Why Oppenheimer Is Rated R (2024)

Those who have yet to see Christopher Nolan's Oscar-nominated biopic may wonder why is Oppenheimer rated R, as on the surface the story of the creation of the atomic bomb doesn't seem like a story that should contain many adult moments. The movie stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man responsible for creating the atomic bomb and changing the course of World War II. From the very beginning of Oppenheimer's marketing, the darker tone and heavy subject were evident, although there are several key scenes and themes that earned it an R rating.

For most of Christopher Nolan's career, he has found great success in making PG-13 blockbusters that can entertain a large percentage of moviegoers. He has become a huge proponent of the theatrical experience over this time, but this did not stop the director from doing what he thought was best to tell J. Robert Oppenheimer's story. This meant a three-hour runtime and Oppenheimer's R-rating being the cut that Christopher Nolan released, and the movie doesn't shy away from including mature content — especially when it comes to sexual scenes.

Oppenheimer's R-Rating Explained: Sexuality, Nudity, & Language

Christopher Nolan's Biopic Includes Several Raunchy Moments & Plenty Of Swearing

It was officially confirmed in June 2023, roughly a month before its release, that Oppenheimer was rated R. The official announcement from Universal came before the Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA) detailed the reasons why the movie received a rating that means only those over 17 years old should see it. The MPAA later revealed Oppenheimer's R-rating was due to "sexuality, nudity, and language." The content of the movie made Oppenheimer Christopher Nolan's fourth-ever R-rated movie.

The crux of the R-rating appears to come from Oppenheimer including sex scenes. Star Cillian Murphy confirmed this detail in an interview pre-release, as he mentioned there is "prolonged full nudity."The scene in question is part of a sex scene featuring J. Robert Oppenheimer and his first love Jean Tatlock, furthering the age gap debate about Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh participating in Oppenheimer's sex scene. There is also language used throughout the movie, as well as smoking.

Oppenheimer Is Christopher Nolan's Most Adult Movie Yet

The Director Ventured Into New Territory With Oppenheimer's Mature Content

The reason why Oppenheimer is rated R makes it Christopher Nolan's most adult movie to date. The last R-rated movie he made came over 20 years ago with 2002's Insomnia. The thriller included brief nudity, some language, and some violence. Insomnia's nudity came through an autopsy of a female victim, so Oppenheimer's sex scene means that its nudity will be far more graphic.

In addition to the nudity and sexuality, the movie is so dark that some have described Oppenheimer as a "horror movie," making it clear that Oppenheimer's R-rating is fitting. While the subject matters of Christopher Nolan's R-rated movies are very different, the horrific aspects of Oppenheimer are understandable. The Following, Memento, and Insomnia all deal with heavier stories. Nolan's 2023 movie focuses on a man responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

Even if Oppenheimer does not show any of the disaster and devastation J. Robert Oppenheimer caused, the weight of the story itself is much larger and darker than Christopher Nolan's movies typically deal with.

Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer is a film by Christopher Nolan, which follows the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man behind the atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy will play the titular role, with the story based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.

Director

Christopher Nolan

Release Date

July 21, 2023

Studio(s)

Syncopy Inc. , Atlas Entertainment

Writers

Christopher Nolan

Cast

Cillian Murphy , Emily Blunt , Matt Damon , Robert Downey Jr. , Rami Malek , Florence Pugh