Violence has been a key part of the movies since the very beginning of cinema. It can add to a film’s tension, unsettle the audience, be played for laughs, or even just serve as entertainment. As Quentin Tarantino once said, a lot of movies include violence simply “because it’s fun”. While some movies can glorify violence or handle their graphic content with bad taste, others can still critique violence while displaying it on-screen. These movies earn their high age restrictions with their brutality but use violence in support of their narrative or thematic goals.
Rather than being an endorsement of violence, many of these movies are a reflection of it. Often controversial, these films leave audiences divided, with some praising them for their boldness and others criticizing them for their explicit content. With this in mind, here are the ten best movies rated NC-17 or X for violence. They are undeniably intense, but they’re also genuinely good films, and their high levels of blood and gore are justified.
10 ‘Killer Joe’ (2011)
Directed by William Friedkin
“That’s not appropriate dinner conversation, Dottie.” Killer Joe is a darkly comedic thriller that follows the dysfunctional Smith family as they hire a hitman to kill their mother for her life insurance policy. Matthew McConaughey stars as Joe Cooper, a detective who moonlights as a contract killer. When the family can’t pay him upfront, Joe demands that their young daughter, Dottie (Juno Temple), be offered as collateral.
From here, the movie broadens out into a study of moral decay and escalating brutality. It was directed by The Exorcist‘s William Friedkin and, while it’s not on the same level as that classic, it shows a similar talent for dark storytelling. His technical skills as a director are much on display here, assisted by stellar performances from McConaughey, Temple, and Gina Gershon. The violence is abundant but it’s in service to the themes, adding a layer of grim realism rather than being sensationalized.
9 ‘Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer’ (1986)
Directed by John McNaughton
“I’d like to kill somebody.” Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a chilling look into the life of Henry (Michael Rooker), a drifter who embarks on a brutal killing spree. Based loosely on a real-life serial killer, the film chronicles Henry’s murders and his influence over his roommate, Otis (Tom Towles), who becomes a willing accomplice. The film’s grim tone is enhanced by its documentary-like style, creating an unsettling sense of realism that makes the violence all the more disturbing.
The movie is lean and mean, shot on 16mm in just 28, on a $110, 000 budget. The violence here is hardcore, though it also serves to highlight Henry’s psychological torment. Characters are beaten, strangled, bludgeoned, stabbed in the eye, and their bodies dismembered. This aspect of the movie was controversial, leading to the movie being censored in certain countries. The film’s defenders, on the other, argue that it’s an astute character study rather than an exploitation flick.
8 ‘Natural Born Killers’ (1994)
Directed by Oliver Stone
“I realized my true calling in life.” This satirical crime film, penned by Quentin Tarantino, follows Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory Knox (Juliette Lewis), a couple who embark on a killing spree across the country. The film critiques the media’s fascination with violence, as Mickey and Mallory become celebrities thanks to their murderous exploits. Harrelson and Lewis deliver unforgettable performances as the homicidal lovers, while the film’s rapid-fire editing and hallucinatory visuals create an overwhelming sense of chaos. It’s like Bonnie and Clyde on acid.
Nevertheless, despite the movie being fairly didactic, not everyone got the joke. Many viewers found Natural Born Killers to be in poor taste and it was discussed extensively in the media. Tragically, the movie even inspired some copycat crimes in the years that followed. Controveries aside, the movie remains energetic and enjoyable, jam-packed with vivid imagery, creative camera angles, and edgy touches like an animated sequence.
7 ‘The Evil Dead’ (1981)
Directed by Sam Raimi
“Why have you disturbed our sleep; awakened us from our ancient slumber?” Sam Raimi‘s low-budget horror landed on the scene like a bomb, blowing upon the genre’s possibilities. It’s a similar but creatively tale about a group of friends who inadvertently summon demonic forces while staying in a remote cabin. Bruce Campbell stars as Ash, the unlikely hero who must confront the horrors unleashed by the Book of the Dead. The film’s graphic violence, including scenes of dismemberment and possession, made it one of the most notorious horror films of its time.
The Evil Dead is savagely brutal and relentlessly gory, though budget constraints mean that it now looks relatively tame. Raimi turns over-the-top violence into an art form, and the bloody sequences are a key part of the movie’s appeal. Taken together, these elements add up to one of the most influential cult films of the 1980s; a genuine horror classic.
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6 ‘A Clockwork Orange’ (1971)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
“It’s funny how the colors of the real world only seem really real when you viddy them on the screen.” Stanley Kubrick‘s dystopian classic takes place in a future where youth violence runs rampant. At the center of the story is Alex (Malcolm McDowell), a delinquent who leads a gang of criminals on sprees of robbery, assault, and rape. After being caught, Alex is subjected to an experimental rehabilitation program that aims to cure him of his violent tendencies by using psychological torture.
