The stories we consume have the power to shape how we see other people, as well as the world around us – and this has never been more true than in the turbulent times we currently find ourselves living in. Representation is key, which is why it’s so important to watch and celebrate the seminal queer movies and documentaries that really reflect the experiences of gay and trans communities. In honour of Pride Month, we’ve rounded up the best LGBTQ films to inspire, entertain and uplift.
Blue Is The Warmest Colour 2013
In 2013, Blue Is The Warmest Colour won the Palme d’Or, with the Cannes jury taking the unusual step of awarding the top prize not just to the film’s director Abdellatif Kechiche but also its lead actresses – Léa Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos. Both put in powerful performances; Exarchopoulos as Adèle, a French teenager who falls in love with Emma (Seydoux), a young artist with blue hair.
So follows a three-hour emotional rollercoaster, loosely based on Julie Maroh’s graphic novel, which charts their passionate relationship from Adèle’s high school years to her early adult life and career as a school teacher. Mired in controversy the film may be (it was criticised for the level of sexual content, and the stars and its director fell out spectacularly post-shoot), it has also been called a masterpiece, “brilliantly conveying the power of physical, emotional and sexual attraction” and a “towering achievement in cinema” according to the BFI.
Naz & Maalik 2015
This intimate film offers a day-in the-life look at what it means to be young, gay, black and Muslim in Brooklyn. 18-year-old Naz and Maalik are best friends, classmates, business partners and, secretly, lovers – Naz is shy and slightly paranoid, while Maalik is outgoing and upbeat. The film follows them over the course of a summer afternoon, as they wander through the park, go to prayer and hustle selling lotto tickets. But their aimless afternoon quickly takes a sour turn as they unwittingly end up in the crosshairs of an FBI investigation. Deftly exploring issues of sexuality, the US government’s surveillance of Muslims and the relationship between black men and the police, it feels even more relevant and timely today.
Moonlight 2016
Barry Jenkins’ tender drama broke all kinds of ground when it was released in 2016, not least by becoming the first film with an all-black cast and the first LGBTQ film to win an Oscar for Best Picture. Centred around a queer African American youth from a deprived Miami neighbourhood, it focuses on three main periods of his life, each one chaptered by the different identities he assumes, moving from a scrawny kid to a shy, bullied teen and, finally, to a bulked-up grown man fresh out of prison. Often heralded as one of the best films of the 21st century, with exquisite cinematography and a soaring musical score to match, it is as beautifully heart-breaking as it is poignantly uplifting.
Benediction 2021
Written and directed by Britain’s most acclaimed filmmakers, Terence Davies, this poignant, heart wrenching biographical drama about Siegfried Sasson explores the little-known life of the famed WWI poet. Alternating between sharp British wit and heartbreaking sorrow, the film traces Sasson’s many struggles, particularly with his sexuality.
As his acclaimed poetry introduced him to the period’s more liberal creative crowd, Sasson was able to explore his homosexuality through affairs with several men. But at the same time, he felt himself on a mission to find salvation following the destruction of war, and tried to conform to a heterosexual marriage and Catholic life. All of this and more is detailed in this intense, powerful drama.
Happy Together 1997
Wong Kar-wai is a legend of Hong Kong cinema, and while In The Mood For Love may be his best known work, his equally emotive queer film is not to be missed. Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung star as Lai Yiu-Fai and Ho Po-Wing, lovers whose relationship has grown fractious due to constant separations and reconciliations. The couple plan a trip to Argentina, but once there, they find they have run out of money and have to stay, forcing them to finally confront the truth of their relationship. Considered one of the best films of the New Queer Cinema movement, Kar-wai’s evocative film was nominated for the Palme d’Or and won Best Director at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.
Happy Birthday, Marsha! 2018
Happy Birthday, Marsha! is about African-American transgender artist and activist Marsha ‘Pay It No Mind’ Johnson, who played a pivotal role in instigating the 1969 Stonewall anti-policing riots in New York City. The slickly put together film – which combines archive footage with re-enactments – recounts the final few hours before the protests kicked off, sparked by an early morning – and excessively violent – raid by police at the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village. The film is a beautiful tribute to Marsha (played by Independent Spirit Award Winner Mya Taylor) and what she achieved at Stonewall, a watershed event for the gay liberation movement that was to have an enormous impact on the LGBTQ+ community.
A Bigger Splash 1973
Not to be confused with Luca Guadagnino’s psychological thriller, this meeting of art and life is an intriguing behind-the-scenes look into the life of artist David Hockney and his social circle in 1970s London. Jack Hazan’s biographical film joins Hockney in the midst of a painful, lingering breakup with his then-partner Peter Schlesinger, who also served as his muse — he appears in a number of Hockney’s pool paintings.
