In Red Sparrow, Jennifer Lawrence’s Dominika Egorova becomes a master of spycraft, and part of that involves seduction and manipulation.
You can get away with plenty of violence in a PG-13 film, but torture and especially sexual content and nudity are safe bets to earn an R rating.
Some films benefit from being creatively restricted by a PG-13 rating, while others need the room to flourish that an R rating provides.
The R rating was confirmed in the latest trailer for the film that aired during last night’s Super Bowl, and fits perfectly with the story this film is selling.