Why is Friends with Benefits rated R?

It doesn’t feel like it’s been nearly 10 years since Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake starred in the romantic comedy Friends with Benefits, but it has been, Netflix Lifers, it has been.

A decade ago come July 22, Kunis and Timberlake took up the roles of Jamie and Dylan, two friends who decide to take their platonic relationship to sexual levels. The idea was that no-strings-attached sex would both satisfy their needs and keep them from having to deal with the messiness that can be romance.

As romantic comedies go, their clearly hole-ridden plan gets off to a great start until those pesky things called feelings start mucking up what’s supposed to be a mutually beneficial arrangement. It’s the kind of scenario that viewers know exactly what they’re going to get with, and watch for that very reason. Friends with Benefits was recently added to Netflix and is currently #4 on the Top 10 list.

However, just because Friends with Benefits is a romantic comedy doesn’t mean that its R rating is there for one too many slips of a four-letter word starting with “F.” The film certainly earns its for-adults-only rating.

Friends with Benefits age rating

You can pretty much guess why a movie called Friends with Benefits is rated R. Its name kind of gives it away, but we’re here to break it down for you, if you’re looking for more than it simply being rated R for sexual content and strong language.

Jamie and Dylan’s romps are nowhere near 50 Shades of Grey level but according to IMDb’s parental guide, these aren’t fade-to-black encounters either. The two are upfront about their desires, explaining what they do and don’t like in bed.

The film also doesn’t shy away from showing them in their underwear, whether they’re just hanging out or about to have sex. There are instances of brief nudity including some physical comedy and strategically placed objects to provide a semblance of cover.

Like we said, it’s all in the name, folks. Friends with Benefits is a romance movie heavy on the innuendo and sexual exploration with a side of numerous F-bombs, as two friends who promised not to fall for each other do so anyway. The film is streaming now on Netflix.