You might want to wait until the geds are in bed before going through this list of great titles to stream. Here are the very best movies and shows with an R rating, intended for audiences over 17 or with parental guidance.
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Actor: Alison Steadman, Anna Keaveney, Bernard Hill, Cardew Robinson, Catherine Duncan, George Costigan, Geraldine Griffiths, Gillian Kearney, Joanna Lumley, John Hartley, Julia McKenzie, Ken Sharrock, Marc Zuber, Matthew Long, Pauline Collins, Ray Armstrong, Sylvia Syms, Tom Conti, Tracie Bennett
Director: Lewis Gilbert
It’s kind of amazing how Johnson, who writes, directs, and stars in this feature, narrowly escapes narrative holes by being so darn self-effacing and likable. The female lead Maddy (Anna Kendrick) should be denounced as a Manic Pixie Girl, but because of Johnson and Kendrick’s overflowing charm, you don’t question the flimsiness of her character until much later on. The game itself should not make sense, but because Johnson is so committed in his physical performance, and so arresting in his charisma, all is forgiven. Self Reliance is like a tasty souffle that looks great at the moment, but left for longer, poofs and deflates. As long as you don't take it too seriously, the film should be a fun if forgettable ride.
Genre: Comedy, Thriller
Actor: Andy Samberg, Anna Kendrick, Biff Wiff, Bjorn Johnson, Boban Marjanović, Christopher Lloyd, Daryl J. Johnson, Eduardo Franco, Ely Henry, Emily Hampshire, Eric Edelstein, GaTa, Gloria Sandoval, Ilia Volok, Jake Johnson, Jeff Kober, John Hans Tester, John Ponzio, Karen Maruyama, Mary Holland, Miriam Flynn, Nancy Lenehan, Natalie Morales, Sky Elobar, Steven Littles, Theo Wilson, Thomas Vu, Wayne Brady
Director: Jake Johnson
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Actor: Akifumi Uchida, Ayumi Beppu, Emi Takei, Hidekazu Mashima, Hiroko Yashiki, Kaito Oyagi, Kazufumi Miyazawa, Kenichi Takitoh, Kentarō Shimazu, Kota Yamaguchi, Mantaro Koichi, Maryjun Takahashi, Masaharu Fukuyama, Masataka Kubota, Min Tanaka, Mitsu Murata, Munetaka Aoki, Nayuta Fukuzaki, Ryosuke Miura, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Takeru Sato, Takeru Satoh, Tao Tsuchiya, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Tomomi Maruyama, Tôru Kizu, Yosuke Eguchi, Yu Aoi, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, Yuria Eda, Yûsuke Iseya
Director: Keishi Ohtomo, Keishi Otomo
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Belinda Davey, Cliff Ellen, Daniel Pollock, Frank Gallacher, Frankie J. Holden, Geneviève Picot, Heather Mitchell, Hugo Weaving, Jeffrey Walker, Russell Crowe, Saskia Post
Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse
While painfully accurate, Lost in America is a cutting satire of the white-collar mid-life crisis that’s so hilarious, but in a depressing sort of way. When denied his expected promotion and then fired, David Howard (director Albert Brooks) convinces his wife Linda (Julie Haggerty) that they should “drop out of society”, pursuing a freewheeling lifestyle to travel across the country. Brooks and Haggerty lead the film – their back-and-forth dynamic feels compelling, whether they’re arguing, pouting, or tenderly reconciling. And while the couple stays compatible with each other, the film reveals them (and us) at our most shallow.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Albert Brooks, Art Frankel, Bob Hughes, Candy Ann Brown, Charles Boswell, Donald Gibb, Garry Marshall, Herb Nanas, James L. Brooks, Julie Hagerty, Larry King, Maggie Roswell, Michael Cornelison, Michael Greene, Priscilla Cory, Radu Gavor, Raynold Gideon, Rex Reed, Tom Tarpey
Director: Albert Brooks
Genre: Drama, History
Actor: Alexander Fehling, André Szymanski, Ellen Schulz, Ercan Öksüz, Franziska Junge, Friederike Becht, Gert Voss, Hansi Jochmann, Hartmut Volle, Johann von Bülow, Johannes Krisch, Lisa Martinek, Martin Rentzsch, Susanne Schäfer, Teresa Rizos, Timo Dierkes, Victor Tremmel, Werner Wölbern
Director: Giulio Ricciarelli
Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker, The Town, Arrival) plays Gary Webb, a journalist in investigating the American government’s possible involvement in cocaine trafficking in Latin America. Based on a true story, it’s in the same vein as other recent movies on investigative journalism. Jeremy Renner’s performance is the main reason to watch this movie. Even as the story spins into deeper levels of complexity, he remains a coherent, steady point of reference. It was his chance to prove to directors that he can carry a big-budget movie and he nailed it.
