Best – Return of the R-Rated Comedies

Much like how horror films shifted away from R-ratings to the seemingly more profitable PG-13 rating, comedies found themselves in the same position up until the mid-2000s. Then came Judd Apatow's The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Though modest by today's standards, it was a massive hit for its time and brought renewed interest in R-rated comedies, leading to films like Knocked Up and Superbad a year later. What really took things up a notch even further was Todd Phillips' smash hit The Hangover. Breaking box office records and starting an unexpected franchise, while establishing Bradley Cooper as a charismatic lead, The Hangover (pictured) was a legitimate game changer for Hollywood. Because of the precedent set by these films, Hollywood's reluctance towards the R-rating would diminish, leading to further smash hits and critical darlings like Phil Lord and Chris Miller's Jump Street films, as well as Olivia Wilde's Booksmart.