Disney’s 10 Best R-Rated Movies

Disney might not be exactly known for their R-rated films, but the company has had a hand in creating some surprisingly high-profile and brilliant movies aimed at adults only over the years. Disney has cultivated a family-friendly image for a long time now, from the carefully-curated broad appeal of franchises like Pixar, Star Wars, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the classic animated films of Disney’s golden age. It might surprise many Disney fans to know that the House of Mouse is behind some of the best R-rated films ever.

To help keep the Disney brand name squeaky clean in the eyes of the general public, the company primarily uses subsidiary entertainment companies to produce its R-rated features, such as Touchstone and Hollywood pictures. In recent years, however, Disney has explored actually allowing a very R-rated film, Deadpool & Wolverine to release under their main brand by way of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Though their classic logo might not be obvious and out in the open, audiences have Disney to thank for some brilliant films aimed squarely at adults.

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10

Face/Off

Touchstone Pictures

Not only has Disney had a hand in making some R-rated films come to fruition, but the adult ventures they do choose to help fund are often particularly unsavory. One gripping example of Disney’s strange proficiency with R-rated films is John Woo’s Face/Off. The bombastic action movie stars Nicolas Cage and John Travolta as bitter enemies on opposite sides of the law, with Travolta’s Sean Archer relentlessly pursuing Cage’s criminal mastermind Castor Troy. When Troy evades the law by surgically switching faces with his enemy, Archer has to find a way to take his life back.

Face/Off may be an utterly ridiculous movie, but it’s one of the most entertainingly absurd action movies ever made. Travolta having to mimic Nic Cage’s over-acting while Cage has to mimic Travolta’s under-acting is an incredible sight to behold, not to mention the gold-plated pistol duels that punctuate their meetings. One of John Woo’s best films, Disney is to thank for the maddeningly fun bullet-spewing action thriller.

9

Ed Wood

Touchstone Pictures

If there’s one director that feels like an oddly natural fit for an R-rated Disney movie in the traditional sense, it’s the gloomy visionary director Tim Burton. Burton’s sense of whimsy lends itself quite well to the Disney brand name, even if his biopic film Ed Wood ended up releasing under Touchstone Pictures anyway. The film told the true story of its eponymous filmmaker, actor, and pulp novelist, played by Burton’s longtime muse Johnny Depp, as he attempts to gain critical acclaim and navigate his personal life.

Ed Wood was originally meant to be produced by Colombia Pictures before the media giant got cold feet due to Burton’s insistence on filming in black and white, leaving Touchstone to pick up the pieces. The film may not have been a commercial success for Disney, but Depp’s astonishing performance, the striking monochrome cinematography, and the stunning details of Ed Wood’s life all make for a compelling package. The wonderfully strange picture seems to simultaneously mock and celebrate its odd subject.

8

Deadpool & Wolverine

Marvel Studios

Disney knew that after acquiring the characters of the Fox X-Men timeline, in order to do Deadpool justice in the new franchise, he must be allowed to roam free with an R-rating. Enter Deadpool & Wolverine, the sole Marvel Cinematic Universe theatrical release carrying 2024 on its own. Here, the Merc with a Mouth is tasked with saving his universe by finding a new version of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, stopping the machinations of the dangerous mutant Cassandra Nova along the way.

It’s worth commending Disney for allowing Deadpool to flex his bloody action and potty mouth even under the umbrella of such a wholesome family-friendly franchise, a fact that Deadpool himself is quick to poke fun at. Deadpool & Wolverine‘s gratuitous cameos and deep cuts from ancient Marvel movies make for a jaw-dropping romp through comic book movie history. Not only that, but the emotional bond between the two titular characters is a sweet emotional core holding up the sickly coating of Deadpool’s rude sense of humor.

7

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The Night House

Searchlight Pictures

Disney’s other major subsidiary production company doesn’t just make R-rated movies, but haunting horror films that wring every bloody drop out of the possibilities contained within the rating. The Night House is an underrated supernatural horror movie centering on a woman who is mourning the death of her husband, only to find out some strange things about his life she wasn’t previously privy to. Upon investigating, she soon finds herself facing down a terrifying presence that had been with her for her entire life.

The Night House is a brilliant deconstruction of the fear of death itself and nihilism through a horror lens, expanding on its simple thriller premise with some unthinkable twists and turns. The R-rating is more than earned with some of the appalling imagery of dearly departed’s nocturnal activities, but it’s the ingeniously creative portrayal of a supernatural villain that truly scores the film such high marks. The Night House needs to be talked about more often as one of the 2020s best modern horror films.

6

Birdman

Searchlight Pictures

Interestingly enough, Disney’s subsidiaries occasionally end up funding projects that spout messages alarmingly critical of the company’s own practices. An argument can be made stating as much for Birdman, a unique picture that swept the show at the 87th Academy Awards. The movie posits Michael Keaton as an aging Hollywood star known for his superhero movie franchise (a role that hits close to home) who demands to be taken seriously as an artist by producing a major Broadway play, hiring an infamously difficult to work with but brilliant stage actor to help him out.

