Summary
- These R-rated gems prove that grown-ups can enjoy mature superhero movies too.
- Films like Darkman, Blade, and Judge Dredd offer a unique, gritty take on the superhero genre outside of the Marvel bubble.
- From vigilantes like Kick-Ass to the irreverent Deadpool, these R-rated movies bring a fresh, adult perspective to the superhero world.
Superheroes have become a genre of movie all their own, and the vast library and enduring popularity of the Marvel movies might give audiences the impression that superhero movies are fun for the whole family. It's easy to forget that there was a before-time when superhero movies were filed under action or drama and could be written only for adults, especially now that the trend has been re-ignited.
MCU: 6 Superheroes That Have Also Been Part Of The Fantastic Four
Throughout its long history, the Fantastic Four has witnessed other Marvel heroes join the team for various reasons.
Older movies from the 1980s weren't always about Superman or Batman, although these characters dominated the genre for decades, their more terrifying and morally-ambiguous counterparts also made the occasional appearance. Some great superhero movies are rated R, which means not suitable for viewers 17 years of age or younger, that the grown-ups can enjoy when the kids aren't around.
7 Darkman
IMDb Score: 6.4
- Director: Sam Raimi
- Distributed By: Renaissance Pictures
- Release Date: August 24th, 1990
- Starring: Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels
Darkman is an early adaptation of an unorthodox comic, and it's an interesting and strange experimental romp for anyone who likes the bizarre and unusual, even if they aren't into superhero movies. There are some big names here, starting with the director Sam Raimi, continuing to composer Danny Elfman, and topped off by Liam Neeson in the lead role.
The story begins with a tragic accident in a lab, which culminates in an attack involving the mob, and results in the main character being scarred and left for dead. Dr. Peyton Westlake survives the acidic burns to his hands and face, followed by the massive explosion that throws him out of the building, and lives on as the hidden vigilante Darkman.
6 Blade
IMDb Score: 7.1
- Director: Stephen Norrington
- Distributed By: New Line Cinema
- Release Date: August 21st, 1998
- Starring: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson
Years before Black Panther or Edward Cullen appeared on the silver screen, African-American dhampir superhero Blade made his debut in the dark and gritty environment of the late 1990s. The movie got mixed reviews from critics but comic book fans lost their collective minds, and the film remains a cult classic.
-featured-image.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=140&h=98&dpr=2)
The Best Vampire Games (That Aren't Castlevania)
Castlevania might be the most iconic vampire gaming series out there, but there are plenty of other great vampire games.
The opening scene of the rave in the slaughterhouse is still famous, and it does a great job of setting up the world in which Blade lives and hunts. There's a schism in the vampire world, between the old folks who value tradition and young kids like the antagonist, an upstart named Frost, and Blade has to stop him before it's too late.
5 Dredd
IMDb Score: 7.1
- Director: Pete Travis and Alex Garland
- Distributed By: Entertainment Film Distributors
- Release Date: July 11th, 2012
- Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Wood Harris
Not to be confused with the 1995 movie Judge Dredd, which was a flop, this time it's Karl Urban who dons the iconic mask in a visceral R-rated tale of terrorism that oozes blood, gore, and general urban mayhem. The twist is that almost the whole movie takes place within the idyllic-sounding Peach Trees, an apartment building so big that it could be its own city.
Judge Dredd is tasked with breaking in a new Judge, Cassandra Anderson, who only seems suited for the job because of her psychic powers but lacks the grit of a tough cop. Anderson proves her worth when they face up against Ma-Ma, the don of Peach Trees, and her private mercenary army.
4 Watchmen
IMDb Score: 7.6
- Director: Zack Snyder
- Distributed By: Warner Bros. Pictures
- Release Date: March 6, 2009
- Starring: Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino
If Zack Snyder is the director, you know it's for adults, which is a definite plus to what's not always the ideal directing style. Watchmen is an adaptation of a comic book series by the same name from Dave Gibbons, and the source material was so avante-garde that the general consensus was an adaptation was unlikely or impossible.
The plot is framed around the lore and legend of the Cold War in the 1980s, in a world that's also seen a backlash against armed and costumed vigilantes, also known as superheroes. The story is set in motion when Rorschach, a detective who works outside of the law, discovers a plan to target superheroes. This re-ignites the activities of his former team, a group known as The Watchmen.
3 Kick-Ass
IMDb Score: 7.6
- Director: Matthew Vaughn
- Distributed By: Lionsgate
- Release Date: April 16th, 2010
- Starring: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloë Grace Moretz
Kick-Ass is an action movie, a love story, and a comedy, so it follows the stereotypical superhero movie template in a way. The characters in this story, however, are the kinds of superheroes that don't have special powers, so more like a Batman origin story as opposed to Superman.
Protagonist Dave Lizewski is an ordinary teenager who loves comic books and decides he wants to try the superhero lifestyle, but he gets his ass kicked, so to speak, and he's just about to quit when two other masked vigilantes save him. Hit Girl and Big Daddy aren't just fighting crime, they have a score to settle with a local crime lord. Kick-Ass, the name that Dave takes as his superhero pseudonym, decides to help them.
2 Deadpool
IMDb Score: 8.0
- Director: Tim Miller
- Distributed By: 20th Century Fox
- Release Date: February 12, 2016
- Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein
It's the movie that made R-rated superhero movies cool again, and the stories of its production are the stuff of Hollywood legend. It's hard to believe what Ryan Reynolds had to go through to get this movie made, including paying the writers and actors out of his own pocket, but he proved the naysayers wrong and Deadpool was a blockbuster hit.
Which Rumored Deadpool & Wolverine Cameo Do You Most Want To See?
Deadpool & Wolverine has been the center of numerous rumors regarding the cameos that could potentially pop up. Plenty of Marvel characters both past and present have been mentioned as potential scene partners for the titular duo, but which ones would you most like to see appear?
The plot follows the trope of the superhero origin story while also making fun of it. In keeping with the main character's personality quirks and inability to be permanently injured or killed, Deadpool is sarcastic, snide, foul-mouthed, and rude, all the while denying that he's a superhero.
1 Logan
IMDb Score: 8.1
- Director: Tim Miller
- Distributed By: 20th Century Fox
- Release Date: February 12, 2016
- Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen
If there's such a thing as a postmodern superhero movie that sugarcoats nothing, Logan would be a good example. While Deadpool took the route of crass jokes and biting satire, Logan leans hard on the realism of Wolverine's very likely future and doesn't hold back, which is why the title is his real name as opposed to his X-Men pseudonym.
Logan isn't the only hero that viewers have to watch degenerate; the former Professor X is here, too, and his condition as he descends further into dementia is heartbreaking. There is a ray of hope for the future in the form of Gabriela López, the first mutant born in twenty-five years, and Logan has to find a way to get her to a Sanctuary on the Canadian-American border.
30 Best Superhero Anime
While American animation has Marvel and DC heroes, these fantastic superpowered stories in anime are just as engaging for fans.