10 Best Horror Movies That Were Rated NC-17 Or X

When it comes to movie ratings, the NC-17 or X certification was as strict as it could get, meaning that these horror movies were truly for adult eyes only. While the already harsh R rating meant those under 17 years old required an accompanying parent or adult guardian to see the film, these classifications blocked all young people from seeing these controversial, divisive, and highly violent movies. Many of these horror films pushed far past normal boundaries of acceptability and were likely to give viewers nightmares no matter how old they were.

Some of the scariest horror movies of all time were rated NC-17 or X, although it was more than just gore and violence that often led to these classifications. Intense themes, highly sexualized imagery, and pure profanity could also lead classifiers like the Motion Picture Association (MPAA) and the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to deem these movies for adults only. All of these movies include highly controversial content, and viewers should be warned to watch them at their own risk.

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10 Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Directed by Ruggero Deodato

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Cannibal Holocaust rHorror

Cannibal Holocaust is a controversial 1980 horror film directed by Ruggero Deodato. It follows anthropologist Harold Monroe (Robert Kerman) and his rescue team as they venture into the Amazon jungle to investigate the disappearance of documentary crew that went missing while researching a cannibalistic tribe.

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*Availability in US Director Ruggero Deodato Release Date June 21, 1985 Studio(s) United Artists Distributor(s) United Artists Writers Gianfranco Clerici Cast Robert Kerman , Francesca Ciardi , Perry Pirkanen , Luca Barbareschi Runtime 95 minutes Budget $100 thousand Expand

The Italian found footage horror Cannibal Holocaust was so convincingly terrifying that it became the subject of an obscenity trial (via CBR) and was banned in several countries around the world. Following the story of a filmmaking crew who went missing in the Amazon rainforest, this trailblazing example of exploitation cinema became all the more frightening once it was revealed they had fallen victim to a local cannibalistic tribe. Packed with graphic violence and disturbing themes, it’s no surprise Cannibal Holocaust received a strict X rating for its intense content.

Cannibal Holocaust was an early example of a found footage horror, and for this reason, some viewers mistook its content for reality. By presenting the film as the actual footage of a murdered documentary crew, Ruggero Deodato toyed with audience expectations in a way nobody was expecting. While today, the popularity of series like Paranormal Activity means viewers can easily decipher when a fictional film merely presents itself as fact, audiences during this time were not quite so sure, leading to Cannibal Holocaust’s now infamous reputation.

9 I Spit On Your Grave (1978)

Directed by Meir Zarchi

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I Spit On Your Grave (1978) RHorrorThriller

I Spit On Your Grave is a controversial horror-thriller directed by Meir Zarchi. Released in 1978, the film follows author Jennifer Hills, played by Camille Keaton, as she retreats to a secluded cabin to write her next novel. The story becomes harrowing as she faces brutal violence from local men, leading to a dark and violent quest for revenge. The film is known for its stark portrayal of vengeance and has spurred significant debate and discussion.

Director Meir Zarchi Release Date November 22, 1979 Studio(s) Cinemagic Pictures Distributor(s) The Jerry Gross Organization Writers Meir Zarchi Cast Camille Keaton , Eron Tabor , Richard Pace , Anthony Nichols Runtime 102 Minutes Budget $80,000 Main Genre Horror Expand

I Spit on Your Grave was one of the few films that the esteemed movie critic Roger Ebert gave a no-star rating, claiming it was “a vile bag of garbage” that was “without a shred of artistic distinction.” Although this cult classic also has its apologists, it’s no surprise this graphic rape and revenge story of a woman seeking vengeance on the men who brutally assaulted her and left her for dead was highly divisive. Depending on who’s talking about it, I Spit on Your Grave was either a powerful feminist document of female empowerment or a misogynistic exercise in pure vulgarity.

While I Spit on Your Grave was initially rated R, the addition of extra scenes featuring graphic sexual assault meant it was later upgraded to an X (via NY Times.) However, an agreement was later reached as the film was re-edited with the MPAA reinstating its R rating. Despite these changes, I Spit on Your Grave remained highly controversial and was banned in many countries, including Ireland, Norway, Iceland, and West Germany.

