The Best LGBTQ+ Films To Add To Your Watchlist

Olivia Wilde’s directing debut, Booksmart follows two high school Best friends on the mission of a lifetime: before graduating, they want just one night out. For Molly (Beanie Feldstein), that means letting her hair down enough to finally have some fun. For Amy (Kaitlyn Dever), it means finding the confidence to approach her crush, skater-girl Ryan (Victoria Ruesga). In an attempt to tick their dreams off their wish list, the two are lead to a series of graduation parties as they try squeeze four years of recklessness into one wild night.

Who says Christmas movies are only for December? Happiest Season follows Abby (Kristen Stewart), a young woman planning to propose to her girlfriend Harper (Mackenzie Davis) during her family’s annual Christmas party. But her plans become much more complicated when she learns Harper hasn’t come out to her narrow-minded parents. After finding that their relationship has been kept a secret, Abby begins to question exactly who her girlfriend is.

Turning up the romance, this drama stars screen icon Kate Winslet alongside Saoirse Ronan. The story follows Mary Anning (Winslet), a palaeontologist who sells fossils to tourists in an attempt to support her elderly mother. One day, her life changes when a visitor hires her to tend to his wife, Charlotte (Ronan) – who she finds herself drawn to like a moth to a flame.

Telling the story of a young Black boy growing up in a drug-ridden and deprived neighbourhood in Miami, Moonlight is the coming-of-age story of Chiron. We join Chrion - played by Ashton Sanders - throughout different life stages, as he tries to discover who he is whilst surviving in the world. Emotional and intimate, it’s really no wonder director Barry Jenkins secured an Oscar for this masterpiece.

For our musical theatre lovers out there, Rent is an absolute classic to add to the list. Loosely based on the 1896 opera La boheme and starring the likes of Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs, the film follows a group of young artists residing in Manhattan’s East Village. Struggling to make ends meet, their world is turned upside down as the HIV/AIDS epidemic rises in New York. A heartwarming – and often heartbreaking – story of how our friends become our chosen family, this film will stick with you long after it finishes. Given how much this will make you cry, we suggest having a fresh batch of tissues on hand.

A biopic on the life and times of music legend Elton John, this glittering jukebox musical is the ultimate ode to coming out. It is slightly superficial, but it’s best not to overthink a movie when it’s this much fun... Starring Taron Egerton as Elton John, alongside the likes of Game of Throne’s Richard Madden and Billy Elliot’s Jamie Bell, even the real Rocketman himself gave this film his seal of approval.

A quintessential ‘80s romance, Desert Hearts follows the story of an English professor and a young sculptor as they fall in love at a Nevada ranch in the 1950’s. When Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) travels to Reno for her divorce, falling in love with Cay Rivers (Patricia Charbonneau), the divorce rancher’s adopted daughter, isn't on her list. One of the first wide-released films to portray a lesbian repationship in a positive light, the warm and affirming Desert Hearts was unique for its time – giving it a solid place in the sapphic canon.

Julianne Moore and Annette Bening play proud lesbian mothers to two teenagers - but their blissful modern family is rocked when their kids seek out their sperm donor (Mark Ruffalo). As he suddenly appears in their life, the whole family is sent into crisis and turned upside down. One of the film’s most noteworthy aspects is just how familiar it feels to everyone watching, with its depiction of midlife crisis and marital challenges. A comedy-drama with an LGBTQ+ twist!

Brooklyn teenager Frankie (Harry Dickinson) spends his time hanging out with his troublemaker friends, messing around with his girlfriend, or hooking up with men he meets online. A provocative look into exactly how far we’re willing to go to keep our secrets hidden, Beach Rats is the ultimate moody thriller.

Ex-con Enrique (Esai Morales) returns home after a stint in prison only to find that nothing is as it was. His wife has had an affair, and his child – who has recently come out as a trans woman – is now navigating the process of transitioning. What makes Gun Hill Road especially notable is its decision to feature a trans lead character played by a trans woman. The actress, Harmony Santana, was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her performance, making her the first openly transgender actress ever nominated!

Put simply, this teen favourite deserves a place on the list for precisely how groundbreaking it isn’t.
Perhaps the most chaste romcom to grace the 21st century, the film touches on the struggles of Simon (Nick Robinson) – a gay and closeted teen. A sweet and simple high school rom com where the guy gets the guy, sometimes a feel-good film is just what you need.

Long before Pose and RuPaul’s Drag Race ruled the screen, there was Paris Is Burning. Filmed during the late 1980’s, Jennie Livingston’s documentary is a living record of NYC’S drag ballroom culture, featuring interviews with icons such as Willi Ninja and Angie Xtravaganza. An emotional record of what is was like to be Black, Latinx, or queer living in the big apple during the AIDS crisis, it’s a must watch - and a solid starting point for any LGBTQ+ education.

Did someone say horror? Nicole Maines plays a transgender teenage girl who moves in with her brother (James Paxton), hoping for a fresh start. There, she meets a coven of four queer feminist vampires whose only goal it to rid the LA streets of predatory men. If you fancy an inclusive, queer, feminist vampire film, then this is the one for you...

A short film that more than deserves a spot on our list, Out is a film for literally everyone. Greg is about to make the move to the big city with his boyfriend, Manuel, but when Greg’s parents surprise him to help with the move, problems arise – after all, he hasn’t yet told them that he’s out. Along with a bit of magic from a rainbow disco cat and dog (obvs), Greg learns that his family will love him no matter what. A sweet animation about overcoming your fears, this short film a huge step for Disney as far as portraying LGBTQ+ characters on screen. Insisting there’s nothing wrong with being your true self, it’s a real winner.

