So how did ratings become so influential? Let’s explore a bit of film history to understand how we got to this point.

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The Hays Code and the Dawn of Film Regulation

     The Hays Code 

The beginning of Hollywood was a wild-west of sorts. Producers and studios were pumping out movies left and right, and it was quickly becoming the most popular form of entertainment the country had to offer. Given the more conservative leanings of the time period, any promiscuity or “immoral” behavior became a point of contention for many high-minded and upstanding citizens. They believed that such behavior would lower the standards of their good, God-fearing society. The well-known audacious (and straight-up sinful) behavior of Hollywood’s many big stars further drove the demand for some sort of regulation.

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Knowing government intervention would greatly impede artistic freedom, the industry’s biggest producers united under former Postmaster General Will Hays to compose a list of “Don’ts and Be Carefuls” for films to follow going forward. Furthermore, studios were asked to share the plot of their films with Hays before the start of production to ensure said picture wouldn’t “lower the moral standards of those who see it.” Any films that portrayed interracial marriages, nudity, offensive language, drug use and/or criminal activity - among other restrictions that seem laughable in this day and age - would be denied approval.

The Hays code, as it became known, was technically a “voluntary” censorship program, but any film that wasn’t approved would not get theater distribution (and thus no money). And this extended to a movie’s promotional material as well: 1943’s The Outlaw was banned from theaters because the advertising focused a little too much on star Jane Russell’s cleavage.

A Changing Tide

     Paramount Pictures

With the introduction of television in the 1940s and 50s, the film industry started to face some real competition. In order to get people to the theaters, filmmakers had to show audiences something they couldn’t find on TV (which, even in its infancy, had a strict moral code it had to uphold). Furthermore, Hollywood studios were hit with a major curveball when the Supreme Court found vertical integration to be unconstitutional, as it violated antitrust laws. Prior to this ruling, studios were allowed to not only own theaters, but pick and choose what said theaters showed, severely limiting competition. With theaters no longer strong-armed by the studios, exhibitors now had a choice of what they showed. This led to more foreign films, which didn’t have to abide by the Hays Code and were thus more risqué (which equated to more ticket sales). The Post War years also saw a general “liberalization” of American culture. Previously untouchable subjects - like prostitution and interracial relationships - were no longer taboo (well, at least not as taboo). And the 1952 court case Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson ruled that movies were protected under the First Amendment, meaning this self-imposed censorship system - which was started as a way to protect studios and their films from government interference - was no longer necessary.

While the Hays Code and its outdated restrictions were gradually phased out in the 1960s, the MPAA was still in place to rate movies based on their content. But these restrictions weren’t so hard and fast, and films like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe and Psycho continued to push and expand the boundaries of “good taste.”

Eventually, an early form of the rating system that we know today - G, PG, R, and X - was instituted as a way of informing parents and discerning viewers of a film’s content. The PG-13 rating was put in place during the 1980s after the release of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins; both films were considered too violent for their PG rating, but not enough to warrant an R, so a compromise was made and the PG-13 rating was born.

Less About Morals and More About Money

     Netflix

In today’s film landscape, maintaining societal norms is no longer the purpose of the ratings board. But ratings still have a massive impact on a film’s marketability and earning power.

Andrew Dominik’s Blonde populated every trade headline for weeks after its controversial debut at Venice Film Festival. Just a few weeks before its premiere, the Netflix original production was handed an exceedingly rare NC-17 rating, making Blonde the most high profile and expensive movie with the distinctive rating since Deep Throat.

Because Blonde streamed exclusively on Netflix (with the exception of a few specialty theaters), the film’s rating didn’t negatively impact its success. If anything, it earned the movie more publicity than any expensive marketing campaign could. But for other movies that rely on a traditional theatrical distribution model, an NC-17 rating could be a kiss of death.

That’s because most theater chains refuse to show NC-17-rated movies. And it’s not because these films are morally abhorrent or anything like that; they just have an extremely limited audience. While anyone can see an R-rated movie as long as they’re accompanied by an age-appropriate adult, an NC-17 rating explicitly states that no one under the age of 17 can see the movie.

When Branden Cronenberg’s upcoming horror film Infinity Pool was handed the infamous rating, distributor NEON decided to edit the film to secure a more-accessible (but slightly watered down) R-rating. The same happened to his previous film, Possessor; an edited version was released into theaters, but the “uncut” version premiered on Hulu.

This distinction between ratings and money-making potential is even more pronounced in the world of superhero movies. With an audience composed mainly of kids, teenagers, and discerning parents, the line between PG-13 and R is very thin, and a more explicit rating could alienate it from a huge swathe of its audience and cost the studio hundreds of million dollars in potential profit.

Recent films like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Batman have pushed the family-friendly rating to its limits. And other films, such as Logan and Deadpool, are arguably more successful because they are not bound by the restrictions of a PG-13 rating. But for the most part, when studios are spending tens - and sometimes hundreds - of millions of dollars, it’s important to reach as wide an audience as possible to make a worthwhile profit.

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Unrated Movies in the Age of Streaming:

When all is said and done, studios really don’t have to submit their films for rating. It’s totally voluntary, but it will impact a film’s earning potential. Much like the NC-17 rating, theaters get nervous around unrated films for the same reasons. And while some indie films aren’t really affected by the moniker - like Terrifier 2 and Skinamarink - these are far from the norm. If you want your movie to play more than two shows a night, they still need to be rated.

The Future of the MPA:

The rating system has evolved since its introduction in the 1920s to meet the changing trends and standards of American society. While some of its standards may seem outdated (like their harsh stance on vulgarity, but leniency on violence), the MPA is not going anywhere. It will continue to change and evolve to meet the societal demands. And though its impact on filmmaking is less invasive than the days of the Hays Code, it will continue to shape movies and influence studios for many years to come.