My 2026 March R-Rated Movies Ranked
Here's what I watched, what about you?
Here’s my latest batch of R-rated movie watches. What did you watch this month? Agree with my ratings? Share your watchlist in the comments.
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Commentary:
Movies picked up in March as I raced to wrap up watching all 10 Best Picture nominees (check!) and all movies nominated for an Oscar (36 of 50, so 72% check!). Plus, I had a few nights in front of the TV just trying to relax. What’s my favorite way to do that? Movies, movies, movies! I watched a ton of movies this month so it’s a longer list than usual and it may spill over from email to the web platform. Do you need a clickbait line to get you to read the whole thing?
And with that, let’s get to the rankings! Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
March 2026 R-Rated Movies Ranked in the order I saw them:
Train Dreams (2025) 4 out of 5 Haunting Ghost Buddies
FIRST WATCH | Gorgeous cinematography, and a story that reminds me a lot of one of my favorite novels, The Living by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Dillard. It’s also been great fun watching Joel Edgerton’s career continue to blossom. However, I have a strong aversion to stories that heavily rely on narration, and this is one of those movies, so that took away a bit of the luster for me.
The Secret Agent (2025) 4 out of 5 Deadly Barber Shops
FIRST WATCH | Good movie, tough topic, not always easy to follow without full cultural and historical context, but definitely deserving of its nominations this year. The ending is jarring in that it’s abrupt, and that works for some and not for others.
Bugonia (2025) 4 out of 5 Is She or Isn’t Shes
FIRST WATCH | This was my first official “What did I just watch?!” movie of the year. My wife and I decided to do a digital rental, then we just bought it because it was $2 more. Not sure if or when I’ll revisit it, but we definitely enjoyed the ride and the many questions along the way. Very satisfying ending.
Marty Supreme (2025) 4 out of 5 Are You Happy Nows?!
FIRST WATCH | I enjoyed the movie as much as I disliked the main character. In both cases, that is to say, a lot.
The Singers (2028) 4 out of 5 Aged Crooners
Butcher’s Stain (2025) 4 out of 5 Failing AC Units
Two People Exchanging Saliva (YEAR) 4.5 out of 5 Carboard Boxes
FIRST WATCH | Read my take on each in newsletter about the nominees for the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film:
The Girl Who Cried Pearls (2025) 3.5 out of 5 That Kid is Walking Gangrene
FIRST WATCH | Read my take on each in newsletter about the nominees for the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film:
Frankenstein (2025) 3.5 out of 5 Stop Standing by Giant Holes
FIRST WATCH | We put this off for a while and by the time I got to it, I was “out of season” for the Spooktober time when it came out. I’m going to call this the third-best adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein that I’ve seen. Though this edges out Kenneth Branagh’s Frankenstein it doesn’t outshine the Boris Karloff Frankenstein original. Won a ton of technical Oscars, and beat out others in surprising upsets, too.
The Perfect Neighbor (2025) 3.5 out of 5 Body Cam Shots
FIRST WATCH | This is worth a watch simply for the power of editing. They tell a compelling story through was appears to be 95% footage from body cams, police precincts, city cameras, etc. Incredible filmmaking, in that regard.
The Devil Is Busy (2025) 4 out of 5 Security Checkpoints
Armed Only with a Camera (2025) 4.5 out of 5 Eulogies
All the Empty Rooms (2025) 4.5 out of 5 Pictures Speak 1,000 Words
Children No More: Were and Are Gone (2025) 4 out of 5 Silence Is Goldens
FIRST WATCH | Read my take on each in newsletter about the nominees for the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film:
Life of Chuck (2024) 4 out of 5 Spontaneous Dances
FIRST WATCH | I enjoyed the novella quite a bit but missed this in the theater. Finally got around to it and enjoyed the film, too. Part of me appreciates the backward countdown here but not as much as in the novella. A wonderful piece about life.
Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (1983) 4 out of 5 Wafer-Thin Mints
FIRST WATCH | Whelp, finally showed this one to my oldest (a few edits here and there). It won’t replace Monty Python and the Holy Grail as her favorite (or mine) but she enjoyed it, and that’s what counts! That said, she almost tuned out during “Fishy, fishy, fish, fish!” and I didn’t blame her for that.
Come and See Me in the Good Light (2025) 4 out of 5 Voicemails
FIRST WATCH | It’s a good documentary about love and comedy both surviving through a cancer diagnosis. Enjoyed this snapshot in the life of Andrea Gibson. Scenes left me screaming with laughter and with more than a few tears in a way that pulled me into the lives of these people and their story.
Blue Moon (2025) 3 out of 5 Rantish Monologues
FIRST WATCH | This movie is about Ethan Hawke’s performance more than anything. While I can’t say I was compelled by either the story nor Lorenz Hart. Still, a great performance.
Hamnet (2025) 4 out of 5 Accidental Audience Interactions
FIRST WATCH | I ended up enjoying this much more than I thought I would. In fact, I’ve been thinking about it much more than I thought I would, too, since I saw it. I would have given Chloe Zhao the Best Director Oscar for directing very different settings, including the production of Hamlet. Saw this and a few weeks later I very much enjoyed MacBeth at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.
The Lost Bus (2025) 3 out of 5 Fires A-Blazin’
FIRST WATCH | In lesser hands than Paul Greengrass, this is a by-the-numbers disaster procedural. And, well, it is that, but compelling. There is some overacting here, and not by Matthew McConaughey, and I wouldn’t have watched it if it wasn’t nominated for Best Visual Effects, but I’ll say those were extremely impressive. Also, I wrote “McConaughey” and didn’t have to look it up, bonus!
