An R-rated film is unsuitable for minors. In this case, content is not suitable for under 17 years of age. It is against theater policy to admit unaccompanied minors to R-rated films. Those under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian (at least 21 years old). It may include strong brutal and graphic violence (including blood), excessive strong language, sexually-oriented nudity, drug use, and/or other elements.
The MPA ratings are theoretically advisory with no legal standing as the Board has no power to enforce ratings. However, cinemas and theaters are usually required to enforce MPA ratings by company policy or the American film industry. This can be enforced by cinemas requesting proof of a person's age such as an ID card or a driver's license. Cinemas are not allowed to make exceptions to enforcing the R rating. On streaming platforms, persons under 17 are usually unable to stream R-rated content.
The R rating is the most common of the MPA ratings in cinemas. It means: Restricted - Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian.
It was established with the system.
Equivalent to: TV Parental Guidelines's TV-MA and ESRB's M.
Factors[]
Violence[]
Graphic violence is generally permitted, but it can escalate to an NC-17 rating if it is very realistic and graphic and with a lingering focus on very graphic detail. Blood and gore is permitted and injury details can be more graphic and detailed than PG-13 rated movies. Sexual violence is permitted as long as it doesn’t show very graphic details, nudity should be brief, and full-frontal nudity has to be infrequent.
Sexual content[]
Sex scenes can be more graphic and prolonged than PG-13 rated movies, but should not show very graphic and/or very realistic details. Nudity is allowed but full-frontal nudity will be infrequent and not show close-up, very graphic details. Sexualized nudity is allowed but will not be lingered on. Sexual language and graphic sexual references are allowed.
Language[]
Language is generally unrestricted. However, some rare cases can lead to an NC-17 rating if profanity is used way too much (e.g. 500+ uses of "f**k" or "c**t" may result in an NC-17 rating).
Drug use[]
Drug use is allowed, except for pervasive graphic details and glamorization of underage use. There is no limit on alcohol, tobacco, prescribed drugs or marijuana use.
Themes[]
There is no limit on themes.
List[]
- List of films
- 19,377 titles as of December 11, 2025
Trivia[]
- The only Hays-era film to receive an approval for restricted audiences was Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, often cited as the first film to receive an R rating based on this fact alone.
- The very first Disney film to receive an R rating was Down and Out in Beverly Hills. However, it was not until catalog title Tombstone, originally released by subsidiary Hollywood Pictures in 1993, was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray in 2025 that Disney released an R-rated film under its own name. An earlier Disney release, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Extended Edition, has a warning that effectively amounts to an unrestricted R rating, but the actual content is no more intense than what would appear in a PG-13-rated feature.
- The only R-rated film to be released on videocassette by Playhouse Video is A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die.
- The first 2D computer-animated film to get an R rating is South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
- The first 3D computer-animated film to get an R rating is Sausage Party.
- America: The Motion Picture is the first animated film by Netflix to receive an R rating by the MPA.
- Most films produced by Searchlight Pictures have received this rating.
- Most films produced by A24 have received this rating.
- Most films produced by Screen Gems receive either this rating or PG-13.
- Prior to the introduction of parental controls on March 16, 2022, no R-rated content could be streamed on Disney+ in the United States; such content is offloaded to Hulu. On April 2022, Kiss of the Dragon was going to become the first R-rated film to stream on Disney+ in the United States, but the decision was later reversed.
- Tennessee used to enforce legal restrictions for under 18s with this rating (Tennessee Code § 39-17-907)[1], but it no longer does since 2013.
- Early in the rating system's history, a single depiction of illegal imitable behavior (such as falsely shouting "Fire!" in a theatre) was enough to merit an R rating, as demonstrated with Torn Curtain (re-rated PG in 1984).
Gallery[]
| Motion Picture Association film rating system |
|---|
     Formerly used ratings: M | GP | X |