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10 Classic PG Movies That Would Be Rated R Today
May 17, 2025
The modern landscape of films is pretty strict when it comes to its rating system. Horror movies are almost always given the PG-13 or R-rating, family films are almost always either G or PG, and everything else rests across the spectrum based on whatever content they might contain.
Before the modern age of ratings, so many movies slipped by as PG-rated, despite the fact that, if they were to release in theaters today, they would surely be rated R for a myriad of reasons. Violence, sexual content, and language were all less regulated in the ratings landscape, and that means that, despite their PG rating, some classic films surely deserve a stronger advisory.
10 The King of Comedy Is No Laughing Matter
Martin Scorsese's Dark Comedy Thriller Is Too Intense For A PG Rating
When fans think of director Martin Scorsese, they don't exactly think of fun for the whole family. The iconic director's films often contain brutal violence, course language, and constant drug use. His gangster epics like Goodfellas, Casino, and The Departed are some of the very best in the genre, but one of his most underrated projects was 1982's The King of Comedy.
A clear inspiration for the controversial Todd Phillips film Joker, The King of Comedy features Robert De Niro as an aspiring stand-up comedian who finds himself falling headfirst into violent crime when he decides to stalk his comedic idol — a late-night host played by iconic comedian Jerry Lewis. The film's thematic content, implied violence, and use of strong language would easily make it R-rated today, but it shockingly remains one of Scorsese's few PG films.
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