My May 2026 R-Rated Movies Ranked
Here's what I watched, what about you?
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May was special because I saw eight movies in the theater, the most of any month this year, unless you count the 15 Oscar-nominated short films in March. Plus, I met my goal of watching R-rated movies from the 1960s. I ended up watch six movies from 1968, the first year of the R rating. Were they all good? Well, no. Which were good? You’ve come to the right place.
And with that, let’s get to the rankings! Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
May 2026 R-Rated Movies Ranked in the order I saw them:
Dangerous Animals (2025) 2 out of 5 Shark Scar Stories
FIRST WATCH | After enjoying Hooper and Quint exchange their shark scar stories in Jaws, Zephyr and a friendly great white shark get to exchange their scar stories with just a knowing glance! That was pretty much the highlight of this one for me. I’d heard it was fun, but the cliches and plodding plot didn’t win me over, I’m afraid.
Mortal Kombat (2021) 2.5 out of 5 RATINGS
FIRST WATCH | The sequel hit theaters this month and I heard it’s better than this one. That didn’t say the same as saying “The new one is pretty good,” nor did that set up this one as at least “not bad,” does it. Still, this was okay. I really wanted something more. The lovely Mortal Kombat (1995) was shot on location and is a great mix of fun references, cheese-flavored action, and take-it-seriously lore. This new one was a much smaller scale, not very humorous, and way-too-serious on the lore. Will I see the new one in the theater? Read on, Dear Reader…
A Quiet Place in the Country (1968) 3 out of 5 Men in Diapers Tied to Chairs
FIRST WATCH | Yeah, it’s that kind of movie. In fact, that rating? It’s the first thing you see in this 1968 Italian “intellectual horror” film, one of the first movies to be rated R. It’s certainly interesting, and dripping with enough surrealism to keep one’s eyes glued to the screen, even if you aren’t sure what you’re watching. I wanted to give 1960s R-rated movies a shot this month, and this was my first and most-bizarre entry. I watched this on Amazon Prime Video.
See You Next Tuesday (2013) 2.5 out of 5 Oopsie Poopsies
FIRST WATCH | This was a hard watch. Miserable people making other miserable people more miserable for 88 minutes. I read one review that called it “unpleasant.” It is. I want so much more for all of these characters, but I don’t know what it will take to get them there, and neither do they, and that’s challenging to witness. If you want to feel helpless watching people self-sabotage, this is the feel-bad movie for you!
I watched this on Mubi. New to Mubi? Contact me for a free 1-month referral.
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) 3 out of 5 Scenes ABOUT Crown but WITHOUT Crown
FIRST WATCH | Another film from the first year of the R rating, and a first watch for me. I saw The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) in college, but never caught the original. This film wants to present Thomas Crown as mysteriously interesting. Instead, it seems to be about everybody but him. Sinatra nearly feels like a non-presence in his own movie. Still, there are enough interesting pieces overall, but believe it or not I enjoyed the remake more than this one.
The Split (1968) 4.5 out of 5 Mustard Dispensers at Sports Stadiums Were WEIRD in the 1960s
FIRST WATCH | The Split is my 100th movie watch of 2026 and it’s officially the first-ever R-rated movie ever! I’d never heard of it but wow, am I glad I watched it because it was incredible fun! A double-crossing caper based on a pulp novel by Donald Westlake (The Grifters, Payback), it has that grimy, crimey (a perfectly cromulent word!) Elmore Leonard vibe (Jackie Brown) with a French Connection frenzy and is a proto-Blaxploitation film before things really took off in 1971 thanks to Melvin Van Peebles’s groundbreaking Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song.
My favorite part? The movie keeps rolling out amazing actors. Jim Brown is the lead, sure, but then waitasec, Ernest Borgnine is in this? Jack Klugman and James Whitmore? Donald Sutherland?! And… Well, there’s a HUGE actor who plays a major role in the last 20 minutes but I won’t spoil it. Highly recommended, loved this!
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) 3 out of 5 Art Heist Hijinks
I haven’t watched this since its theatrical release and it remains decent. Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo play a more interesting game of cat and mouse than Frank Sinatra and Faye Dunaway did in the original (sorry, purists!) and the cinematography is great. While it doesn’t quite elevate to an excellent movie, it’s fun to see these two actors in different kinds of roles for them, and that makes it worth a watch.