A Clockwork Orange is its director’s most infamous project, thanks to its bleakness and hard-hitting violence. It divided audiences on release, being censored in several countries and withdrawn from cinemas in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, it proved influential, seeping into the public consciousness and laying the blueprint for future nihilistic movies. It’s occasionally hard to watch, but there’s thought beneath the viciousness, with the movie making sharp statements on power, oppression, and extremism on all sides.
5 ‘Man Bites Dog’ (1992)
Directed by Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, and Benoît Poelvoorde
“Usually I start the month with a postman.” This black-and-white mockumentary follows a camera crew as they document the life of Ben (Benoît Poelvoorde), a charming yet psychopathic serial killer. The film takes a darkly comedic approach to violence, with Ben casually explaining his methods and motivations as he murders random victims. The crew becomes increasingly complicit in Ben’s crimes, blurring the line between observer and participant.
The film’s blend of satire and graphic violence earned it an NC-17 rating, as it confronts the audience with uncomfortable questions about media, voyeurism, and the glorification of violence. The content is frequently shocking, and the moral ambiguity is just as unsettling as the killings. Man Bites Dog was polarizing, but has since become a cult film, and is often ranked among the best dark comedies ever made. More than 30 years after its release, the movie’s commentary on celebrity culture and video infamy is more relevant than ever.
4 ‘Santa Sangre’ (1989)
Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky
“I’m not asking you, I’m ordering my hands… and my arms… to kill her.” Santa Sangre (meaning Holy Blood) is a surreal horror from provocative genius Alejandro Jodorowsky, the brains behind the similarly trippy WesternEl Topo. It centers on Fenix (Axel Jodorwosky), a young man who grows up in a circus and witnesses the violent death of his mother. Years later, Fenix becomes mentally unstable and begins to commit murders under the control of his armless mother (Blanca Guerra), who manipulates him into becoming her hands.
The film is filled with bizarre, dreamlike imagery and explores themes of trauma, fanaticism, and the cyclical nature of violence. There are religious symbols aplenty, alongside hard-hitting violence (including acid attacks, throat slitting, and the hacking off of limbs) and inventive visual techniques. The gore is unapologetically excessive and many scenes are deliberately exaggerated. The end result is a film that won’t be for everyone but which is utterly unlike anything else.
3 ‘A History of Violence’ (2005)
Directed by David Cronenberg
“I should’ve killed you back in Philly.” A History of Violence tells the story of Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen), a small-town diner owner who becomes a local hero after killing two men in self-defense during a robbery. However, the incident brings unwanted attention to Tom’s past, as a group of dangerous men arrive in town claiming that Tom is not who he says he is. Tom’s violent history is slowly revealed, and the films morphs into a psychological drama and a meditation on the nature of violence.
This is one of David Cronenberg‘s very best movies, anchored by an impressive performance from Mortensen. Maria Bello and Ed Harris are also terrific in their supporting roles. Cronenberg uses these characters to poke at thorny issues, moral ambiguities, and the darkness that lurks behind the veneer of suburban life. It’s simply a great movie, and has since been ranked on some critics’ lists of the best films of the 21st century so far. A History of Violence exists in two cuts: one is slightly toned down to be rated R, and then there’s the international unrated cut with a few more frames of intense gore.
2 ‘Battle Royale’ (2000)
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku
“So today’s lesson is, you kill each other off till there’s only one left. Nothing’s against the rules.” Long before The Hunger Games took the idea to the mainstream, Battle Royale served up a gripping tale of teenagers fighting to the death. In a dystopian future version of Japan, high school students are forced to participate in a deadly game. They are taken to a remote island, fitted with explosive collars, and given weapons to kill each other until only one remains alive.
There are several memorable kill scenes here, involving a variety of different weapons. The movie’s violence caused a stir on release, leading it to be censored in some territories, and even discussed in the Japanese parliament. However, the movie is neither as tasteless as its detractors claim or as brilliant as its fans maintain. It’s just a gripping action movie, boasting a few cool ideas and held together by several well-constructed set pieces.
1 ‘I Saw the Devil’ (2010)
Directed by Kim Jee-woon
“When you’re in the most pain, shivering out of fear, then I will kill you.” When it comes to well-made but violently depraved cinema, few films can top this thriller from South Korean director Kim Jee-woon. It’s about a secret agent named Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun), who embarks on a quest for revenge after his fiancée is brutally murdered by a psychopathic serial killer named Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik). Instead of killing Kyung-chul, Soo-hyun captures and tortures him repeatedly, releasing him each time to prolong his suffering.
This movie is certainly violent, upping the ante with one harrowing scene after the next. It’s a classic revenge story, though it elevates its tropes with complex characters and an even-handed approach, blurring the line between hunter and hunted. It makes for unique fusion of relentless torture porn and beautiful cinematography, ruthless characters and real emotion. It’s more than worth checking out, especially for fans of bloody cinema.
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