An NC-17 rating can pretty much kill a movie's chances of being seen. Acting as a more official version of the now-defunct X-rating, it carries with it a dirty branding that suggests pornographic material. Of course, many Nc-17 movies are, in fact, too sexy for young viewers, that doesn't mean they're all trash. Here are 15 NC-17-rated movies worth watching.
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1
Henry & June
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Henry & June explores the relationship between Henry Miller and his wife as he wrote his infamous novel Tropic of Cancer—as well as his affair with the French writer Anaïs Nin. Practically tame by today's standards, this is the movie responsible for the creation of the NC-17 rating.
2
Shame
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3
Showgirls
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Elizabeth Berkley made a worthwhile attempt to shed her Saved by the Bell teen star persona—although she largely failed at acting. While Paul Verhoeven's drama was a critical and commercial bust, it has since become a camp classic.
4
Crash
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No, not the dubious Best Picture winner—this is the infamous Crash in which James Spader, Holly Hunter, and co. get their sexual kicks from car crashes in David Cronenberg's controversial adaptation of J.G. Ballard's novel.
5
Lust, Caution
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6
Blue Is the Warmest Color
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7
Bad Education
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8
Bad Lieutenant
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9
Killer Joe
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10
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, & Her Lover
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As this film's unwieldy title suggests, mischief is afoot in a London restaurant owned by a notorious gangster—mischief like adultery, murder, revenge and cannibalism. Rent/buy on Amazon.
11
The Dreamers
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Matthew is an American studying in Paris during the tumultuous spring of 1968. There he meets a French brother and sister duo who share a love of cinema and debauchery. The three begin a complex friendship that borders on taboo when the three push the boundaries of desire.
12
Elles
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A journalist (Juliette Binoche) interviews two sex workers as she works on a story about prostitution. Instead of hearing horror stories, she discovers them to be proud and empowered—and it forces her to re-examine her own view of sexuality. Rent/buy on Amazon.
13
In the Realm of Senses
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This film tells the infamous tale of Sada Abe, a geisha who murdered her lover by erotic asphyxiation. One of the most notorious films ever made—one that features unsimulated sex between its actors—the film was widely banned in countries across the world. Rent/buy on Amazon.
14
Pink Flamingos
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Promoted with the tagline "an exercise in poor taste," this cult classic from the infamous director John Waters stars the legendary drag performer Divine as herself, following her quest to claim the title of "The Filthiest Person Alive."
15
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
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