There’s nothing worse than watching a movie with your parents only to encounter graphic scenes of sex or violence. Here are 12 films not to watch with mom and dad.
here are certain movies you know ahead of time not to see with your parent—like Fifty Shades of Grey, Shame, basically anything directed by Judd Apatow – unless you’re just particularly fond of awkward sex jokes while you sit next to your mother. But then there is a whole other set of movies that sneak the awkward up on you. You think you’re going in to watch a buddy-comedy, only to find a five minute sex scene that makes you wish you were invisible – while your parent gives you awkward side glances
To help you avoid those crushingly awkward moments in the future, here’s a list of 10 Movies Not to Watch With Your Parents. Warning: some of these are also NSFW. We kept our selection for this limited to relatively recent movies that on the surface seemed, if not completely innocent, then not as poor a selection for family movie night as they turned out to be
American Pie (1999) – 10
Most of us now know that American Pie is an inappropriate choice for the weekly family night, but when it came out, many thought it was just another run-of-the-mill teen comedy. Premiering during the golden-age of young adult comedies, the film was critically well received and earned big money at the box office, leaving unsuspecting viewers surprised when they discovered the movie’s premise. It follows four high school seniors as they attempt to lose their virginity before graduation.
Matrix Reloaded (2003) – 9
The second installment in The Matrix Trilogy, Matrix Reloaded takes place six months after the events of the first film, with Zion and its inhabitants under threat. With The Matrix already established as one of the greatest sci-fi films of movie history by the time the sequel came out, Reloaded was a huge success at the box office, even if many fans found it to be a disappointing follow-up.
Borat (2006) – 8
Borat is a mockumentary following Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) as he leaves his fictitious home of Kazakh to travel through the United States and interview Americans. In fact, much of the movie is unscripted interviews with Americans who actually believe Cohen is Borat. A critical success, the film was praised for its satire and humor, even earning Cohen a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination.
Black Swan (2010) – 7
When you think ballet movies, you probably don’t expect an awkward viewing experience, but that’s only because you haven’t seen Black Swan. What seems like a girly-ballet movie at first glance, is actually a psychological thriller/horror film about a ballerina slowly losing her grip on reality as she competes for a spot in Swan Lake. Beloved critically, the film received five Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Actress for Natalie Portman, which she won.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011) – 6
Based on Stieg Larsson’s best-selling novel of the same name, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is about a journalist (Daniel Craig), aided by a computer hacker (Rooney Mara), who begins investigating the disappearance of a wealthy woman that took place forty years ago. Not only was the book beloved, the film itself also received positive reviews, praising the source material and both actor’s performances.
Team America (2004) – 5
Team America is a satirical comedy about United States politics with marionettes instead of actors, which sounds hilarious and probably pretty safe to watch – thanks to the puppets. With positive reviews and political controversy surrounding the film (due to its parodying of Kim Jong-il), it’s easy to mistake Team America as funny film that everyone should see. But this puppet comedy was written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady – also known as three writers for South Park.
Watchmen (2009) – 4
Usually, seeing a superhero movie with the parents is a safe call, but usually superhero movies aren’t subversive twists on the genre that also happen to be Rated R. With plenty of violence and gore to earn the rating, the amount of nudity in the film will surprise many viewers – especially thanks to Doctor Manhattan’s disinterest in clothes (read: blue CGI penis shots). As a result, a slow-motion sex scene between two heroes will last an eternity… when sitting next to parents.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) – 3
A romantic-comedy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall follows Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) as he attempts to get over his ex-girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) by traveling to Hawaii only to run into Sarah and her new boyfriend (Russell Brand) at the hotel. Well received by critics, nothing about the film suggests how awkward watching it with parents can be – until you find out Judd Apatow produced it.
Fifty Shades of Grey – 2
When college senior Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) steps in for her sick roommate to interview prominent businessman Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) for their campus paper, little does she realize the path her life will take. Christian, as enigmatic as he is rich and powerful, finds himself strangely drawn to Ana, and she to him. Though sexually inexperienced, Ana plunges headlong into an affair — and learns that Christian’s true sexual proclivities push the boundaries of pain and pleasure.
365 Days– 1
The sexy and deeply romantic internationally bestselling novel that inspired the blockbuster movie. Massimo is a member of the Sicilian Mafia family and Laura is a sales director. She does not expect that on a trip to Sicily trying to save her relationship, Massimo will kidnap her and give her 365 days to fall in love with him.
