15 R-Rated Comic Book Movies of All Time: Unleashing the Dark Side of Superheroes

1. Spawn 1997，IMDB Rating: 5.2, IMDB Votes: 72871, ID: 0120177
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Spawn is about the protagonist, Al Simmons, who, after being betrayed and killed, is resurrected as Spawn, the demonic avenger. After his resurrection, Al becomes a servant of hell, not only losing his humanity, but also being forced to make decisions about the people he once loved so much. The villainous Joker intensifies the dark atmosphere with his eerie performance.
2. Constantine 2005，IMDB Rating: 7.0, IMDB Votes: 378540, ID: 0360486
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Constantine is about the protagonist, John Constantine, who fights against the demons of hell to redeem himself for his past sins. The story of Constantine as a superhero, but the film deeply reveals a darker side to him. As a traumatised and self-consciously depraved hero, Constantine not only constantly battles external demons, but also fights the guilt of his past within himself.
3. Blade II 2002，IMDB Rating: 6.7, IMDB Votes: 236840, ID: 0187738
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The film continues with the story of the half-human, half-vampire hero, Brad, who re-emerges to join forces with his enemies to face a new race of super-vampires. As a half-vampire, half-human hero, Brad’s life is filled with loneliness and pain, and he is always struggling with his vampire blood.
4. Deadpool 2 2018，IMDB Rating: 7.6, IMDB Votes: 666887, ID: 5463162
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A continuation of the humour and out-of-the-box style of its predecessor. The film tells the story of Deadpool, who has hit a low point after losing the love of his life. Deadpool’s propensity for violence, his indifference to society, and his warped understanding of justice, while he continues to act heroically, these actions are often a reaction to his own internal wounds that he can’t erase.
5. The Suicide Squad 2021，IMDB Rating: 7.2, IMDB Votes: 416106, ID: 6334354
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The Suicide Squad is about a group of super villains who are tasked by a secret government organisation. To avoid imprisonment or the death penalty, they are forced to participate in dangerous missions. Although these characters are ‘bad guys’, their stories are filled with complex emotions and trauma.
6. Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn 2020，IMDB Rating: 6.1, IMDB Votes: 267341, ID: 7713068
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Birds of Prey is about Harley Quinn’s life experiences after her breakup with the Joker. After losing the Joker, Harley finds herself an isolated target in Gotham City. Although Harley Quinn appears to be a confident, independent woman, her violent tendencies and obsession with the Joker reflect the shadow of the toxic relationship she has lived in for so long.
7. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For 2014，IMDB Rating: 6.5, IMDB Votes: 171427, ID: 0458481
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The continuation of the first film tells several intertwined and dark stories focusing on the corrupt and violent world of Basin City. While the characters aren’t superheroes in the traditional sense, the protagonists and villains in each story have some sort of hero-like qualities – whether it’s Malfoy’s revenge or John’s struggle for justice. However, the darker side of these characters is equally unmissable.
8. Blade: Trinity 2004，IMDB Rating: 5.8, IMDB Votes: 190000, ID: 0359013
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It continues the half-human, half-vampire hero Blade’s war with the vampires. This time, not only does Blade have to face the threat of vampires, but he also has to face off against a new super vampire, Drake. While Blades has always been the anti-hero figure, his darker side is especially apparent in this film. As a character with both superhuman strength and vampiric instincts, Blades is full of inner conflict.
9. The Mask 1994，IMDB Rating: 6.9, IMDB Votes: 426953, ID: 0110475
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The Mask is about an ordinary bank clerk, Stanley Ipkiss, who transforms into a superhuman superhero, The Masked Man, after accidentally obtaining a mysterious mask. Under the influence of the mask, he not only displays unstoppable strength and unlimited freedom, but also gradually falls into a desire for power and control. This change makes him an ‘anti-hero’ who is not bound by rules.
10. Road to Perdition 2002，IMDB Rating: 7.7, IMDB Votes: 286552, ID: 0257044
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Road to Perdition is about Michael Salki, a ruthless mob enforcer, who is thrown into a spiral of destiny by a betrayal. As with the challenges faced by many superheroes, Michael’s dark side lies in his obsession with vengeance and the far-reaching consequences of that choice for himself and his family.
11. Oldeuboi 2003，IMDB Rating: 8.3, IMDB Votes: 644935, ID: 0364569
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Oldeuboi is about the protagonist Wu Daxiu, who has been imprisoned by a mysterious man for 15 years, and then suddenly gets free and starts to pursue his revenge. Oh Dae-su’s journey for revenge reads like an anti-hero story, filled with violence, pain, and inner conflict. He is not fighting to save the world, but for his own personal revenge.
12. American Splendor 2003，IMDB Rating: 7.4, IMDB Votes: 52720, ID: 0305206
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It is a biopic based on the real life of cartoonist Harvey Pekar. Through Harvey’s personal experience, the film shows how he transformed ordinary daily life into meaningful creations through the art of cartooning in the face of life’s trivialities and dilemmas. Through his reflections on daily life and comic creation, he reveals the complexity of human nature and the indifference of society.
13. A History of Violence 2005，IMDB Rating: 7.4, IMDB Votes: 254696, ID: 0399146
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A History of Violence is about Tom Stewart, a quiet American family man who runs a small restaurant and leads a seemingly ordinary life. However, a heroic act reveals his hidden violent past. Tom is burdened with a violent past that becomes part of his ‘heroic’ image, but also reveals his deepest conflicts and depravity.
14. Snowpiercer 2013，IMDB Rating: 7.1, IMDB Votes: 392865, ID: 1706620
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Snowpiercer is set in an extremely cold post-apocalyptic world where the last surviving humans travel on a never-ending train that is divided into different classes of compartments with strict social hierarchies. While Curtis initially comes across as a brave and righteous leader, when faced with life-and-death decisions and trials, Curtis makes unscrupulous decisions and finds himself unwittingly becoming the oppressor as well.
15. The Toxic Avenger 1984，IMDB Rating: 6.2, IMDB Votes: 32663, ID: 0090190
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The Toxic Avenger is about a timid, weak caretaker named Melvin, who falls into a pool of toxic waste from a drug factory, causing him to be transformed into a mutated superhero, the Toxic Avenger. After Melvin’s transformation into the Toxic Avenger, he begins to use his unruly powers for revenge. Although he aims to fight crime, his actions gradually become more and more violent and extreme.