In America, the NC-17 film rating (no one 17 and under admitted) is mostly a curse. Due to the nature of film ratings, if a film receives an NC-17 rating from the MPAA (the Motion Picture Association of America), it means your theatrical release would be very limited and the film might possibly tank at the box office.
Films receiving an NC-17 rating often cut those scenes that might cause the rating and resubmit it for the hopes of getting an R-rating. Some succeeded, and some didn't. We make this list not to recommend for the shock values of these movies; we want to explore the reasons as to why they were rated NC-17, and if that made sense in terms of their artistic and cultural value.
We believe that most of the movies on this list have actually been misunderstood, as you have to know the intentions of the directors who made them to fully understand why they were made in such uncompromising ways. After all, in the world of film, there is no rating needed.
