Why is Blonde starring Ana de Armas rated NC-17?

Netflix recently released the first teaser for its upcoming Marilyn Monroe movie Blonde starring Ana de Armas. Releasing this September, Blonde has courted controversy since its inception due to rumors of it receiving the fabled “NC-17” rating.

The movie marks the first official Netflix Original film with an NC-17 rating, although the platform has hosted movies with that rating before. Blonde writer and director Andrew Dominik has not been shy regarding his feelings on the film and its content.

There was some back and forth between Dominik and Netflix in the early days regarding the movie’s content, but ultimately Dominik did not want to cut anything and Netflix relented.

When chatting with Screen Daily earlier this year, Dominik said, ”It’s an NC-17 movie about Marilyn Monroe, it’s kind of what you want, right? I want to go and see the NC-17 version of the Marilyn Monroe story.”

One of the most pervasive rumors regarding the film’s rating is that there is a scene where Marilyn Monroe (played by Ana de Armas) receives oral sex while menstruating. Dominik debunked this rumor, calling it “hilarious.” But what is the real reason for the film’s maturity rating?

Why is Blonde starring Ana de Armas rated NC-17?

The teaser is vague about the reasoning behind the age rating. All it says is “some sexual content.” Considering NC-17 is a very uncommon rating, we know there has to be more to it than that.

There is a rape scene in the movie. Blonde is based on the novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates and chronicles Marilyn Monroe’s inner life. The novel is meant as a fiction and not a biography. Like the film, a rape scene is present. It’s a complex book that deals with very heavy subject matter, including abuse, drug use, abortion, graphic sex, addiction and more.

Besides the assault, I think we can safely assume the film will feature explicit sex scenes and nudity, all of which would push the film toward the NC-17 rating. As the film gets closer to its release date, we will likely find out more details.

Blonde will be released September 23, 2022 on Netflix.