8 Santa Sangre (1989)

Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky

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Santa Sangre NC-17DramaThrillerHorror

Director Alejandro Jodorowsky Release Date March 31, 1993 Writers Alejandro Jodorowsky , Roberto Leoni , Claudio Argento Cast Axel Jodorowsky , Blanca Guerra , Guy Stockwell , Thelma Tixou , Sabrina Dennison , Adan Jodorowsky , Faviola Elenka Tapia , Teo Jodorowsky , Jesús Juárez , Gloria Contreras , Mary Aranza , Sergio Bustamante , S. Rodriguez , Zonia Rangel Mora , Joaquín García Vargas , Teo Tapia , Edgar E. Jiménez Nava , Jacobo Lieberman , Héctor Ortega , Brontis Jodorowsky , Valérie Crouzet , Óscar Serafín Álvarez , Billy Motton , Hilario Popitekus Vargas , Guadalupe TNT Aguilar , Arturo Rinoceronte Contreras , Gustavo Aguilar Tejada , Roger Fayard Arroyo Character(s) Fenix , Concha , Orgo , The Tattooed Woman , Alma , Young Fenix , Young Alma , Pimp , Aladin , Rubi , Fat Prostitute , Monsignor , The Saint , Trini , Box-office Attendant , Business Man , Monsignor’s Chauffeur , Monsignor’s Secretary , Doctor , Orderly 1 , Orderly 2 , Soldier 1 , Soldier 2 , Wrestler 1 , Wrestler 2 , Wrestler 3 , Beggar Runtime 122 Minutes Main Genre Drama Expand

The tragic, uncanny, violent, and beautiful movie Santa Sangre was an avant-garde triumph in surrealistic psychological horror from director Alejandro Jodorowsky. Telling the story of Fenix, a boy growing up in a Mexican circus, this overwhelming and oddly touching journey into a world of violence, vulgarity, and provocation perfectly captured the unique appeal of Jodorowsky’s singular artistic vision. While this was a deeply disturbing film, Santa Sangre still gained a spot on Empire magazine’s 2008 list of the 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.

Santa Sangre was rated NC-17 in the United States for scenes containing extreme depictions of explicit violence (via Film Ratings.) However, an edited version was also released that received an R rating as it maintained its bizarre, graphic violence, sensuality, and drug content. As an insightful glimpse into the hallucinatory lens of 1960s psychedelia, Santa Sangre held a moral message about opposing evil. Although Santa Sangre made for challenging viewing, it was also one of the most rewarding horror movies of the 1980s.

7 The Devils (1971)

Directed by Ken Russell

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The Devils RDramaHistory

Director Ken Russell Release Date July 16, 1971 Writers Ken Russell , Aldous Huxley Cast Vanessa Redgrave , Oliver Reed , Dudley Sutton , Max Adrian , Gemma Jones , Murray Melvin , Michael Gothard , Georgina Hale , Brian Murphy , Christopher Logue , Graham Armitage , John Woodvine , Andrew Faulds , Kenneth Colley , Judith Paris , Catherine Willmer , Izabella Telezynska , Niké Arrighi , Pat Ashton , Peter Avella , Imogen Claire , Barbie Denham , Hugh Elton , Harry Fielder , Selina Gilbert , Cheryl Grunwald , Charles Price , Charles Rayford Character(s) Sister Jeanne des Anges , Father Urbain Grandier , Baron de Laubardemont , Ibert , Madeleine de Brou , Father-Canon Jean Mignon , Father Pierre Barre , Philippe Trincant , Adam , Cardinal Richelieu , King Louis XIII , Louis Trincant , Rangier , Legrand , Sister Agnes , Sister Catherine , Sister Iza , Nun , Gossiping Woman , Citizen , Vestal Virgin , Courtier , Soldier / Blackbird , Soldier , Spectator Runtime 114 Minutes Main Genre Drama Expand

Ken Russell was one of Britain’s most idiosyncratic filmmakers who directed surreal classics like The Who’s Tommy and intense psychological horrors such as Gothic. One of Russell’s most controversial films was 1971’s The Devils, an intense historical horror focused on a 17th-century priest accused of witchcraft. With graphic portrayals of violence and sexual imagery, it’s no surprise The Devils was heavily edited in many countries and outright banned in others.

The Devils received an X rating in Britain and the United States, with Russell later expressing his frustration that editing requirements had damaged the integrity of the film (via AFI). Russell stated that the 108-minute American addition “killed the key scene” depicting Jesus Christ’s sexual assault and that “Warner Brothers cut out the best of The Devils.” The director has also said that unwanted edits “adversely affected the story, to the point where in America the film is disjointed and incomprehensible.”

6 Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)

Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini

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Salò, Or The 120 Days Of Sodom TV-MAHorrorDrama Director Pier Paolo Pasolini Release Date November 23, 1975 Studio(s) Produzioni Europee Associati , Les Productions Artistes Associés Distributor(s) United Artists Writers Sergio Citti , Pier Paolo Pasolini Cast Paolo Bonacelli , Giorgio Cataldi , Uberto Paolo Quintavalle , Aldo Valletti , Caterina Boratto , Elsa De Giorgi , Hélène Surgère , Sonia Saviange Runtime 116 Minutes Main Genre Horror Expand

As the final film of Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini, Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom was an intense political horror focused on four wealthy, corrupt Italian libertines in the time of the fascist Republic of Salò. The film shockingly showcased the men abducting 18 teenagers and subjecting them to four months of extreme violence, sadism, genital torture, and psychological torture. As a deeply unnerving and difficult-to-digest film, while Salò may have had compelling social and political undertones, the vulgarity and intense violence on display pushed things into uncomfortable territory.

