May 2026 is one of the most stacked months for adult-rated cinema in recent memory. From brutal martial arts brawlers and supernatural horrors to sharp Hollywood satire, gripping spy thrillers, and raw family dramas — R-rated films are dominating both the multiplex and every major streaming platform this month. Here is the complete list of every confirmed R-rated release for May 2026, arranged chronologically.
THEATRICAL RELEASES
May 1 — Deep Water
- Director: Renny Harlin
- Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Kelly Gale
- Rating: R (violent content/bloody images and language)
- Distributor: Magenta Light Studios
- Genre: Survival Thriller
The man behind Deep Blue Sea returns to shark-infested waters. Deep Water follows a group of international passengers whose Los Angeles-to-Shanghai flight crashes into open ocean surrounded by sharks. Stranded with help nowhere in sight, survivors must cooperate as the predators close in. Renny Harlin’s signature kinetic tension and practical horror are built for the big screen.
May 1 — Casa Grande
- Director: Juan Pablo Arias Munoz
- Stars: Lou Diamond Phillips, Bruce Davison
- Rating: R (language, violence, and some sexual content)
- Distributor: ESX Entertainment / Seismic Releasing
- Genre: Family Drama
A prodigal daughter returns to her family’s struggling farm just as her father receives a terminal diagnosis and rival competitors circle the property. Raw and emotionally uncompromising, this 113-minute drama tackles illness, forgiveness, and the fractures that wealth and pride carve into families. Lou Diamond Phillips leads a career-driven performance opposite Bruce Davison as the ailing patriarch. An early awards contender.
May 1 — Hokum
- Director: Grant Schumacher
- Stars: Adam Scott, Catharine Daddario, Anna Shields
- Rating: R (violent/disturbing content and language)
- Genre: Supernatural Horror
One of the month’s most critically celebrated films, arriving with a remarkable 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Hokum centres on two lifelong friends — Olivia and Aurora — who have weathered everything together. But when men begin mysteriously disappearing around their remote farmhouse, Olivia’s terrifying secret is inches from being exposed. Atmospheric, unsettling, and quietly devastating — this is slow-burn supernatural horror at its finest.
May 1 — One Spoon of Chocolate (Limited)
- Director: RZA
- Stars: Shameik Moore, Paris Jackson, RJ Cyler, Blair Underwood
- Rating: R
- Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes
- Genre: Grindhouse Action Thriller
Wu-Tang Clan legend RZA delivers a grindhouse-style revenge thriller with serious bite. Shameik Moore — the voice of Miles Morales in the Spider-Verse films — stars as Unique, a military veteran and ex-convict seeking a fresh start in a small Ohio town. After clashing with a gang connected to the disappearance of young Black men in the area — including his own cousin — and targeted by a corrupt local sheriff’s office, Unique stops waiting and starts fighting back. Sharply satirical, stylishly violent, and full of righteous fury.
May 8 — Mortal Kombat II
- Director: Simon McQuoid
- Stars: Karl Urban, Hiroyuki Sanada, Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Mehcad Brooks, Tadanobu Asano
- Rating: R (extreme violence, blood, and fatalities)
- Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures / New Line Cinema
- Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes
- Genre: Action / Fantasy
The biggest R-rated theatrical event of May. Karl Urban arrives as Johnny Cage — a fading Hollywood actor dragged into the deadliest tournament in history. Earthrealm’s champions, facing the full power of Shao Kahn, must compete and survive. McQuoid deliberately leaned into the “outrageous” nature of the franchise, with improved VFX, brutal fatalities, and sequences shot natively for IMAX. Part two of a planned trilogy — this is the Mortal Kombat film fans have long demanded.
May 8 — Couples Weekend (Limited + VOD)
- Director: Nora Kirkpatrick
- Stars: Alexandra Daddario, Daveed Diggs, Josh Gad, Ashley Park
- Rating: R
- Runtime: 96 minutes
- Distributor: Vertical
- Genre: Relationship Comedy-Drama
Originally titled A Tree Fell in the Woods at its 2025 Tribeca premiere, Couples Weekend follows two couples who retreat to a remote snowy cabin for New Year’s Eve — meant to strengthen their bonds. What starts cosy quickly unravels into something far messier and more revealing. Written and directed by Nora Kirkpatrick in her feature debut, the film packs sharp dialogue, overlapping emotional explosions, and genuine comedic energy. Alexandra Daddario showcases impressive comedic range. Available in limited theatres and on digital VOD simultaneously from May 8.