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Actor: Andy Garcia, Barry Pepper, Dan Futterman, David Alessi, David de Vries, David Lee Garver, Gil Bellows, Jen Harper, Jena Sims, Jeremy Renner, Joshua Close, Lucas Hedges, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Matt Lintz, Matthew Lintz, Michael Cuesta, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Sheen, Nancy Davis Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Oliver Platt, Paz Vega, Ray Liotta, Rhoda Griffis, Richard Schiff, Robert Patrick, Robert Pralgo, Rosemarie DeWitt, Shaira Barton, Steve Coulter, Susan Walters, Tim Blake Nelson, Yul Vazquez
Director: Michael Cuesta
Romantically pairing up AI with humans is hardly new, and I'm Your Man is aware of that. Instead of spending way too much time explaining the advanced tech that makes the perfect mate possible, the movie zeroes in on its charismatic leads Tom the robot (Dan Stevens) and Alma the indifferent academic (Maren Eggert). Tom is the curious, humanoid automaton who is designed to worship Alma, and Alma is the disillusioned human who is conflicted with the authenticity of her growing feelings for Tom. I'm Your Man is smart and empathetic enough to stay afloat amidst its swirling genres and ethical dilemmas, but it is mostly the chemistry between Tom and Alma that anchors it to the love story that it actually is.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Science Fiction
Actor: Annika Meier, Christoph Glaubacker, Dan Stevens, Falilou Seck, Gabriel Munoz Munoz, Hans Löw, Henriette Richter-Röhl, Inga Busch, Jürgen Tarrach, Karolin Oesterling, Maren Eggert, Mignon Remé, Monika Oschek, Sandra Hüller, Sebastian Schwarz, Victor Pape-Thies, Wolfgang Hübsch
Director: Maria Schrader
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Actor: AlgeRita Wynn, Breckin Meyer, Courtland Mead, D. Danny Warhol, Dana Schick, Desmond Askew, J. Karen Thomas, J.E. Freeman, James Duval, Jane Krakowski, Jay Mohr, Jay Paulson, Jimmy Shubert, Jodi Bianca Wise, Josh Paddock, Katharine Towne, Katie Holmes, Manu Intiraymi, Melissa McCarthy, Natasha Melnick, Nathan Bexton, Nikki Fritz, Rita Bland, Robert Peters, Sarah Polley, Scott Wolf, Sean Everett, Suzanne Krull, Tane McClure, Taye Diggs, Timothy Olyphant, Tony Denman, William Fichtner, Willie Amakye
Director: Doug Liman
Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem star in this mystery by Asghar Farhadi, the Iranian Oscar-winning director of A Separation and The Salesman. When Laura returns to her small Spanish hometown with her two daughters, she is greeted with the warm welcome worthy of someone who once was a loved member of the community. However, when an event concerning one of her daughters happens at a wedding, secrets come to the surface about her history that threaten the fabric of the whole village. Laura is masterfully played by Penélope Cruz, who seems to shift gears in this Spanish-language movie. Farhadi is outside of his usual territory, but he does what he does best: deliver a rich, thrilling family drama.
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Actor: Barbara Lennie, Carla Campra, Eduard Fernandez, Elvira Minguez, Inma Cuesta, Iván Chavero, Jaime Lorente, Javier Bardem, Jordi Bosch, Jose Angel Egido, Mar del Corral, Penélope Cruz, Ramon Barea, Ricardo Darín, Roger Casamajor, Sara Salamo, Sergio Castellanos, Vicente Vergara
Director: Asghar Farhadi
British filmmaker extraordinaire Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank) draws the perfect portrait of two young American drifters who fall in love.
