The Best R-Rated Movies to Watch With Your Kids
My American History teacher was every high school student’s dream. When we were learning about Prohibition, she showed us The Untouchables . As we discussed the American experience during World War II, she used the film Come See Heaven to teach us about the horrors of Japanese internment camps.
Both films are rated R, so I never told my parents we were watching them. Growing up, I was never allowed to watch films with this rating (with some unusual exceptions such as Backdraft and JFK ). I never understood why. Watching these movies didn’t warp my brain like my mom and dad said they would. They made learning history so much more fun and interesting.
Now that I have children, I wonder when I will be able to be like my history teacher and worry less about the content of the film and more about the critical or historical message they share. In that spirit, here is a list of R-rated movies that stand out for their positive and/or important messages. Many of them contain inappropriate content (obviously), so do your research and review them with your child at an age that you feel is appropriate.
Schindler’s List (1993)
If history teachers aren’t showing this powerful drama in school, they should probably start. The action takes place during World War II. It follows the efforts of a German industrialist (Liam Neeson) to save over a thousand Jews from a concentration camp and likely certain death. It’s a heartbreaking but necessary watch and a powerful reminder of why it’s so important to never forget the past.
Where to watch: digital rental.
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
Is your child studying for a book report at the last minute? If you don’t want to stress about writing this, share this masterpiece about love and conflict during the French and Indian War. Directed by Michael Mann and starring Daniel Day-Lewis (and his bare chest), the epic is the most entertaining of the many adaptations of James Fenimore Cooper’s novel. Just remind your child when the movie ends that he is writing a book report, not a movie review.
Where to watch: Tubi, digital rental.
Rumble Fish (1983)
S.E. Hinton is the author of many popular young adult fiction, including The Outsiders , which Francis Ford Coppola adapted for the screen. The critically acclaimed director followed up with another Hinton adaptation that went in a completely different direction aesthetically. Instead of using a lush color palette and soaring orchestral score as Coppola had done in his previous film, he shot in stark black and white and asked Stuart Copeland of The Police to provide an experimental soundtrack. It’s a teen drama disguised as French New Wave, showing audiences how cinema can be an artistic medium.
Where to watch: digital rental.
The Breakfast Club (1985)
One of many by the late, great John Hughes, this classic ’80s teen drama became a definitive portrayal of the social hierarchy of high school. The plot is simple: a princess, a jock, a delinquent, a nerd and a loser spend their Saturday detention together only to realize (after smoking weed, mind you) that they have more in common than they thought.
Where to watch: Freevee, Tubi, digital rental.
The Matrix (1999)
This innovative (and extremely violent) sci-fi masterpiece contains philosophical messages about the mind and body, as well as themes regarding conformity and class, all the things a young mind needs to accept the status quo.
Where to watch: Hulu, Max, digital rental.
Ghost World (2001)
Speaking of comic book movies, Ghost World , based on the works of artist Daniel Clowes, is a textbook definition of what critics consider “bizarre.” It also perfectly captures how a teenager might feel after graduating high school and trying to find their tribe.
Where to watch: Freevee, Tubi, Pluto TV, digital rental.
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie give powerful performances in this period piece, based on the true story of a young woman institutionalized for a year and a half after attempting suicide. She becomes close to her other patients, fearful with the staff, but struggles to get the help she needs. The film explores themes such as dissent and gender bias, which continue to be prevalent over two decades since the film’s release.
Where to watch: Hulu, digital rental.
Glory (1980)
Follow the trials and tribulations of students as they discover their extraordinary abilities. No, this is not the X-Men ; This Is Glory , a popular musical about actors, singers and dancers attending New York City’s High School for the Performing Arts. Sure, it’s a little dated, but who doesn’t love the desire to see their name “light up the sky like a flame” as stated in the movie’s theme?
Where to watch: digital rental.
Dangerous Minds (1995)
Here’s another high school story straight out of the ’90s. Perhaps best known today for spawning Coolio’s hit Gangster’s Paradise, the drama revolves around a former Marine who becomes an inner-city teacher and uses everything from martial arts to Bob Dylan lyrics to reach her gifted but underachieving students.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Stay with Me (1986)
When I was putting this together, several people asked me to include The Shawshank Redemption, which is undoubtedly a great movie. However, it may be difficult to watch (unless it comes back on cable; the commercials provide some relief). As an alternative, I suggest this superb Stephen King adaptation of the loss of innocence and the bonds of friendship, which follows four teenagers on the hunt for the corpse of a missing classmate, directed with amazing deftness by the great Rob Reiner. .
Where to watch: Netflix, AMC+, digital rental.
Speed (1994)
I included this for personal reasons. Although I didn’t grow up watching many R-rated films, it seemed like my classmates did. For some reason, my parents made an exception to this fast-paced action movie, which remains one of my favorites 30 years later.
There is no lesson in this film. It’s completely normal to get the undeniable thrill of watching a city bus speeding through the streets of Los Angeles and watching things explode behind it. Speed is why we go to the theater to have fun for a few hours with several hundred strangers.
Where to watch: Starz, digital rental.