Eight Edgy Netflix Movies To Kickstart Your Weekend

From steamy thrillers to outrageous comedies, some of the best movies on Netflix are edgy and controversial. Whether you’re in the mood for an avant-garde picture, a political conspiracy, or a raunchy comedy, there are plenty of edgy Netflix movies to fulfill your entertainment needs.

Boogie Nights

A young man searches for success in Los Angeles by joining the adult entertainment industry.

Sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll fill this dark comedy that submerges viewers in the world of adult movies and the controversial lifestyles that accompanied the industry during the late-70s and early-80s. Nominated for three Oscars (Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay), this was considered one of the best movies of 1997 and it’s one of the most popular titles on Netflix.

Boogie Nights put Mark Wahlberg on the map, and he co-starred alongside an ensemble cast: Burt Reynolds, John C. Reilly, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham, Don Cheadle, William H. Macy, and the great Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Blazing Saddles

A corrupt politician hopes to destroy a western town by appointing a black sheriff.

With his use of racial humor, crude comedy, and witty one-liners, Mel Brooks has often been considered ahead of his time and controversial with his movies. Co-written by Richard Pryor and starring Gene Wilder, Cleavon Little, Harvey Korman, and Madeline Kahn, this satire will likely have Netflix subscribers laughing out loud while shaking their heads.

Black Snake Moan

Samuel L. Jackson’s movies are often described as gritty, and this film co-starring Christina Ricci is just that. IMDb provides the synopsis for one of the most uninhibited Netflix movies.

“Lazarus, a former blues musician who survives by truck farming, finds a young girl nearly beaten to death near his home. She’s the white-trash town tramp, molded by a life of sexual abuse at the hands of her father and verbal abuse from her mother…[Lazarus] nurses Rae back to health, providing her with gentle, fatherly advice as well as an education in blues music. Rae’s boyfriend, Ronnie, goaded by the man who nearly beat Rae to death, misunderstands the relationship between Lazarus and Rae, and vows to kill him.”

The Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films

Throughout the ’80s, Cannon Films released over 100 exploitation movies; this is the outrageous story behind the controversial movie studio. Aside from a couple of titles like Runaway Train and Lifeforce, most of the films released under Cannon were widely panned. This delightful and raunchy documentary on Netflix gives an inside look into dozens of nostalgic movies, including Masters of the Universe, Invasion U.S.A., Ninja III: The Domination, Over the Top, and Bloodsport.

Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon

If you’re looking for other crude and funny documentary-movies after watching Electric Boogaloo, then look no further than this gem. From their pioneer publication to their groundbreaking movies, it’s nearly impossible to bring up avant-garde comedy without mentioning National Lampoon. With titles like Animal House and Vacation — and troupe members like John Belushi, Bill Murray, and Chevy Chase — the company is credited for carving out a new genre of outrageous comedy. Without their influence, movies like Superbad and Zack and Miri Make a Porno (both currently on Netflix) might not have been made. This compelling story features commentary from Judd Apatow, John Goodman, Kevin Bacon, Beverly D’Angelo, and Chevy Chase (among many others).

Basic Instinct

A police detective gets entangled with a seductress accused of murder.

If you’re looking for steamy movies on Netflix, then check out this ’90s classic. When Basic Instinct hit theaters in 1992, it became one of the most controversial movies of its time and polarized the audience. Sharon Stone’s famed nude scene and the film’s extra-lengthy sexual scenes made people want to either turn their head or gaze closer. Netflix audiences may not find this groundbreaking by today’s standards, but the high-suspense, compelling storyline and steamy sequences still stand the test of time.

V for Vendetta

In a dystopian future, London is ruled by tyranny from a conservative government; a mysterious freedom fighter plots to overthrow the tyrannical establishment with the assistance of a young woman.

Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving star in this story made in the same vein as 1984. Although this film was released over a decade ago, because of the current political climate, many critics have been revisiting and reviewing V for Vendetta in 2017. Stream On Demand describes why this is one of the best movies on Netflix for political intrigue.

“It’s not subtle and that’s to its credit. It makes an impact with a blunt force attack on the way freedoms are taken and how people allow it to happen…Moore wrote the novel as a commentary on Thatcher’s England and the film retains the London setting, but it only takes a few key phrases to echo the post-9/11 era and the rhetoric of the current American administration. The issues are all the more relevant… and even more ambiguous.”

Pulp Fiction

This movie has it all: a multi-level crime story that twists time, a mysterious briefcase that glows, a gimp, Christopher Walken, and an educational lesson regarding McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

One could easily argue that perhaps no filmmaker was more forward-thinking in the early ’90s than Quentin Tarantino. As a director, this was Tarantino’s second feature-length film, and it received seven Oscar nominations (winning one for Best Original Screenplay). Pulp Fiction changed the way movies were made and stories were told. It reignited the profession of John Travolta, and it took Samuel L. Jackson’s career to a whole new level.

With its gritty violence, witty (and oddly addicting) dialogue, innovative storytelling, and masterful performances, Pulp Fiction is regarded as one of the best movies from the ’90s and is one of the edgiest features on Netflix.

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From Boogie Nights to Pulp Fiction, some of the best Netflix movies are controversial and edgy.

[Featured Image by New Line Cinema]