Good gay movies to watch
I'm tired of seeing the same 10 films on every website's LGBTQ+ production roundup (hey, I still love Call Me by Your Name and Moonlight just as much as the next person, so don't come for me!), so, as a gender non-conforming person myself, I wanted to shine a clear on some underrated movies that simply don't acquire the attention or credit they deserve. Below are 40 that I genuinely think you'll love, and if you want even more suggestions, you can check out my running list on Letterboxd with nearly films. Enjoy!
1.Young Hearts () is a up-to-date coming-of-age story about two year-old boys who drop in love for the first time. This Belgian movie is awkward and sweet and painfully authentic. I can't rave enough about it, and the only downside is that it wasn't released 20 years ago when I was their age and needed it most.
2.National Anthem () is one of my favorite movies from the last few years, so I'm sort of hoping (well, demanding) that you watch it. It's a tender, refreshing observe at queerness and chosen family and what it means to actually fit. Too many people are sleeping on Charlie Plummer, 55 of the Best LGBTQ Films of All Time
'Bottoms' ()
If ever there was a Superbad for gender non-conforming girls, Bottoms is it. The second film from director Emma Seligman (Shiva Baby) follows two uncool high school seniors (Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott) who start up a school fight club to try and hook up with their cheerleader crushes (Kaia Gerber and Havana Rose Liu).
WATCH NOW
'Bound' ()
In the Wachowskis’ landmark erotic thriller predating the Matrix trilogy, butch ex-con Corky (Gina Gershon) is the newly-hired handyperson at an apartment building when she meets her next-door neighbors: mobster Caesar (Joe Pantoliano) and kept lady Violet (Jennifer Tilly). As Corky and Violet strike up an affair, they hatch a plan to flee Violet’s abusive relationship—and steal $2 million of Caesar’s mafia money along the way.
WATCH NOW
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'Circus of Books' ()
Southern Californians will likely recognize Circus of Books as the famed porn shop and messy bookstore that has presided over the gayborhood of West Hollywood since the e
The 50 Best LGBTQ Movies Ever Made
50Love, Simon ()
AmazonApple
If it feels a bit like a CW version of an after-school special, that's no mistake: Teen-tv super-producer Greg Berlanti makes his feature-film directorial debut here. It's as chaste a love story as you're likely to see in the 21st century—the hunky gardener who makes the title teen question his sexuality is wearing a long-sleeved shirt, for God’s sake—but you know what? The queer kids of the future need their wholesome entertainment, too.
49Rocketman ()
AmazonHulu
A gay fantasia on Elton themes. An Elton John biopic was never going to be understated, but this glittering jukebox musical goes way over the top and then keeps going. It might be an overcorrection from the straight-washing of the previous year's Bohemian Rhapsody, but when it's this much fun, it's best not to overthink it.
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48Handsome Devil ()
NetflixAmazon
A charming Irish film that answers the question: "What if John Hughes were Irish and gay?" Misfit Ned struggles at
The best LGBTQ+ movies of all time
Photograph: Kate Wootton/TimeOut
With the facilitate of leading directors, actors, writers and activists, we count down the most essential LGBTQ+ films of all time
Like queer society itself, queer cinema is not a monolith. For a prolonged time, though, that’s certainly how it felt. In the past, if gay lives and issues were ever portrayed at all on screen, it was typically from the perspective of pale, cisgendered men. But as more opportunities have opened up for queer performers and filmmakers to tell their own stories, the scope of the LGBTQ+ experiences that have made their way onto the screen has gradually widened to more frequently incorporate the trans community and homosexual people of colour.
It’s still not perfect, of course. In Hollywood, as in society at massive, there are many barriers left to breach and ceilings to shatter. But those recent strides deserve to be celebrated – as do the bold films made long before the mainstream was willing to accept them. To that end, we enlisted some LGBTQ+ cultural pioneers, as well as Time O
55 of the Best LGBTQ Films of All Time
'Bottoms' ()
If ever there was a Superbad for gender non-conforming girls, Bottoms is it. The second film from director Emma Seligman (Shiva Baby) follows two uncool high school seniors (Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott) who start up a school fight club to try and hook up with their cheerleader crushes (Kaia Gerber and Havana Rose Liu).
WATCH NOW
'Bound' ()
In the Wachowskis’ landmark erotic thriller predating the Matrix trilogy, butch ex-con Corky (Gina Gershon) is the newly-hired handyperson at an apartment building when she meets her next-door neighbors: mobster Caesar (Joe Pantoliano) and kept lady Violet (Jennifer Tilly). As Corky and Violet strike up an affair, they hatch a plan to flee Violet’s abusive relationship—and steal $2 million of Caesar’s mafia money along the way.
WATCH NOW
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
'Circus of Books' ()
Southern Californians will likely recognize Circus of Books as the famed porn shop and messy bookstore that has presided over the gayborhood of West Hollywood since the e
The 50 Best LGBTQ Movies Ever Made
Love, Simon ()
AmazonApple
If it feels a bit like a CW version of an after-school special, that's no mistake: Teen-tv super-producer Greg Berlanti makes his feature-film directorial debut here. It's as chaste a love story as you're likely to see in the 21st century—the hunky gardener who makes the title teen question his sexuality is wearing a long-sleeved shirt, for God’s sake—but you know what? The queer kids of the future need their wholesome entertainment, too.
Rocketman ()
AmazonHulu
A gay fantasia on Elton themes. An Elton John biopic was never going to be understated, but this glittering jukebox musical goes way over the top and then keeps going. It might be an overcorrection from the straight-washing of the previous year's Bohemian Rhapsody, but when it's this much fun, it's best not to overthink it.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Handsome Devil ()
NetflixAmazon
A charming Irish film that answers the question: "What if John Hughes were Irish and gay?" Misfit Ned struggles at
The best LGBTQ+ movies of all time
Photograph: Kate Wootton/TimeOut
With the facilitate of leading directors, actors, writers and activists, we count down the most essential LGBTQ+ films of all time
Like queer society itself, queer cinema is not a monolith. For a prolonged time, though, that’s certainly how it felt. In the past, if gay lives and issues were ever portrayed at all on screen, it was typically from the perspective of pale, cisgendered men. But as more opportunities have opened up for queer performers and filmmakers to tell their own stories, the scope of the LGBTQ+ experiences that have made their way onto the screen has gradually widened to more frequently incorporate the trans community and homosexual people of colour.
It’s still not perfect, of course. In Hollywood, as in society at massive, there are many barriers left to breach and ceilings to shatter. But those recent strides deserve to be celebrated – as do the bold films made long before the mainstream was willing to accept them. To that end, we enlisted some LGBTQ+ cultural pioneers, as well as Time O