10 of the Most Violent Films Not Rated R

Regardless on whether or not you agree with its practices, the MPAA exists for a reason. Letting people and parents know the possible content of a film is more than simply about making sure kids don’t wander into an adult film by accident, but also a healthy guide to allow viewers to make judgments on whether or not certain films are ok for them personally.

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And then sometimes you can’t help but wonder if the MPAA was phoning it in that day. These films aren’t rated R and yet at times feel like they absolutely should be, or at the very least are an extremely hard PG-13, a rating so common it often makes you forget that indeed, parents should be “strongly cautioned” about letting their kids see these films.

‘Beowulf’ (2007)

Animated films have a history of getting lax ratings from ratings boards due to the unwarranted stigma they have among many moviegoers, and Beowulf is one of the most obvious examples of that. While yes it is from the same team as the family friendly The Polar Express that released three years prior, the motion capture film by Robert Zemeckis was one of the most violent mainstream animated films released at the time.

Dismemberment, beheadings, tons of blood, disturbing deaths, it’s got it all. In fact, it’s clear that the film was done in animation to get away with this level of violence, as if it was live action it would have absolutely received an R rating from the MPAA for it’s content. But, as it’s animated, the PG-13 rating (in both cuts!) was given, and frankly it’s a baffling one.

‘Gremlins’ (1984)

One of the films responsible for the creation of the PG-13 rating in general (all three of which are on this list, mind you), Gremlins, on the onset, seems relatively tame. Sure, it’s got some violence in there but it’s nothing too huge and it’s mostly relegated to the back half of the film. And then one of our leads puts one of the titular creatures in a microwave and all bets are off.

That scene is iconic, for sure, and also morbidly hilarious, but it’s also exceptionally violent even by PG-13 standards and the fact the movie passed with a PG at the time caused enough of a fuss that parents had enough. The PG-13 ratings creation helped a lot in the future when vetting movies like this, and the sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch received a PG-13 rating from the MPAA.

‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ (1984)

The first Indy film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, is already a film that pushed the PG rating to its absolute limit with its infamous ending and several gruesome deaths, but Temple of Doom is easily one of the most violent films that Steven Spielberg has made bar none. The darker prequel movie which features Indy heading into India and dealing with cultists is notorious for two reasons- being racially insensitive as well as incredibly violent.

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So violent, in fact, that Spielberg has apologized on multiple occasions for the film. And it’s not hard to see why it helped create the PG-13 rating – its sequences of torture, hearts being ripped out of chests, and numerous violent demises make this a grisly watch even by today’s standards.

‘Kong: Skull Island’ (2017)

While monster movies tend to be pretty intense, whether or not they deserve the PG-13 is dependent on the film. The MonsterVerse films tend to fall into the category of “yeah, sure”. While Gareth Edwards‘ grim and dour 2014 Godzilla film is certainly not for kids, its content is no more violent than that of other monster films, and the later films tend to lean into the kaiju action for fun factor.

And then there is Jordan Vogt-Roberts‘ Kong: Skull Island, which breaks that trend by simply being brutal at points. While not particularly bloody on a human front, it’s the monster action and copious amounts of disturbing imagery that make this one of the most violent PG-13 films in recent memory, and not for lack of trying.

‘Poltergeist’ (1982)

The third and final film to cause the creation of the PG-13 rating, Poltergeist is one of those films you think is rated R because of its subject matter and content, but it actually isn’t. Nope, Poltergeist was released in 1982 with a PG rating, though not necessarily without a fight. The film did originally receive an R rating but the appeals of Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg made them change it to a PG without any cuts.

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This is most particularly baffling when you look at it’s now infamous “face melting scene” which is one of the goriest sequences you’ll ever see in a PG/PG-13 rated film, and while a master craft of practical effects feels way too intense for that rating. And while it’s not particularly bloody, that clown scene should be NC-17, cause nope. Hell no.

‘Split’ (2017)

M. Night Shyamalan is one of the masters of using the PG-13 rating to the best ability. While movies like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs aren’t exactly ultra-violent or even that violent to begin with, they are super intense and feature heavy sequences and themes that wouldn’t feel out of place in some R rated fare.

And then there isSplit, probably Shyamalan’s most violent PG-13 movie and one of his best as well. The transformation of James McAvoy‘s lead character alone is disturbing, but it’s his violent actions that bring this so close to an R. This is a brutal, brutal film at points, and it’s all the better for it, allowing Anya Taylor-Joy‘s character’s escape feel more personal and tense.

‘The Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy

This can apply to the entire trilogy, but The Lord of the Rings is essentially one movie split into three chapters anyway, so having them all here works. Nevertheless, the entire sage of Tolkein’s epic pushes the PG-13 rating to it’s limit, mainly due to its intense violence, but also its gnarlier, more gruesome fantasy elements in the Mordor sections.

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Most of this is likely due to Peter Jackson‘s involvement. Prior to directing The Lord of the Rings, Jackson was a horror film director best known for his splatter films, one of which is Braindead, widely regarded as one of the bloodiest films ever made. While The Lord of the Rings is nowhere near that level, it’s certainly among the more violent PG-13 films and the fact kids are watching it should be a little concerning.

‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ (2011)

While the Transformers brand is mainly aimed at kids and teens, there was a time where Michael Bay‘s influence in the franchise made it skew much older then usual. This is most evident in Dark of the Moon, a film riddled with sex jokes, foul language, and inappropriate humor all the while keeping its PG-13 rating, albeit pushing it.

Several of the films feature shockingly violent deaths of the Transformers, but it’s Dark of the Moon‘s 5 minute climax between Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Sentinel Prime that’s simply brutal. Spines are ripped out, “oil” is everywhere on the screen, and the actual deaths feel shockingly mean-spirited. Yep, that’s Bay alright.

‘True Grit’ (2010)

The Coen Brothers aren’t exactly known for making “family friendly” pictures, but True Grit‘s PG-13 rating in retrospect is simply baffling. The Western remake indeed lives up to it’s title, as the revenge storyline features numerous bloody shoot outs, a dark atmosphere that feels at home with the Coens, and some pretty disturbing imagery throughout.

And what makes the violence in this one so particularly hard to watch is how realistic it feels. The guns are loud and powerful, and the impacts of them are felt even at home through speakers. When Maddie (Hailee Steinfeld) loses her arm, it’s not pretty, and it makes you wonder how this got away without an R rating from the MPAA.

‘Watership Down’ (1978)

There are two kinds of people – those who have experienced Watership Down, and those that haven’t. The ones that have are changed people forever, as the PG (yes, really) rated animated film is infamous for it’s level of violence and gory sequences despite featuring, ostensibly, cute little rabbits on its various covers and screenshots. But it isn’t for the faint-hearted, as it’s also maybe one of the most violent films you’ll ever see, and easily one of the most disturbing.

To make matters even worse, the film was released in 1978, and in its native Britain was seen as a children’s film due to it being animated. As such, the film, against all odds, received a U rating in the UK – the equivalent of a G rating in the United States. This now famously infamous decision has made the film something of a rite of passage for many kids in the UK, as it’s U rating ensures it gets played on many kids channels during Easter. Have fun kids!

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