Star (Sasha Lane) runs away with Jake (Shia Laboeuf), a traveling magazine salesman with more experience on the road. The freedom is tempting at first, especially given her difficult situation at home, but Star is quickly confronted with the risks that come with running away.
American Honey is shot in a succession of moments that take place almost entirely during golden hour, as if to say that the best part of the day comes right before dark.
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Andrea Arnold, Arielle Holmes, Bruce Gregory, Chad Cox, Chris Bylsma, Crystal Ice, Isaiah Stone, Kaylin Mally, Kenneth Kory Tucker, Laura Kirk, McCaul Lombardi, Riley Keough, Sam Williamson, Sasha Lane, Shawna Rae Moseley, Shia LaBeouf, Veronica Ezell, Will Patton
Director: Andrea Arnold, 安德里亚·阿诺德
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Actor: Adam Treasure, Alisha Weir, Anjana Vasan, Cyril Nri, Edward Judge, Eileen Atkins, Gemma Jones, Grant Crookes, Hugh Skinner, Ian Drysdale, Jamie Chapman, Jason Watkins, Jenny Galloway, Jessie Buckley, Joanna Scanlan, Jonny Sweet, Laura June Hudson, Lolly Adefope, Malachi Kirby, Olivia Colman, Paul Chahidi, Richard Goulding, Susie Fairfax, Tim Key, Tim McMullan, Timothy Spall
Director: Thea Sharrock
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Anthony LaPaglia, Bianca Hunter, Bronson Dudley, Brooke Smith, Carol Kane, Chloe Sevigny, Daniel Baldwin, Debi Mazar, Elizabeth Bracco, Eszter Balint, iO Tillett Wright, Irma St. Paule, John Ventimiglia, Kevin Corrigan, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Mark Boone Junior, Michael Buscemi, Michael Imperioli, Mimi Rogers, Richard Boes, Rockets Redglare, Samuel L. Jackson, Seymour Cassel, Steve Buscemi, Steven Randazzo, Suzanne Shepherd
Director: Steve Buscemi
From The Babadook director Jennifer Kent comes another horror, although this one is more about the horrors of humanity. Set in 1825 Tasmania, The Nightingale follows Irish settler Clare as she seeks bloody revenge on the monsters who wronged her and her family. She teams up with an Aboriginal guide named Billy to accomplish her goal.
Because of its often violent and disturbing tone (the film is rated R for its potentially triggering scenes), The Nightingale understandably polarized audiences upon its release. But it's also an excellent conversation piece, best watched with friends or anyone up for a discussion-filled movie night.
Genre: Adventure, Drama, History, Thriller
Actor: Aisling Franciosi, Alan Faulkner, Anthony Phelan, Baykali Ganambarr, Ben McIvor, Charlie Jampijinpa Brown, Charlie Shotwell, Christopher Stollery, Damon Herriman, Eloise Winestock, Ewen Leslie, Harry Greenwood, Huw Higginson, James O'Connell, Luke Carroll, Maggie Blinco, Magnolia Maymuru, Matthew Sunderland, Michael Sheasby, Nathaniel Dean, Sam Claflin, Sam Smith
Director: Jennifer Kent
A quiet movie about an unpredictable convict who gets enrolled in a wild mustang taming program. These initiatives, common around the country, offer fascinating parallels: both the horses and the inmates are emprisoned, both innately fight against their condition but are actively being made to comply. The central performance by Matthias Schoenaerts is nothing short of a masterpiece. He doesn't speak much and you almost don't want him to: everything else he does communicates so much more than words. Watching this movie just for him is reason enough.
Genre: Drama
Actor: Bruce Dern, Connie Britton, Gideon Adlon, Heath Hensley, Jasmeet Baduwalia, Jason Mitchell, John Logsdon, Josh Stewart, Kelly Richardson, Kieth Johnson, Matthias Schoenaerts, Noel Gugliemi, Santina Muha, Thomas Smittle
Director: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre