Thread by @Variety

Why do films get an #NC17 rating? Here’s a look at some of the movies that pushed the limits of the MPA ratings board.🧵

Please be aware that some of the film descriptions in the below thread mention sexual assault.

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"Blue Valentine" (overturned, released with R rating)

#BlueValentine earned an NC-17 rating due to an oral sex scene, but The Weinstein Company pushed back against the decision. The film was eventually released with an R-rating.

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"Blonde"

Andrew Dominik’s Netflix drama #Blonde is rated NC-17 for "sexual content," referring to prolonged nude scenes and one depiction of sexual assault.

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"Lust, Caution"

Ang Lee’s thriller is the highest-grossing NC-17 movie of all time at the box office. Although the film received the rating for its graphic sex scenes, co-screenwriter James Schamus said, "We knew we weren't going to change a frame."

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"Boys Don’t Cry" (recut and released with R rating)

Kimberly Pierce’s #BoysDontCry was rated NC-17 due to two explicit rape scenes. Because Pierce wanted her movie seen by as many moviegoers as possible, she re-edited the scenes to secure an R rating.

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"Blue Is the Warmest Color"

Abdellatif Kechiche’s film earned an NC-17 rating for its sex scenes, which later became the center of controversy after stars Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos expressed discomfort with Kechiche’s directing methods.

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"Showgirls"

Paul Verhoeven’s film was rated NC-17 due to “nudity and erotic sexuality throughout, some graphic language and sexual violence.” Verhoeven was reportedly unsurprised by the ratings board's decision.

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Read about the rest of the films here:

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