NC-17 is typically regarded as the kiss of death when it comes to movies. The rating dramatically limits the number of people in a film's potential audience. Whenever a studio gets wind that one of their movies might be heading for an NC-17 rating, they immediately start trying to edit the film back to an R to help its box office take. It's just a smart business decision.
However, is an NC-17 rating all that bad in the digital media world? I guess we'll find out when Blonde finally drops on Netflix, as the movie boasts the infamous rating. If you're wondering why Blonde earned an NC-17, join the club because the film's star, Ana De Armas, is equally confused.
In a recent interview, De Armas spoke about her new Marilyn Monroe movie being tame compared to other films—with incredibly graphic scenes of sexuality—that didn't garner an NC-17 rating.
"I didn't understand why that happened," de Armas said of the movie being rated NC-17. "I can tell you a number of shows or movies that are way more explicit with a lot more sexual content than 'Blonde.' But to tell this story it is important to show all these moments in Marilyn's life that made her end up the way that she did. It needed to be explained. Everyone [in the cast] knew we had to go to uncomfortable places. I wasn't the only one."