The documentary footage in A Bigger Splash follows Hockney as he paints Schlesinger one final time for Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), while fictionalised elements are also cut in — including a sex scene that caused the film to receive an X rating in the UK.
Brokeback Mountain 2005
As a mainstream queer film, Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain was ground-breaking when it first aired, not least because it was nominated for eight Oscars at the 2006 Academy Awards – a full decade before same-sex marriage was legalised nationwide in America. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal star in this beautifully shot, sensitively told adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Proulx’s short story about two young men – a ranch-hand and a rodeo cowboy – who meet and fall in love over a long, lonely winter in the early 60s. Despite attempts to forget their forbidden romance, their paths remain intertwined for the rest of their lives.
Before Stonewall 1984
An Emmy award winner for good reason, this documentary charts the gay and lesbian community in the decades leading up to the seminal Stonewall riots of 1969. The film – which was re-released last year to mark the 50th anniversary of Stonewall – by Greta Schiller and narrated by writer and activist Rita Mae Brown looks at homosexuality in America, from 1920s Harlem through the Second World War to the McCarthy era, and the violation of human rights during these periods through police tactics, witch hunts, censorship and ‘cleansing’ operations. A combination of archival footage and powerful interviews, including with poet and writer Allen Ginsberg, gives an impactful insight into an often disturbing closeted history.
Call Me By Your Name 2017
A coming-of-age LGBTQ film – directed by Luca Guadagnino and with a screenplay by the inimitable James Ivory – about the blossoming romance between an adolescent boy Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer), a guest at Elio’s parents’ paradisiacal summer home in northern Italy. Based on André Aciman’s novel of the same name, this is a story of longing and sexual awakening told against a backdrop of rolling Italian countryside, with languid, sun-drenched days spent by the pool, picking peaches in the family orchard and playing music. It’s the final installment of Guadagnino’s ‘Desire’ trilogy – the others were I Am Love (2009) and A Bigger Splash (2015) – and like its predecessors, is as visually arresting as it is sensual, evocative and deeply moving.
Tangerine 2015
Shot entirely on an iPhone 5 on the streets of LA, Sean Baker’s vibrantly colourful micro-budget comedy caused quite a stir when it was released at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. This bittersweet film tells the story of transgender sex worker Sin-Dee Rella (a punchy portrayal by newcomer Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) as she tries to track down her pimp boyfriend who’s been cheating on her, enlisting the reluctant help of her best friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor). What ensues is a rip-roaring revenge farce that plays out in the seedier corners of Tinseltown. Fuelled by fiery performances that crackle with energy and underpinned by moments or real empathy and affection, the film’s release represented a major leap for transgender people on film.
Portrait of A Lady on Fire 2019
Another historical erotic drama, this time from acclaimed French director Céline Sciamma, who made a name for herself with other desirous films Water Lilies and Tomboy. Set in late 18th century France, this opulent film recounts the story of painter Marianne (Noémie Merlant) who is commissioned to paint the portrait of young aristocrat Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), who is being married off to an Italian nobleman. A friendship slowly grows, and gradually this moves into a brief but intense love affair. Visually stunning and intensly moving, the film was a critical hit, winning the Queer Palm at Cannes, and making it the first film directed by a woman to win the award.
Desert Hearts 1985
A groundbreaking depiction of lesbian relationships, this adaptation of Jane Rule’s novel is regarded as one of the first films to positively portray lesbian sexuality. Set in 1959, the film follows Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) an English professor who moves from New York to Reno in order to obtain a quick divorce from her husband. While there, she meets an intoxicating young female sculptor, Cay Rivers (Patricia Charbonneau) and the two strike up an extremely sultry affair. Sexy and moving, the film traces how their relationship helps Vivian become her most authentic, confident self.
Paris is Burning 1990
Jennie Livingstone’s landmark documentary – which won the grand jury prize at the Sundance film festival in 1991 – explores New York City’s drag-ball subculture in the Eighties, a vibrant portrayal of African American, Hispanic, gay and transgender communities as they engaged in the elaborately-structured competitions based around style, dance (this is where “voguing” originated) and sass. The film alternates between flamboyant ballroom settings and interviews with prominent members of the scene, notably Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey and Venus Xtravaganza, all of whom give a searing insight into the lives and struggles of its subjects in a world rampant with racism, homophobia, transphobia, AIDS and poverty.
Looking for Langston 1989
A mix of archival footage and scripted scenes, this black-and-white arthouse film explores and celebrates black gay identity. Interweaving news footage of the Harlem Renaissance, this fascinating film offers insight into a number of key black literary pioneers from across American history, including Langston Hughes, James Baldwin and Richard Bruce Nugent. A nuanced look at desire, the artistic spirit and creative ingenuity, it’s a must-see for the culturally curious.
