Evanston’s only movie theater will start showing its first-ever film rated NC-17 on Friday.

Cinemark Century Theatre, 1715 Maple Ave., will begin screening “Blue is the Warmest Color,” a romantic drama that has been cheered by critics for its depictions of same-sex relationships. The French film’s long, graphic sex scenes helped earn it the most restrictive rating on the Motion Picture Association of America’s scale, which does not allow theaters to accept viewers under the age of 17.

Cinemark marketing manager Frank Gonzales said the landmark opening does not represent a “wholesale policy change” for the Plano, Texas-based chain, which still picks which films it runs in different markets using a wide variety of considerations.

“This is just more of a test than anything else to see if an audience is there for NC-17 films” in Evanston, Gonzales said.

He added that Cinemark likely picked “Blue is the Warmest Color” to test the waters in Evanston because it has proven popular in New York and Los Angeles, two other cities that often screen limited-release movies.

“Blue Is the Warmest Color” tells the coming-of-age story of a 15-year-old girl who falls in love with an older woman. In May, the movie won the Palme d’Or, the highest honor at the Cannes Film Festival.

— Patrick Svitek