Sentimental Value (2025) 4 out of 5 Looks Back
FIRST WATCH | This was the 10th and final Best Picture nominee for me and it ended up #6 on my list (maybe I could bump it to #5 simply because I appreciated these characters and their attempts at redemption and reconciliation, which is far more than I can say about Marty Supreme). Great film, great performances, and if you’re one of those people who can’t watch movies with subtitles, just stop. Watch the movie!
The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks Part 1 and 2 (2022) 4 out of 5 Knives in Hands
FIRST WATCH | I’ve been a Kids in the Hall fan since I was 10 years old. I’ve always known what I was watching was good, but I didn’t know how good. The filmmakers make the comparison to punk rock and it’s spot-on. I also didn’t realize how groundbreaking Scott Thompson and his characters were, either, but this retrospective brings that to light in an honest way. If you’re a fan of the Kids, check it out. I didn’t even know it existed until this month!
Decision to Leave (2022) 4 out of 5 Interrogation Room Love Affairs
FIRST WATCH | This was my first watch on Mubi for 2026 after I decided to plunk down for a 1-year subscription. It did not disappoint. A complex film by Park Chan-wook (Oldboy), a detective falls in love with a widow while investigating her husband’s death. Oops, and he’s married. And oops, she may have done it. Or did she? Hmm… Great movie!
The Ugly Stepsister (2025) 2.5 out of 5 Eyelash Surgeries
FIRST WATCH | I watched this because I tried to see as many nominees before the Oscars, and this was up for Hairstyling and Makeup. It’s a bloody violent telling of Cinderella and it’s okay.
Pete Holmes: Dirty Clean (2016) 3.5 out of 5 Silent Screams
FIRST WATCH | I really enjoy Pete Holmes and this was pretty good, even if some bits were a little long, like the happy birthday bit. Still, Pete Holmes is one of the best and I only never watched this until now because I just got HBO.
Pete Holmes: Faces and Sounds (2018) 3.5 out of 5 IEDITEDITS!
FIRST WATCH | This was better, includes the excellent bit, “I edited it!” A great special from start to finish. Not my favorite Pete Holmes special, that would be “I Am Not for Everyone” (2023) on Netflix. My favorite is the “Pete Here Now” tour we saw live in 2024.
Chris Fleming: Live at the Palace (2026) 0.5 out of 5 Not For Mes
FIRST WATCH | Chris Fleming is not for everyone. No thanks.
Fackham Hall (2025) 3.5 out of 5 Quips
FIRST WATCH | While it doesn’t quite elevate (and I can’t quite put my finger on why), I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Good satire of the English working vs. upper class genre, with lots of fast, witty dialogue. And many, many jokes, reminds one of The Naked Gun series, and in a good way!
Enemy (2013) 4 out of 5 Upside-Down Spider-Woman Hallways
FIRST WATCH | Finally saw this mind-bending tale of doppelganger lives. Yes, I’m still wrapping my head around the 8-legged ending, let alone the path of how we got there. Well-shot, with a foreboding presence, nice and creepy. Witness Denis Villeneuve developing his own style here while channeling Cronenberg and yes, Lynch.
Sorry Baby (2025) 4 out of 5 Here’s Your Cat Foods
FIRST WATCH | This was an excellent debut by writer, director, actor Eva Victor. Every aspect of it feels very real, and yes it has tremendous wry, dark humor used to great effect surrounding a very tough topic. Looking forward to more from her.
Ready or Not (2019) 3.5 out of 5 Wrong Cards
FIRST WATCH | I missed this in theaters and watched this with our oldest so we can catch the sequel in theaters. We enjoyed this murderous romp, a little cliche and some telegraphing, maybe because I’ve seen enough of this genre to know where things are going, but it was fun getting there.
Shame (2011) 4 out of 5 “Virus-Filled” Laptops
FIRST WATCH | An NC-17 film not about sex (it’s really quite unsexy) so much as about addiction, co-dependency, personality disorder, compulsive behavior, and what happens when people don’t have an ability to connect with other people beyond a descent into unhealthy temptation. The rating is for good reason so those who aren’t comfortable should avoid it. Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan are, however, amazing in this. Steve McQueen makes excellent, layered films, and this is one of them.
Ready or Not, Here I Come (2026) 3.5 out of 5 Elijah Wood Smirks
FIRST WATCH | This was a lot of fun! Our oldest and I watched the first on Hulu and enjoyed this in the theater. Great humor, impressive kills, and I loved how they expanded on the lore from the first. Yes, I’m totally down for at least one more to make a trilogy, but I’ll take as many as they’ll make, these are fun movies!
2026 Total Movie Stats
69 MOVIES TOTAL | 22.2% of 311 in 2025, 41.3% of 167 in 2024
21 Movies at the Theater | 30.4%
67 First-Watch Movies | 97.1%
58 R-Rated Movies | 84.05%
49 First-Watch R-Rated Movies | 71.01%
2026 March Movie Stats
69 Movies | 255% of 27 in March 2025, 300% of 23 in March 2024
20 Movies at the Theater | 29%
43 First-Watch Movies | 62.3%
29 R-Rated Movies | 42%
28 First-Watch R-Rated Movies | 40.6%
January Goal Met: Watch at least ten movies this month.
February Goal Met: Get to the movie theater at least once!
March Goal Met: See all of the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars.
April Goal Made: See one movie a week in a very busy month.
Your turn!
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What did you see in March? Agree with my ratings? Any reviews to share?
Glad you’re here today, Dear Reader. God’s peace and good movies to you!