There are many reasons ahorrormovie can earn an R rating (though its debatable just how much they “earn” it). On one hand, at least in the U.S., a high body count doesn’t necessarily equate the restrictive rating, e.g.The Expendables 3. Yet, a character drops the dreaded “F Bomb” a whopping two times, and it’s a non-starter on PG-13. The ratings system is particularly restrictive on horror which, unlike something likeThe Expendables 3, tends to show violence in detail.
That means that, more often than not, a horror project is probably going to be rated R, and it’s a rarity that a PG-13 one slips through when it should have had the more restrictive rating. The inverse, those R rated horror movies that should have been PG-13 (or PG, prior to that rating’s introduction in August 1984), however, has several noteworthy examples. From John Carpenter classics to Sam Raimi trilogy-cappers, these are the high-profile R-rated horror films that probably wouldn’t have scarred anyone if they were rated PG-13.
10The Fog (1980)
The Fogis a creepy movie, but most of its impact originates from cinematography, setting, and music. The ghost film possesses one of director John Carpenter’s better scores, but what it doesn’t possess is graphic violence. When an old woman is killed by the resurrected lepers, she’s yanked out of sight of a little boy (and the audience). Early in the film, when a group of fisherman are slaughtered, all that’s seen is a hook going into a chest, but there’s no blood and the scene is, naturally, coated in fog.
The Fogwas Carpenter’s follow-up toHalloweenand, like that film, it doesn’t quite earn its MPA rating. But it is wonderfully creepy, and if anything it’s a testament to both the benefits of subtlety and Carpenter’s range (taking into account his intentionally unsubtleThe Thing).
9Christine (1983)
One year after he directed the masterful, butveryR rated,The Thing, Carpenter adapted one of Stephen King’s more tragic novels withChristine. LikeThe Fog, there isn’t much in the King adaptation that immediately excludes younger people from watching it. The tone and language of the film isn’t excessively dark or foul, and even its scariest scene (Christine’s nighttime pursuit of a lone bully) only earns that title because of Carpenter’s sublime theme music.
This sets the movie apart from the book, whichdoespush the language boundary, even for those who don’t think foul language should alone earn a restrictive rating. AndChristinecertainly doesn’t, it’s just the story of Arnie Cunningham (expertly played by Keith Gordon), a lonely teen who falls in love with the wrong girl.
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8Fright Night (1985)
Fright Night’s Tom Holland, unrelated to the Marvel Cinematic Universe star, was one of horror’s most underrated directors throughout the ’80s and ’90s. The fact that a movie as unique (difficult, when its purpose is to put a spin on the age-old vampire tale) asFright Nightwas his debut is proof enough.
The director’s other big movie,Child’s Play, is similarly accessible as a starter horror film, but Chucky earns his restrictive rating more than the vampire next door tale. It’s more of a coming of age story, where a young man learns about responsibility, false idols, valuing the right people before it’s too late, standing up for oneself, and finding love. Vampire Jerry Dandridge (played to perfection by Chris Sarandon), is a very sexual individual, but like with the violence the movie doesn’t delve into showing his exploits. In short,Fright Nightis a solid film all around, and it’s probably just fine for a 12-year-old.
7Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
A full decade before Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson got all the credit for getting meta withScream, Tom McLoughlin was doing the same for the Jason Voorhees saga withFriday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The film was a rarity for the series, as even the biggestFriday the 13thbashers out there begrudgingly admitted thatJason Liveswas both well constructed and legitimately funny in spots.
This also means that it comes up short in the graphic violence department, at least compared to the five films that preceded it. But by the same token, that’s not to sayJason Livesis a disappointingFriday the 13thfilm, far from it. It’s just the most tame of them, by a country mile, with the runner-up being something along the lines ofFreddy vs. Jason. ButFreddy vs. Jasonearns its R rating just a bit more, whereasJason Liveseven makes someone’s back being cracked in half seem like it’s fallen out of aLooney Tunescartoon.
6The Lost Boys (1987)
More of a John Hughesian charmer than a blood-and-guts fest, Joel Schumacher’sThe Lost Boysstands as the lateBatman Foreverdirector’s best film. As far as what gets the film an R rating, it appears to be primarily due to the language utilized byCorey Feldman and Corey Haim’s Frog brothers.
The bloodletting in the film is light, and when a vampire actually does die the end result is more a puff of dust than an arterial spray. It’s a movie certainly fit for teens, yet no one under 17 can even rent the thing. As far as introductory horror films go,The Lost Boysmakes for an excellent double feature alongsidePoltergeist.
5Army of Darkness (1992)
Army of Darknessintentionally goes for goofy-badso often that it’s impossible to take seriously. It’s a sillier and more family friendly film than evenEvil Dead II, with that humorous first sequel possessing more gruesome imagery thanArmy of Darknessever nears.
More than any other time in the franchise,Army of Darknessis really the Bruce Campbell show, and it’s not as if the actor’s sense of humor ever alienates young people. He’s a rubber faced funnyman who appeals to all demos, and for the most part so too doesArmy of Darkness. That said, there’s something to be said for the first two films' visceral, cabin-based narratives in comparison toArmy of Darkness' Medieval war vibes.
4The Frighteners (1996)
Peter Jackson’sThe Frightenersis entertaining, but ultimately reveals an ambitious auteur hindered by the studio system. In other words, the pacing inThe Frightenersis a little off, but not compared to the tone, which often pairs Michael J. Fox' ghost hunter Frank Bannister with a pair of goofy specters played by Chi McBride and Jim Fyfe.
The actors are excellent in their roles, but it’s hard to get scared by a ghost movie that has two of them trading barbs with one another. Jake Busey’s performance as deceased mass murderer Johnny Bartlett is certainly intimidating, but not enough to warrant an R rating. As a whole,The Frightenersis a fine introductory horror film for young budding genre fans, but there are better options out there.
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3I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Especially when it’s compared to the prior year’sScream, there’s precious little inI Know What You Did Last Summerthat seems to warrant an R rating. The majority of the bloodletting, for instance, is primarily off-screen, e.g. with the death of Johnny Galecki’s Max Neurick.
Compare that to the death of Drew Barrymore’s Casey Becker, which opensScream, and it’s a night and day difference. Time will tell if theI Know What You Did Last Summerlegacy sequelwill follow the same relatively gore free path, but as it stands the 1997 film is a bit of a bland and tame endeavor buoyed only by ambiance and good casting.
2The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Of all thehorror movies that helped raise Gen Z,The Blair Witch Projectarguably has the most notoriety. And yet the only thing that gets it its R rating is language and an intense nature. It’s all about the experience of being trapped in the woods with an unseen entity, emphasis on the unseen.
In other words, there’s absolutely nothing there that warrants the restrictive rating. There’s no blood, no dismemberment, no sex…just tension. LikeParanormal Activity,The Blair Witch Projecthas no business being rated R.
1Scream 3 (2000)
After the one-two punch ofScream(1996) andScream 2(1997),Scream 3is nothing short of a disappointment. This is due to a multitude of reasons, from a different screenwriter guiding the narrative to a studio mandated trim on graphic violence in response to the Columbine High School massacre.
On one hand, the studio’s apprehension to hype up and release a movie that features a flesh and blood human donning a mask and slaughtering others is understandable. On the other hand, if art’s response to tragedy (and public furor) is to censor itself, the audience suffers just as much as the art. In other words, if the makers of aScreamfilm cave to societal pressures, one of the sequels may very well end up with a ridiculously out of place Jay & Silent Bob cameo in it.
