Netflix is close to releasing its first produced NC 17-rated movie, Blonde. This NC 17 movie on Netflix is a Marilyn Monroe biopic starring Ana de Armas as the titular female. Usually, this would mean box office poison, but in the streaming era, this is not as big of a deal, but still worthy of headlines. Makes you wonder if this was a case of positive/negative publicity for Netflix.
What is an NC 17 rating? NC 17 is the most restrictive rating the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) can put forth. Originating in 1990 with Henry and June (more on that later), NC 17 means that no one 17 or under is allowed entrance to the film.
The MPAA rating did rankle some ankles for Netflix management, and some fans were miffed that director Andrew Dominik deigned to defend the film.
Same energy as "If you don't like my movie then it's because you don't understand it"
— Jamie (@JamJamGaGa) February 11, 2022
Based on Joyce Carol Oates’ highly fictionalized novel of the same name, Blonde likely will show sexual content, though it’s hard to imagine the movie is anywhere near as gratuitous and blood-soaked as shows like Game of Thrones. Consider also that Netflix hasn’t asked the director to remove any content to appeal for a lower rating, like many studio predecessors asked moviemakers to do.
For fans of edgy films, the rating may be encouraging. Some of the best movies of the past 50 years, including Casino and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut originally earned the NC 17 designation. Though critically acclaimed, some movies rated NC 17 remain for adults only. A few of these films only make a few cuts that allowed the films to be screened in theaters as R-rated. Of course, an NC 17 label in no way guarantees quality, but the following eight films earned critical reputations for their raw and (almost) unrestricted content despite their original restrictive ratings.
Henry & June (1990)
Readers may be surprised to learn that the NC 17 rating is a product of the 1990s, invented for the steamy Henry & June.
Fred Ward plays author Henry Miller, Uma Thurman plays wife June, and a game Maria de Medeiros plays French writer Anaïs Nin in the trio’s infamous romantic triangle post-publication of the oft-banned novel, Tropic of Cancer.
Though the intimate portrayals are tame by today’s standards, the film remains a fun, fascinating romp through the literary past. Speaking of the past, Henry & June is unavailable to stream, likely because of its onerous rating.
Ever since the MPAA began giving ratings in 1968, there’s been little rhyme or reason to distinguishing between what constitutes the difference between R and NC 17. Though the arbitrary measure means less in the streaming era, major theaters will still not screen NC 17 movies, despite cultural standards becoming significantly more liberal in the last 50 years. It’s understandable to skip some movies because of content. Movie ratings, however, give few clues as to how gratuitous that content may be.