May 8 — Takeover
- Director: Greg Jonkajtys
- Stars: Quavo, Billy Zane, Serayah
- Rating: R
- Distributor: 13 Films
- Genre: Action Thriller
Takeover follows Guy Miller (Quavo), a parolee trying to rebuild his life who is pulled back into Atlanta’s dangerous streets and coerced by international thief Gamal Akopyan into executing a high-stakes diamond heist. Shot in Atlanta and screened at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, this street-level crime thriller combines gritty action with high-stakes consequence.
May 15 — Is God Is (Limited)
- Director: Aleshea Harris
- Stars: Kara Young, Mallori Johnson, Sterling K. Brown, Vivica A. Fox
- Rating: R
- Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes
- Producers: Tessa Thompson, Janicza Bravo
- Genre: Drama / Revenge Thriller
Playwright Aleshea Harris adapts her own acclaimed award-winning stage play in her feature directorial debut. Two sisters embark on a furious, mythic quest for revenge — confronting a violent and charged family history that pushes them to extraordinary lengths. With Tessa Thompson producing and Sterling K. Brown playing a character billed only as “The Monster,” this is one of May’s most artistically ambitious R-rated films and a strong early awards contender.
May 15 — Obsession
- Director: Curry Barker
- Stars: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter
- Rating: R (strong bloody violence, grisly images, sexual content, pervasive language, and brief graphic nudity)
- Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes
- Distributor: Focus Features / Universal Pictures International
- Genre: Supernatural Horror Comedy
Obsession is the feature debut of writer-director Curry Barker, who was inspired to write the film while watching a Simpsons episode where Bart gets a monkey paw and causes chaos. The result is one of May’s most talked-about horror films. Bear, a lovestruck music store employee, breaks a supernatural object called the “One Wish Willow” to make his childhood crush Nikki fall in love with him. The wish is granted — but the enchantment that follows is far darker and more sinister than he ever bargained for.
May 22 — I Love Boosters
- Director: Boots Riley
- Stars: Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Demi Moore
- Rating: R
- Runtime: 1 hour 53 minutes
- Budget: $20 million
- Genre: Action Comedy / Sci-Fi
Sorry to Bother You director Boots Riley returns with a crew of skilled shoplifters — led by Keke Palmer as the fearless Corvette — setting their sights on a ruthless fashion mogul. After a triumphant SXSW premiere, the film already carries an outstanding Tomatometer score. Demi Moore is reportedly electrifying as the villain. Riley’s signature blend of social satire, genre chaos, and genuine heart makes this one of the most distinctive films on May’s entire calendar.
May 22 — Tuner (Limited, Expands May 27+)
- Director: Daniel Roher
- Stars: Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu
- Rating: R
- Runtime: 1 hour 47 minutes
- Distributor: Black Bear
- Genre: Crime Drama / Music
Oscar-winning documentary director Daniel Roher (Navalny) makes his narrative feature debut. Leo Woodall stars as a gifted young New York piano tuner whose extraordinary hearing attracts criminals who see his abilities as perfect for cracking safes. Critics are calling Woodall’s performance star-making, with comparisons to late-90s character-driven classics like Good Will Hunting already circulating. Dustin Hoffman plays his wise, weathered mentor. Opens limited May 22, expanding widely later that week.
May 29 — Backrooms
- Director: Kane Parsons
- Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett
- Rating: R
- Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Distributor: A24
- Genre: Sci-Fi Horror
One of 2026’s most anticipated genre events. Directed by Kane Parsons — the YouTube creator who originated the viral Backrooms horror series — this A24 feature follows a therapist who ventures into a seemingly infinite liminal dimension to find her missing patient. Produced by Shawn Levy, James Wan, and Osgood Perkins, Backrooms marks Parsons as one of the youngest filmmakers to helm an A24 feature. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a furniture store owner whose basement holds the doorway. May’s most unsettling theatrical experience.
May 29 — The Furious
- Director: Kenji Tanigaki
- Stars: Xie Miao (Mo Tse), Joe Taslim, Yang Enyou, Yayan Ruhian, Jeeja Yanin, Brian Le
- Rating: R
- Runtime: 1 hour 54 minutes
- Distributor: Lionsgate
- Genre: Martial Arts Action Thriller
After premiering to a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, The Furious is the month’s most ferocious action film. Ordinary tradesman Wang Wei (Xie Miao) is thrust into a violent criminal underworld after his daughter is kidnapped. With no help from a corrupt police force, he teams up with relentless journalist Navin (Joe Taslim of The Raid) and wages all-out war. Critics have declared its fight choreography among the finest in years, drawing direct comparisons to The Raid films. Distributed wide by Lionsgate in the US.
