Censors have been more lenient about the word in films that portray historical events. In some cases, filmmakers appealed the rating because their target audience might avoid an R-rated film. The R rating is normally required if the film contains more than one utterance or if the word is used in a sexual context however, there are exceptions to this rule. The MPAA rating system typically assigns a PG-13 rating if a film contains the word used once not in the context of sex.

In 1970, M*A*S*H became the first American major motion picture to use the word fuck. It was not until 1968 that the Motion Picture Association of America established a system of ratings to use as a guide to determine the appropriateness of the film's content. The 1927 Motion Picture Production Code, better known as the 'Hays Code', banned the use of profanity outright. The word fuck is thought to be the vulgar term used most in American film. The use of the word fuck in film draws particular criticism in 2005, the documentary Fuck dealt entirely with this phenomenon. The use of profanity in films has often been controversial, but has increased significantly in recent years.