It’s easy to see why Birdman left such a compelling impact on critical audiences, shot in a stylized manner that mimics one long continuous shot that sprawls over the runtime to the tune of a frenetic, high-energy jazz drum soundtrack. Keaton and Edward Norton cast brilliant sparks as they clash against one another as two egotistical actors, their work feeling like a meta-commentary on both performers’ professional careers. Birdman‘s critiques of mindless entertainment could easily be leveled at its own benefactors.

5

High Fidelity

Touchstone Pictures

Sometimes even mundane films necessitate an R-rating, and High Fidelity qualifies thanks to its jaded protagonist and casually profanity-laden script. The low-stakes drama follows the burned-out manager of a record shop, played by John Cusack, who muses on his many failed romantic interests while still reeling from his latest girlfriend dumping him. The narrative is strung along by Cusack’s character narrating, speaking directly to the camera and explaining his thought process.

High Fidelity boasts a razor-sharp script delivered perfectly deadpan by the lovably annoying John Cusack, who manages to make such a detestable and short-sighted character seem almost charming. The film is also notable for catapulting musician and comedy legend Jack Black into Hollywood stardom, stealing every scene his oafish character appears in. Disney’s best R-rated films sometimes benefit from the label simply so that they’re able to tell an earnest, true-to-life story many viewers might be able to relate to.

4

Good Morning Vietnam

Touchstone Pictures

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Not only did Robin Williams win Disney laurels out in the open as the lovable blue Genie in Aladdin, but he also surreptitiously paid off another of the company’s investments in Good Morning Vietnam. One of the late great Robin Williams’ best roles, Good Morning Vietnam stars the comedian as a military radio disc jockey operating during the Vietnam War. His character ends up getting involved with the family of a dangerous Viet Cong operative while bristling at his superiors by reporting censored news and blasting unapproved music.

Good Morning Vietnam provided a humanizing look at the Vietnam War from a boots-on-the-ground perspective not all that long after the war itself had ended, releasing in 1987. This made it a particularly sticky film for Disney to be involved with politically, but Robin Williams’ charming regimen as Airman Second Class Adrian Cronauer made for one of the best military comedies ever put to film. Good Morning Vietnam gets the most out of its R-rating with both crass humor and brutal depictions of war.

3

The Menu

Searchlight Pictures

Despite being a relatively new film, The Menu has already begun to enjoy a reputation as a brilliant horror comedy that deconstructs a cultural value as simple as going out to eat. The star-studded cast includes Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult as a young couple that get into the exclusive guest list of a genius, but eccentric, gourmet chef. To enjoy his fine dining, the two are taken to a private island along with several other guests, only to find that the meal they’re about to enjoy may be their last.

Ralph Fiennes truly carries The Menu as Chef Julian Slowik, injecting every ounce of neuroticism into a performance needed to convey a character that would willingly kill himself, his loyal staff, and his customers in a fit of spiteful malaise. The R-rating is certainly needed to contain some of the film’s horrific acts of torture and murder, with a dire but playful tone that almost makes sense as a Disney movie. The Menu is a delicious delight that poses questions of consumerism and customer service under capitalism worth considering.

2

Tombstone

Hollywood Pictures

Another arm of Disney’s multifaceted media conglomerate, Hollywood Pictures is responsible for some all-time cinematic classics. Perhaps the zenith of them all is the 1993 remake of Tombstone, one of the single greatest Westerns of all time. Loosely based off of the real legendary shootout at the O.K. Corral, Tombstone stars Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp, a former lawman who, along with his brothers and the hedonistic bounty hunter Doc Holiday, attempt to make an honest living in the titular town. Before long, the group is goaded into an all-out war against the local gang of criminals, the Cowboys.

The performances are what truly make Tombstone such a horse-riding, gunslinging treat, from Kurt Russel’s beautiful mustache to the dulcet tones of Sam Elliot. Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday is a particular standout, producing such legendary lines like “I’m your huckleberry” with a syrupy southern charm. But no mistake should be made about the necessity of Tombstone‘s R-rating, which denotes vicious gunfights, titillating sexual tension, and heartbreaking loss.

1

Starship Troopers

Touchstone Pictures

Not only is Starship Troopers one of the grisliest, goriest space opera epics ever to breach containment into popular culture, but it’s also one of the most brilliant. For his adaptation of the original 1959 novel, genius sci-fi director Paul Verhoeven opted to flip the script, crafting a satirical glimpse into a fascist society obsessed with killing bug-like aliens. Casper Van Dien stars as Johnny Rico, an idealistic high school graduate who gets more than he bargained for when he signs up with mobile infantry of the Earth’s United Citizen Federation military.

The genius of Starship Troopers lies within its obvious satire, which is blatant enough to only not be recognized as such by actual fascists. Admittedly, the creative futuristic galaxy and blood-soaked action scenes provide some low-brow entertainment, but hidden within it is a scathing commentary that’s shockingly cutting for something ultimately produced by Disney. If only Starship Troopers could have its own dedicated section at one of Disney’s theme parks.

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Category: Entertainment