Candy (1968) 2 out of 5 Please Tell Me Its Satires
FIRST WATCH | “Dated” doesn’t even cover it. The costumes, the bizarre plot, the ridiculous cameos, the overall vibe of “Look how spicy we are but actually we’re making you cringe” throughout the film. Not very watchable, except as a relic of its time and place in the history of R ratings.
Is God Is (2026) 4 out of 5 Rock Socks
FIRST WATCH | I loved this! Read my Feature Presentation article:
Hokum (2026) 4 out of 5 Behind Yous!
FIRST WATCH | I loved this! Read my Feature Presentation article:
Mortal Kombat II (2026) 4.5 out of 5 Flawless Victories
FIRST WATCH | I’m so, so, so glad this was good. As I wrote above, I did not like the first one, but I decided to turn off my brain and toss some box office love to this sequel. Now, I can’t wait for a third entry! This was a huge improvement over the first. The story, the fights, the humor, the special effects, the scope and scale, it all worked. The original 1995 will always have a sweet spot in my nostalgic heart, but this may be the best Mortal Kombat movie ever!
Greetings (1968) 1.5 out of 5 Meandering Rants
FIRST WATCH | Yet another relic of its time, this is Robert De Niro’s first screen role and he holds his own with a loose and meandering script. Brian De Palma is early in his career as director, and this one goes all over the place. Glad to finally watch a piece of cinema history for two young up-and-comers who created brilliant careers, and it’s another from the first year of the R rating. If you want to watch characters be disinterested in other characters’ rantings, feel free.
Step Brothers (2008) 2 out of 5 Everybody Cries But Steenburgens
FIRST WATCH | I remember laughing twice. But I can’t remember when. Eh, it’s fine. Sorry.
A.C.O.D. Adult Children of Divorce (2013) 2 out of 5 Oh, Those Parents!
FIRST WATCH | All I could think about the whole movie was why is Adam Scott’s character only thinking about his parents all the time?! Does he do anything in this movie besides worry about whether his parents will get back together? Even when he’s at work, it’s about that. This speaks to the script more than the acting. Speaking of which, Catherine O’Hara was a national treasure.
The Crimson Cult a.k.a. Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968) 2 out of 5 Spring Blades
FIRST WATCH | Well, the first costumes we see are… interesting. The rest of the movie, not so much. It looks like it was shot on video more than film, or maybe it’s a bizarre frame rate. Neither Boris Karloff nor Christopher Lee could save this one. Oh, well. I tried, I really did.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War (2026) 3 out of 5 Don’t Get in the Cars
FIRST WATCH | I’ve never watched a single frame of John Krasinski as Jack Ryan until this movie. I watched it because it was new and I needed a palette cleanser. While there were clearly established relationships and character nuances, I was able to follow along pretty well, and it made for a good action thriller. I’d go back and watch more of this, if I get the chance. This is only available on Amazon Prime.
Obsession (2026) 4 out of 5 Little Food Critics
FIRST WATCH | The hype is real, this is excellent. I don’t have a lot to say now, as I hope to write a Feature Presentation soon, but I will say the themes around ethics and “careful what you wish for” are well-delivered and linger with you. I will also say go in cold, if you can, as spoilers abound on the Internet!
Backrooms (2026) 3.5 out of 5 VHS Camcorders
FIRST WATCH | I saw this twice in the theater on opening weekend, once to write a Feature Presentation article, and again with the whole family when the kids found out I went without them. They liked it more than me, but I definitely recommend it. Here’s my article:
2026 Total Movie Stats
117 MOVIES TOTAL | 37.6% of 311 in 2025, 70% of 167 in 2024
30 Movies at the Theater | 25.6%
97 First-Watch Movies | 82.9%
90 R-Rated Movies | 76.9%
80 First-Watch R-Rated Movies | 68.4%
2026 May Movie Stats
30 Movies | 300% of 10 in May 2025, 333% of 9 in May 2024
8 Movies at the Theater | 26%
22 First-Watch Movies | 73%
19 R-Rated Movies | 63%
18 First-Watch R-Rated Movies | 60%
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 Met: See one movie a week in a busy month.
May Goal Met: Make space for R-rated movies from the 1960s.
June Goal Made: Walk out of a theater late at night after having watched a good movie, look up at the sky, and breathe in the delightful summer air.
Your turn!
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What did you see in May? Agree with my ratings? Any reviews to share?
Glad you’re here today, Dear Reader. God’s peace and good movies to you!