Sex and violence; they can be huge selling points for a film, but only to a point. If a movie contains too much adult language or content it can get slapped with the dreaded NC-17 rating, which many theater chains and home video outlets will not screen or carry. And if you can’t sell tickets to or copies of your movie, it’s awful hard to turn a profit.
But, again, sex and violence sell. Horror fans want to see shocking, scary imagery. Nobody goes to an erotic thriller hoping the lead actors share a pleasant, relaxing evening at home watching Four Weddings and a Funeral. It’s a fine, bloody, vulgar line that has to be walked.
Enter the unrated cut. When a movie gets trimmed in order to attain an R rating (or even occasionally a PG-13) from the MPAA, enterprising producers can recoup more of their investment — and appeal to a broader audience — by releasing multiple versions of their film on home video: The theatrical cut for audiences who want slightly safer thrills and the unrated version looking for edgier material. And the people selling the DVDs or digital copies get to profit off two movies instead of one. Everybody wins.
READ MORE: The Best X-Rated Movies in History
The 20 titles below are all mainstream Hollywood films that were released one way in theaters and then another way at home. A few are hard to find, but most of these films are still widely available in both their theatrical and unrated editions, depending on which you might prefer. We’re guessing if you’re reading this list, you’re looking for the uncut and uncensored stuff. You’ll find plenty of it below…
20 Movies With Unrated Cuts
These mainstream movies are available in very different — and sometimes way more graphic — versions.
The Best NC-17 Rated Movies Ever
The NC-17 rating has been all but abandoned these days, but once upon a time it was home to some of the most challenging films in history.