My Beautiful Laundrette 1985
Directed by Stephen Frears and penned by renowned British-Pakistani writer Hanif Kureishi, this comedy-drama boldly explores themes of race and sexuality in the midst of multicultural Thatcher-era London. It follows childhood friends Omar (played by Gordon Warneke) and Johnny (a spellbinding turn from Daniel Day-Lewis), as they are reunited following a racially aggravated attack on Omar and some Pakistani friends by a right-wing extremist street punk group led by Johnny.
Despite Johnny’s former connections to the National Front, Omar helps him reconcile with his dark past as the pair move from friends to lovers and decide to renovate a south London launderette owned by Omar’s father, filling it with games machines, music and neon signs. Hailed by the BFI as one of the greatest British films of the 20th century, it’s a tender tale of love and redemption.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post 2018
Director Desiree Akhavan’s adaptation of Emily Danforth’s novel The Miseducation of Cameron Post premiered at Sundance, and sees actor Chloë Grace Moretz in a career-best performance as a teen sent to ‘pray away the gay’ at a Christian camp. While there are humorous parts, its tone is gripping and heartbreaking at others. It starts with Moretz at high school in 1993, in love with a fellow female classmate. And although it is set in the past, it’s neither a hazy recollection nor a wistful retelling. It’s a raw survival story of a young, small-town Pennsylvanian in the time where the ripple effects of the AIDS crisis continued to spread hateful rhetoric on homosexuality.
Happy Weekend 2011
Set over the course of 48 hours, Andrew Haigh’s tender and moving film traces a relationship that has an expiry date from the moment it starts. Tom Cullen and Chris New star as Russell and Glen, who meet on a night out and hook up, sparking up a connection on the weekend before Glen is set to move to Oregon. Intimate and beautifully observed, the cameras take you right into this fledgling relationship, as the two discuss and explore the various subtleties of love, sex and passion.
A Fantastic Woman 2017
When her older lover, Orlando, dies suddenly, transgender nightclub singer Marina realises she’s going to have to put aside her grief and fight if she wants her role in Orlando’s life to be recognised by his ex-wife and children. Directed by Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio and featuring a stand-out lead performance from Daniela Vega as Marina, the movie scooped the 2018 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and has gone on to play a vital role in accelerating the trans rights movement in Chile.
Maurice 1987
James Ivory’s adaptation of E.M. Forster’s romantic drama starring Hugh Grant and James Wilby is a beautifully moving depiction of repressed gay love in Edwardian England. Wilby stars as Maurice Hall, a young student at Oxford who finds himself falling in love with his best friend Clive Durham (Grant). A chaste relationship begins, but Clive feels the pressure of his social standing and worries about their secret affair being exposed. But this is only the beginning of the heart-wrenching drama.
Of Love & Law 2017
This debut documentary from Hikaru Toda follows the story of Fumi and Kazu, life partners both professionally and privately, who decide to open the first LGBTQ+ law firm in Japan, a country that prides itself on conformity and obedience. The openly gay couple – whose own relationship isn’t legally recognised or protected – go above and beyond time and time again at their downtown Osaka office to represent their ‘misfit’ clients, from the artist who makes vagina sculptures and was sued by police for obscenity to a teacher who was dismissed for not singing the national anthem. As the indie film unfolds and we witness a pair whose ground-breaking work is dedicated to championing the civil liberties of those marginalised in Japanese society, you can’t fail to be awed and moved in equal measure.
Orlando 1993
Virginial Woolf’s seminal novel was a revelation when it was first published in 1928, and this adaptation by British director Sally Potter brings Woolf’s words to glorious life. Tilda Swinton is perfectly cast as the titular Orlando, a young nobleman in Elizabeth I’s England who suddenly awakes centuries later to find that he is now a woman. Swinton puts in a spellbinding performance as the gender-fluid, era-hopping hero in this aesthetically-pleasing exploration of gender and sexuality.
120 BPM 2017
French director Robin Campillo’s powerful film charts a key moment in LGTBQ history — the change of strategy of HIV/Aids activist group Act Up-Paris, an offshoot of the Aids Coalition to Unleash Power, to more direct, radical action. In doing so, the group brought the cause loudly into the mainstream, lobbying for legislation, research and treatment for those with HIV/Aids. Running through it all is also a blossoming romance between two of its members, constantly reminding the viewer that politics is personal.
Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts 2019
“RuPaul always says he’s an introvert dressed up like an extrovert, and I always feel like that too,” confesses Brian Firkus in the documentary, Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts. Firkus is more widely known as their drag alter ego, Trixie Mattel – the singer, performer, podcaster, and champion of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season three. Loved for her undeniably quick wit, Dolly Parton-esque country charm, and larger-than-life cartoonish make-up, this documentary goes behind the scenes and follows Trixie on her tour with the new album, along with her win on Drag Race, and the filming of her YouTube series turned TV show, hosted with fellow drag queen Katya Zamolodchikova. Although it certainly celebrates the heyday of drag, it doesn’t shy away from discussing heavier subject matter: Moving Parts also meditates on the topics of addiction, finances, and the human condition.
Carol 2015
This gorgeously atmospheric Todd Haynes adaptation brings Patricia Highsmith’s cult 1952 novel to the big screen in all its glory. Rooney Mara plays Therese, an ordinary sales assistant working in a New York department store, whose life is turned upside down when an alluring woman in her thirties – played brilliantly by Cate Blanchett – walks up to her counter. The two feel an instant attraction, but one that has no place in 1950s New York, or indeed in Carol’s marriage. With powerhouse performances and captivating cinematography, it’s a delight from start to finish.
Disclosure 2020
An eye-opening documentary, first shown at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and currently streaming on Netflix to critical acclaim, that deep dives into the history of transgender representation on the big and small screen, from the early black-and-white silent movies through to modern day cinematic offerings. Director Sam Feder has pulled together leading trans creatives and thinkers for the film – including its executive producer Laverne Cox, Lilly Wachowski, Yance Ford, Mj Rodriguez, Jamie Clayton and Chaz Bono – all of whom share their heartfelt perspectives and analysis of Hollywood’s impact on the trans community and how decades-old stereotypes in the media have shaped the cultural narrative about transgender people.
The Handmaiden 2016
Sarah Waters’ sexually charged historical drama Fingersmith is transported from the novelist’s Victorian England setting to early 20th-century Korea during the Japanese occupation in Park Chan-wook’s powerful adaptation. The BAFTA-winning film is an erotic thriller, tracing the forbidden romance between a peasant girl and the wealthy heiress she serves, after originally being placed as her handmaiden in order to convince her to marry a man set on conning her out of her inheritance. Visually gorgeous, it’s no wonder this film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
My Own Private Idaho 1991
A standout star of the New Queer Cinema movement, Gus Van Sant’s drama is irresistible watching in large part because of the two leads: River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves. An imaginative contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Phoenix and Reeves star as friends, Mike Waters and Scott Favor, embarking on a journey of self-discovery. Their adventures in My Own Private Idaho take them from Portland, Oregon, to Idaho, and then to Rome, but things get complicated as Mike develops an — unrequited — love for Scott.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 1994
This seminal queer film follows a trans woman and two drag queens as they journey across the Australian outback in a converted bus named Priscilla. Writer-director Stephan Elliott’s intensely smart and funny road-trip comedy revolves around drag queens Mitzi (Hugo Weaving) and Felicia (Guy Pearce) and recently widowed transgender woman Bernadette (a career-defining turn from Terence Stamp) as they travel through the desert to a gig at a remote hotel lounge. Along the way they meet a host of colourful characters and show off a range of exuberant costumes, as well as encountering their fair share of bigotry, including a scene where their beloved bus is sprayed with homophobic graffiti. The film was a surprise runaway hit when it was first released and remains a cherished LGBTQ gem almost three decades later.
The Watermelon Woman 1996
This microbudget indie flick was the first feature film to be directed by an out Black lesbian, firmly cementing it as a landmark title in the history of queer cinema. Director Cheryl Dunye plays Cheryl, an African-American lesbian searching for an uncredited black actress from Hollywood’s Golden Age, known only as ‘the Watermelon Woman’. Balancing light-hearted romantic comedy with a serious inquiry into the history of Black and queer women in cinema, this gem of a film aims to rewrite long-standing constructions of race and sexuality on-screen.
Edward II 1991
Pioneering English director, actor and gay rights activist Derek Jarman’s queer adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s history play is a visual masterpiece. Jarman’s version fuses together Nineties London spirit with the dramatic fervour of Marlowe’s play through the props, sets, clothing and plot twists. In this world, the army of Edward II (played by Steven Waddington) is made up of gay rights protesters, and the central love scene is between Edward and a man, whose separation is serenaded by Annie Lennox singing Cole Porter’s “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye”.
Circus of Books 2020
Circus of Books is an undeniably affectionate and absorbing documentary from filmmaker, Rachel Mason, who looks back at her devout Jewish parents’ lives – Karen, a former journalist, and Barry, a former special visual effects engineer – who ran the infamous Los Angeles adult bookstore in the early 1980s after getting into financial trouble. When they took over the gay book and adult film store, it stocked titles such as Confessions of a Two Dick Slut and Don’t Drop the Soap, which it continued to do, however, under their management the Sunset Boulvard shop thrived, and became a famed LGBTQ+ meeting spot in the area.