Salò premiered at the Paris Film Festival in 1975 and had a brief theatrical run in Italy before being banned in January 1976. The subject of intense controversy and censorship, Salò was only approved for theatrical and video distribution in the United Kingdom in the year 2000 (via BBFC.) With this approval, the British Board of Film Classification warned that “people who chose to view the film would, because of its notoriety, be aware of its contents.”

5 Flesh For Frankenstein (1973)

Directed by Paul Morrissey

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Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) RHorror

Director Paul Morrissey Release Date March 17, 1974 Writers Paul Morrissey , Tonino Guerra , Pat Hackett , Mary Shelley Cast Joe Dallesandro , Udo Kier , Monique van Vooren , Dalila Di Lazzaro , Arno Jürging , Srđan Zelenović , Nicoletta Elmi , Marco Liofredi , Liù Bosisio , Rosita Torosh , Fiorella Masselli , Cristina Gaïoni , Carla Mancini , Imelde Marani Character(s) Nicholas , Baron Frankenstein , Baroness Katrin Frankenstein , Female Monster , Otto , Male Monster , Monica Frankenstein , Erik Frankenstein , Olga , Sonia , Large Prostitute , Nicholas’ Girlfriend , Farmer , Blonde Prostitute Runtime 95 Minutes Main Genre Horror Expand

Although Flesh for Frankenstein was also released under the title Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein, the famed pop artist had very little involvement in the movie besides briefly visiting the set. Instead, director Paul Morrissey was the creative force behind this subversive movie that contains explicit sexuality, nudity, and violence. With a 3-D version being screened in some theaters, Flesh for Frankenstein was a uniquely distasteful take on Mary Shelley’s classic 1818 novel.

Featuring Baron Frankenstein’s attempts to create two zombies, one male and one female, and have them mate to create a master race, Flesh for Frankenstein was a gruesome slice of European exploitation horror. The MPAA rated it X for its graphic content, but it has remained an effective satire and homage to earlier horror movies, such as James Whale’s 1931 version of Frankenstein. As a gory and outlandish release, Flesh for Frankenstein was a hidden gem for lovers of subversive 1970s horror.

4 Crash (1996)

Directed by David Cronenberg

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Crash (1996) NC-17Drama

Crash is a 1996 film directed by David Cronenberg, adapted from the novel by J.G. Ballard. The film explores the lives of individuals who develop sexual fetishes stemming from car accidents. Starring James Spader, Holly Hunter, and Elias Koteas, it delves into the complex intersection of sexuality, technology, and danger as characters navigate their obsessive relationships with car crashes.

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*Availability in US Director David Cronenberg Release Date July 17, 1996 Writers J.G. Ballard , David Cronenberg Cast James Spader , Holly Hunter , Elias Koteas , Deborah Kara Unger , Rosanna Arquette , Peter MacNeill , Yolande Julian , Cheryl Swarts Runtime 112 minutes Budget $6.5 million Main Genre Drama Expand

Director David Cronenberg received the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his highly subversive movie Crash. Telling the story of film producer and car crash survivor James Ballard becoming involved with a group of symphorophiliacs who are aroused by car crashes, this strange film explores his attempts to rekindle his relationship with his wife. As the perfect blend of Cronenberg’s fascination with body horror and personal excess, Crash was a very difficult movie to define.

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It seems the censors also had their issues making sense of Crash, and it became the first film to receive a NC-17 in the United States since Showgirls. With vivid depictions of graphic sexual acts instigated by violence, Crash was a highly controversial and divisive film. However, it also remains a definitive release in Cronenberg’s filmography and one of his most confrontational and deeply layered movies.

3 Peeping Tom (1960)

Directed by Michael Powell

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Peeping Tom Not RatedDramaHorrorThriller

Peeping Tom is a 1960 British psychological horror-thriller directed by Michael Powell. The film stars Karlheinz Böhm as Mark Lewis, a disturbed cameraman who films the terror of his victims as he murders them. As Lewis delves deeper into his sinister compulsions, the boundaries between his professional and personal life begin to blur, leading to shocking revelations about his past. Peeping Tom explores themes of voyeurism, the nature of fear, and the destructive impact of childhood trauma.

