more plot twists than a rollercoaster. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson make it feel like an acting class on fire. Taut, violent, and endlessly entertaining, it’s a study in betrayal, morality, and how messy life in the mob really is. Scorsese’s direction keeps the tension high and the stakes higher, blending style, grit, and a little Boston swagger into one unforgettable package. Crime never felt this cinematic—or this fun.
1. The Handmaiden
Perhaps the crown jewel of 21st-century cinema for grown-ups. Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden is a masterclass in storytelling, erotic tension, and cinematic seduction. From stunning visuals and intricate plotting to utterly magnetic performances, every frame is dripping with style and suspense. Twists and turns will leave you gasping, and the romance is as intoxicating as the thriller elements. Bold, daring, and perfectly executed, while the majority of this list steers clear of erotic thrillers (mainly because they have been pretty pants since their heyday in the '90s), The Handmaiden is something else.
- The best Tarantino movies, ranked
Skip the search — follow Shortlist on Google News to get our best lists, news, features and reviews at the top of your feeds!
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.