STREAMING RELEASES
May 20 — Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War
- Platform: Amazon Prime Video (240+ countries)
- Director: Andrew Bernstein
- Stars: John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly, Sienna Miller, Betty Gabriel
- Rating: R
- Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Genre: Spy Thriller
After four seasons of the Jack Ryan TV series ended in 2023, John Krasinski returns not for a fifth season — but for a full R-rated feature film. An international covert mission unravels a deadly conspiracy involving a rogue black-ops unit called Starling. Rejoining Mike November (Michael Kelly) and James Greer (Wendell Pierce), and backed by MI6 officer Emma Marlowe (Sienna Miller), Jack faces an adversary who anticipates his every move. The R rating is a notable step up in intensity from the TV series. Co-written by Krasinski himself. Available globally on Prime Video from May 20.
May 22 — Ladies First
- Platform: Netflix
- Director: Thea Sharrock
- Stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Emily Mortimer
- Rating: R (sexual content, language, mature themes)
- Genre: Satirical Romantic Comedy
Based on the French film Je Ne Suis Pas Un Homme Facile, Netflix delivers a sharp gender-reversal comedy about a chauvinistic man who wakes up in a world where women hold all the power — and discovers exactly how it feels from the other side. Sacha Baron Cohen stars opposite a formidable Rosamund Pike. Director Thea Sharrock balances satirical bite with genuine heart. Stream on Netflix from May 22.
May 26 — My Best Friend’s Dead
- Platform: VOD / Digital On Demand
- Director: Bruce Wemple
- Stars: Caitlin Duffy, Anna Shields, Catharine Daddario, Dylan Grunn
- Rating: R (violent content and language)
- Distributor: Lionsgate
- Runtime: 81 minutes
- Genre: Supernatural Horror
In a remote New England town, a young woman grieving the murder of her best friend performs a forbidden ritual to bring her back — and instead unleashes a demon that follows her into the real world, turning the quiet community into a hellscape. From director Bruce Wemple and Lionsgate, My Best Friend’s Dead blends real emotional weight with explosive supernatural horror. Available across all major VOD and digital platforms from May 26.
R-Rated Movies Coming Out in MAY 2026
| # | Title | Release Date | Platform | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deep Water | May 1 | Theaters | Survival Horror |
| 2 | Casa Grande | May 1 | Theaters | Family Drama |
| 3 | Hokum | May 1 | Theaters | Supernatural Horror |
| 4 | One Spoon of Chocolate | May 1 | Limited Theaters | Grindhouse Action |
| 5 | Mortal Kombat II | May 8 | Theaters + IMAX (WB) | Action / Fantasy |
| 6 | Couples Weekend | May 8 | Limited Theaters + VOD | Comedy-Drama |
| 7 | Takeover | May 8 | Theaters | Action Thriller |
| 8 | Is God Is | May 15 | Limited Theaters | Revenge Drama |
| 9 | Jack Ryan: Ghost War | May 20 | Amazon Prime Video | Spy Thriller |
| 10 | I Love Boosters | May 22 | Theaters (Wide) | Action Comedy |
| 11 | Tuner | May 22 | Limited Theaters | Crime Drama |
| 12 | Ladies First | May 22 | Netflix | Satirical Comedy |
| 13 | My Best Friend’s Dead | May 26 | VOD / Digital (Lionsgate) | Supernatural Horror |
| 14 | Backrooms | May 29 | Theaters (A24) | Sci-Fi Horror |
| 15 | The Furious | May 29 | Theaters (Lionsgate) | Martial Arts Action |
Final Word
Sixteen confirmed R-rated films across theaters and streaming in a single month — May 2026 is exceptional by any measure. Whether your appetite runs toward IMAX tournament carnage (Mortal Kombat II), a perfectly unsettling A24 horror event (Backrooms), the spy return of the decade (Jack Ryan: Ghost War on Prime Video), or Boots Riley doing what only Boots Riley can (I Love Boosters) — there is genuinely no shortage of mature, adult-oriented cinema this month. Check your local listings, update your watchlists, and leave the kids at home.