The 60+ Best R-Rated Melodramatic Movies

Ranker Film
Updated August 30, 2023 467 votes 63 voters
Over 60 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 60+ Best R-Rated Melodramatic Movies
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List of R-Rated melodramatic movies, ranked from best to worst with movie trailers when available. This list takes the best R-Rated melodramatic movies and pits them against each other to see once and for all what the greatest R-Rated Melodrama movie of all time is. This list of popular R-Rated melodramatic movies includes information like who directed the film, when it was released and which actors starred in the movie. If you think the top R-Rated Melodrama movie isn't as high as it should be then be sure to vote it up so it can take its rightful place among the other great R-Rated Melodrama films on this list. If you're trying to find a specific R-Rated Melodrama film you can search this list and filter to find what you're looking for.

This list contains movies like Rain Man and Above the Rim.

If you're trying to find out "What are the best R-Rated melodramatic movies?" and "What are the most famous R-Rated melodramatic movies?" then this list is the perfect resource for you.

Use this list if you're looking for some new melodramatic movies that are rated R. Between Netflix, Hulu and other services there are thousands of great melodramatic movies rated R, so get out there and start watching.

You could always re-rank this list as your own then share it on your social networks to get a count of what only your friends think. {#nodes}

Among those that have directed a R Melodrama movie are Barbra Streisand and Lars von Trier.

Ranked by
  • Girl, Interrupted
    1

    Girl, Interrupted

    Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea Duvall
    15 votes
    • Released: 1999
    • Directed by: James Mangold
    In the drama Girl, Interrupted, Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder) finds herself in a 1960s psychiatric hospital after a failed suicide attempt. Among the institution's eclectic mix of patients is sociopath Lisa Rowe (Angelina Jolie), who proves to be both an intimidating presence and an unlikely friend. As Susanna navigates her turbulent journey towards self-discovery, she encounters complex characters battling their own demons. The film, directed by James Mangold, earned Angelina Jolie an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, underscoring the powerful performances and compelling narrative that make Girl, Interrupted an engaging watch.

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  • Rain Man
    2

    Rain Man

    Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino
    14 votes
    • Released: 1988
    • Directed by: Barry Levinson
    In Rain Man, Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), a self-absorbed car dealer, discovers his estranged brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) is an autistic savant who inherited their father's fortune. In a bid to get his share of the inheritance, Charlie embarks on a cross-country journey with Raymond, leading to unexpected bonding and self-discovery. This 1988 drama, directed by Barry Levinson, won four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Hoffman's portrayal of Raymond. The film artfully explores themes of family dynamics, autism and personal growth through its compelling narrative.

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  • Dancer in the Dark
    3

    Dancer in the Dark

    Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse
    11 votes
    • Released: 2000
    • Directed by: Lars von Trier
    Dancer in the Dark is a poignant drama set amidst the gritty realism of 1960s Washington State. Selma Ježková (Björk), a Czech immigrant and single mother, toils in a factory while grappling with her deteriorating eyesight. She seeks solace in her love for classic Hollywood musicals, often escaping into vivid daydreams. Bill Houston (David Morse), her neighbor and a financially struggling cop, plays a pivotal role in the story's tragic unfolding. Directed by Lars von Trier, this film won the Palme d'Or at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.

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  • Monster's Ball
    4

    Monster's Ball

    Halle Berry, Billy Bob Thornton, Heath Ledger
    10 votes
    • Released: 2001
    • Directed by: Marc Forster
    Hank, an embittered racist prison guard working on death row, begins an unlikely, emotionally charged sexual relationship with Leticia, a Black woman and wife of a man sentenced to death. The affair begins just after Hank oversees the capital punishment of Leticia's husband.

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  • Broken Embraces
    5

    Broken Embraces

    Penélope Cruz, Kira Miró, Rossy de Palma
    5 votes
    • Released: 2009
    • Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar
    Broken Embraces is a 2009 Spanish romantic thriller film written, produced, and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Led by an ensemble cast consisting of many Almodóvar regulars, it stars Lluís Homar as a blind Madrilenian screenwriter who recalls his tragic love for Lena, played by Penélope Cruz, the deceased lead actress in his last directional feature Girls and Suitcases, who was also the mistress of a powerful, obsessive businessman. Blanca Portillo co-stars as his agent Judit, while Tamar Novas portrays her son and Caine's co-writer Diego. Inspired by darkness and by a photo of a couple, that Almodóvar took of El Golfo beach in Lanzarote in the late 1990s, the film serves as an homage to filmmaking, cinema and its various film genres. Stylistically, it is a complex noir-ish melodrama, that also blends comic elements with a film within a film—a broad comedy, that hearkens back to Almodóvar's 1988 release, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Thematically, Broken Embraces addresses themes like voyeurism, repression, prostitution, death, vengeance, fixation, illness, and drugs. Broken Embraces was one of the films competing for the Palme d'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
  • Above the Rim
    6

    Above the Rim

    Duane Martin, Leon, Tupac Shakur
    12 votes
    • Released: 1994
    • Directed by: Jeff Pollack
    A high-school basketball star (Duane Martin) is torn by loyalties to a drug dealer (Tupac Shakur) and an ex-player (Leon).

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