Summary
- R-rated films face challenges in commercial success due to limited appeal to families, who make up a large demographic of movie-goers.
- Despite this, certain genres like horror and comic book films have seen financial success with an R-rating, reaching a larger audience.
- "Oppenheimer" has become a major success both commercially and critically, positioning it as a front-runner for Academy Awards and impacting the future of films in its genre.
The ten highest grossing R-rated movies obviously succeeded commercially, but they vary in quality, with some being well above the others. R-rated films don't always sell well, with only one appearing in the top 100 highest grossing films of all time. This is primarily due to a large demographic of movie-goers being families taking their kids to theaters, hence Disney controlling many of the highest selling movies. R-rated films are typically darker in theme, which also limits their commercial appeal.
Occasionally an R-rated film will stand out and prompt a much larger audience, however. From grittier comic book adaptations, to classic horror titles, to dark, outrageous comedy, the ten highest selling R-rated films offer some variation in style. When matched up against each other in of their critical and audience reception, box office numbers don't tell the full story.
10 The Hangover Part II
The Hangover films were a major success financially, with all three being in the highest grossing comedy films ever. While The Hangover Part II was the largest success at the box office, primarily due to the hype of the first film, it just wasn't as good as The Hangover. The film had a gruesome 34% on Rotten Tomatoes, and while still funny, was pretty much just a recycled version of the franchise's first edition. Part II has largely the same plot as the first with many of the same story beats, but can't recapture the same magic. The Hangover Part II is the tenth highest grossing R-rated movie.
9 The ion Of The Christ
The ion of the Christ is the ninth highest grossing film on the rated-R list, having made $612 million worldwide. However, $370 million of that came in the US, making it the highest grossing R-rated film domestically. While the film has stellar performances and has equally strong production values compared to other historical epics of its time, The ion of the Christ was one of the most controversial movies ever due to its graphic violence and criticisms of being antisemitic.
8 Detective Chinatown 3
Detective Chinatown 3 only released in China, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia, meaning its entire $686 million box office run comes internationally. This places it as the seventh highest grossing R-rated film, but the second highest at the international box office. The Detective Chinatown franchise is a sensation in China, with far less appeal to audiences outside the region. In China, it's the seventh highest grossing film ever, coming in just above Avengers: Endgame.
7 It
The big-screen adaptation of Stephen King's iconic horror novel It was a huge success, raking in over $700 million, placing it just above Detective Chinatown. It is easily one of the most celebrated horror and coming of age novels of all time, and the film version fittingly captures the feeling of the book, even receiving praise from King himself. The 2017 adaptation is a solid horror movie with a thrilling villain performance from Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, but falls victim to many common horror and slasher tropes.
6 Deadpool 2
Deadpool 2 isn't as exciting and fresh as its first installment, but still managed to get an edge over it for third place in the R-rated box office ladder. With $785 million, it slightly sures Deadpool 's $782 million. Deadpool 2 is a fun movie, with awesome action and more of the same over-the-top humor from the first film. The additions of Josh Brolin's Cable and Zazie Beetz as Domino worked out excellently, as the two shared great comedic chemistry with Ryan Reynolds. The second film goes heavier on the crass, vulgar humor this time around, limiting its appeal to some audiences.
5 The Matrix Reloaded
Following up The Matrix is no easy task, as the first film was massively influential to 21st century filmmaking. While The Matrix sequels aren't as thoughtful and story-driven as the first was, they are still high-quality action films. The Matrix Reloaded, in particular, has one of the best action sequences in the franchise: the highway chase. The Matrix Reloaded is the fifth highest grossing R-rated film ever, far suring its predecessor which was #25. The film grossed over $740 million, a large amount of which was pocketed by Keanu Reeves himself, who took home a share of the film's profits.
4 Deadpool
2016's Deadpool was lightning in a bottle, proving that superhero films could be made for primarily mature audiences. The R-rated film grossed $782 million, making it highly influential for following years of action films. Deadpool is raunchy, incredibly violent and a ton of fun. While the sequel didn't live up to the hype of the first, the third film in the trilogy will hopefully set the franchise on the right track in the MCU.
3 Logan
Hugh Jackman starred as Wolverine in nine X-Men films, with Logan perfectly tying up his storied run as the character. While the film is one of the best R-rated hits, it's only eighth in the list of the highest grossing movies, bringing in $619 million. Regardless, it's largely considered one of the best superhero films ever. Aside from Jackman, the film stars Patrick Stewart returning as Professor X as well as franchise newcomer Dafne Keen as Laura, in a more bleak, futuristic world than previous X-Men films had seen.
2 Joker
Joker is the highest grossing R-rated film of all time - and it's not close. It's the only R-rated movie to even crack the top 100 highest selling movies, and the only one to make over $1 billion. A massive accomplishment for DC Comics, Joker captures the best of the darker, more gritty style that DC films have gained a reputation for, while also being one of the few comic book movies to receive Academy Award attention. Director Todd Philips wears his inspirations on his sleeve, as the film clearly draws from Martin Scorsese classics.
1 Oppenheimer
Barbenheimer has been the talk of the movie world in the summer of 2023, with the cultural phenomenon helping push Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer to become the second highest grossing R-rated movie ever, making $788 million with more to come. On top of its financial success, Oppenheimer is the most critically and fan acclaimed film among the R-rated box office giants, with buzz coming in early, predicting the film as a front-runner to win a number of Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role.