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*Availability in US Director Michael Powell Release Date May 16, 1960 Writers Leo Marks Cast Karlheinz Böhm , Anna Massey , Moira Shearer , Maxine Audley , Brenda Bruce , Miles Malleson , Esmond Knight , Martin Miller Character(s) Mark Lewis , Helen Stephens , Vivian , Mrs. Stephens , Dora , Elderly Gentleman Customer , Arthur Baden , Dr. Rosen Runtime 101 Minutes Main Genre Thriller Expand

The psychological horror Peeping Tom revolved around a serial killer who utilized a portable camera to capture his victim’s dying expressions of terror. As a truly subversive horror movie, Peeping Tom was one of the most intense depictions of voyeurism seen in 1960s British cinema. The controversial subject matter of Peeping Tom led to negative reviews upon release and had a bad impact on Michael Powell’s filmmaking career. However, the film has since gained a cult following and has been reevaluated as an underappreciated hidden gem of horror.

Peeping Tom had to be cut seven different times to receive its X rating from the British Board of Film Classification and actually contained far more graphic imagery than what initially premiered. Nude scenes, the murder of a prostitute, and a character’s suicide were cut out from the approved edition of Peeping Tom just to get it classified as X. While Peeping Tom was unfairly judged at the time of its release, a revival led by Martin Scorsese (via BBFC) helped rectify its reputation during the 1970s.

2 Dawn Of The Dead (1978)

Directed by George A. Romero

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7/10 Dawn of the Dead RHorrorAction

George A. Romero’s horror classic Dawn of the Dead follows on from Night of the Living Dead. Expanding upon Romero’s zombies, Dawn of the Dead redefined the horror genre for a generation. It follows a group of survivors as they make camp in a shopping mall, clearing the zombies in order to scavenge supplies and fortify their position in an increasingly hostile world.

Director Zack Snyder Release Date March 19, 2004 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers George A. Romero , James Gunn Cast Sarah Polley , Ving Rhames , Mekhi Phifer , Jake Weber , Ty Burrell , Michael Kelly , Kevin Zegers , Michael Barry Runtime 101 Minutes Franchise(s) Living Dead Sequel(s) Day of the Dead , Diary of the Dead , Land of the Dead prequel(s) Night of the Living Dead Budget $650 thousand Main Genre Horror Expand

George A. Romero revolutionized the zombie genre with his trailblazing 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead. This highly influential release led to an entire franchise as Romero continued exploring this zombie apocalypse’s effects on society. The most famous sequel in this series, Dawn of the Dead, showcased more survivors of the outbreak barricading themselves inside a shopping mall amid mass hysteria and major panic.

Dawn of the Dead pushed the zombie into horrifying new territory and was given an X by the Motion Picture Association of America. Things were more intense in Britain, where copies of Dawn of the Dead were seized during the 1980s video nasties’ moral panic. Rather than deal with the commercial disaster of releasing a movie with an X rating, Romero opted to release the movie unrated, where it became a major box office success and has since grossed an impressive $102 million (via Box Office Mojo.)

1 The Evil Dead (1981)

Directed by Sam Raimi

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7.7/10 The Evil Dead (1981) NC-17Horror

The Evil Dead is a horror movie from 1981 starring Bruce Campbell and directed by Sam Raimi. The film follows Ash Williams, who after visiting a cabin in the woods, is tormented by deadites and must fight for his life after his friends are possessed. The Evil Dead not only started a long-running horror franchise, but it is also the film responsible for putting both Raimi and Campbell on the map as a director and actor, respectively.

Director Sam Raimi Release Date October 15, 1981 Distributor(s) New Line Cinema Writers Sam Raimi Cast Bruce Campbell , Ellen Sandweiss , Richard DeManincor , Betsy Baker , Theresa Tilly , Ted Raimi , Ivan Raimi Runtime 85 Minutes Franchise(s) Evil Dead Sequel(s) Evil Dead 2 , Army of Darkness , Evil Dead (2013) , Evil Dead Rise Budget $375,000 Expand

The independent supernatural horror The Evil Dead kickstarted a popular franchise that has since continued with sequels, standalone movies, and even a television series. While later installments embraced the more comedic aspects of this franchise, the original The Evil Dead was a far more serious and scary affair as it explored demons and spirits pursuing a group of students in an isolated cabin. A hugely influential film, The Evil Dead was not afraid to push cinematic boundaries with its graphic depictions of violence and sex.

As one of the most notorious splatter films of all time, Raimi made The Evil Dead without fear of censorship, and it was granted an X certificate in the United Kingdom and the United States. For different theatrical and home video releases of The Evil Dead, some scenes have been trimmed down (via BBFC) as moments like the notorious tree attack scene still have the power to shock viewers. Despite being a touchstone of horror history, The Evil Dead has remained banned in some countries (via Independent.)

Sources: CBR, Roger Ebert, NY Times, Film Ratings, AFI, BBFC, BBFC, Box Office Mojo, BBFC, Independent

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