This rom-com stars Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane as two gay men in Manhattan who are drawn to each other despite both being major commitment-phobes.

Despite being a bit of a box office bomb, Bros holds an approval rating of 88% of Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus of the film reading, 'Bros marks a step forward in rom-com representation – and just as importantly, it's a whole bunch of fun to watch.' We agree.

The plot of God's Own Country follows a young sheep farmer in Yorkshire (The Crown's Josh O'Connor) whose life is transformed by a Romanian migrant worker (Alec Secaraanu), with whom he begins a romantic relationship.

Directed by Francis Lee (Ammonite), this romantic drama was critically acclaimed, nominated for two BAFTAs Outstanding British Film and Rising Star for Josh O'Connor as well as multiple BIFAs.

A list of queer classics wouldn’t be complete without the gorgeously shot Call Me By Your Name. In Italian director Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of the Andre Aciman novel, we spend the summer with 17-year-old Elio (Timothee Chalamet) as he falls in love with Oliver (Armie Hammer), his father’s 24-year-old American graduate student. Set somewhere in 1980’s northern Italy and accompanied by some dreamy originals by Sufjan Stevens, there’s something magical about this film that you just can’t shake. The perfect mix of quietly devastating and heartwrenchingly hopeful, all whlst awashed in golden light and outdoor meals, there;s a reason this film became a pop culture phenomenon. Warning: expect explicit scenes involving an extremely overripe peach.

Star-crossed romance has long been a Hollywood staple, with Celine Sciamma’s gorgeous Portrait of a Lady on Fire finding its way onto our list. Aristocratic bride-to-be Heliose (Adele Haenel) is set for an arranged marriage, with artist Marianna (Noemie Merlant) commissioned to paint her wedding portrait. Spending hours together alone with water pots and paint brushes, what begins as a mutual fascination becomes a love affair for the history books.

Based on the 1968 play of the same name by Mart Crowley, The Boys in the Band was commended for being comprised of a cast of exclusively openly-gay actors including Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto and Matt Bomer whilst telling the story of a group of friends attending a party together.

Available to watch on Netflix, the film holds a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 84% with the site consensus reading, 'The Boys in the Band brings the classic stage play back to the screen with a well-acted adaptation containing surprising — and poignant — modern relevance.'

Jackie Justice (Halle Berry - who also directed Bruised) is a mixed martial arts fighter who leaves the sport in disgrace. Down on her luck and simmering with rage and regret years after the fight, she’s coaxed into a brutal underground fight by her manager and boyfriend Desi (Adan Canto) and grabs the attention of a fight league promoter (Shamier Anderson) who promises Jackie a better life back. But the road to redemption becomes unexpectedly personal when Manny (Danny Boyd, Jr.) — the son she gave up as an infant — shows up at her doorstep.

A triumphant story of a fighter who reclaims her power, in and out of the ring, when everyone has counted her out.

Marc (Daniel Levy - who also wrote and directed Good Grief) was content living in the shadow of his larger-than-life husband, Oliver (Luke Evans). But when Oliver unexpectedly dies, Marc’s world shatters, sending him and his two best friends, Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel), on a soul-searching trip to Paris that reveals some hard truths they each needed to face.

We love to see Netflix starting to churn out LGBTQ+ teen rom-coms with the rate at which they were churning out heterosexual ones! In our humble opinion, The Half of It is one of their best.

Shy, straight-A student Ellie (Leah Lewis) is hired by sweet but inarticulate jock Paul (Daniel Diemer), who needs help winning over a popular girl, but their new and unlikely friendship gets complicated when Ellie discovers she has feelings for the same girl.

Looking for an LGBTQ+ thriller on Netflix, why not check out The Perfection?

When troubled musical prodigy Charlotte (Allison Williams) seeks out Elizabeth (Logan Browning), the new star pupil of her former school, the encounter sends both musicians down a sinister path with shocking consequences.

Ok, so technically A Secret Love is a documentary, but it's so good that we can't not include it on our list.

A Secret Love tells of the incredible love story between Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel, whose relationship spans nearly seven decades. Terry played in the women’s professional baseball league, inspiring the hit movie A League of Their Own, but that film did not tell the real-life story of the women who remained closeted for most of their lives. This documentary follows Terry and Pat back to when they met for the first time, through their professional lives in Chicago, coming out to their conservative families and grappling with whether or not to get married. Facing the hardships of aging and illness, their love proves resilient as they enter the home stretch.

Whilst we have to admit that The Prom was called out for casting James Corden as a gay man when James is straight, the rest of the film is a fun look at dating in high school.

Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden) are New York City stage stars with a crisis on their hands: their expensive new Broadway show is a major flop that has suddenly flatlined their careers. Meanwhile, in small-town Indiana, high school student Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman) is experiencing a very different kind of heartbreak: despite the support of the high school principal (Keegan-Michael Key), the head of the PTA (Kerry Washington) has banned her from attending the prom with her girlfriend, Alyssa (Ariana DeBose). When Dee Dee and Barry decide that Emma's predicament is the perfect cause to help resurrect their public images, they hit the road with Angie (Nicole Kidman) and Trent (Andrew Rannells), another pair of cynical actors looking for a professional lift.

Sometimes our most formative moments are our most fleeting… Set in the summer of 1999, Aussie romance Of An Age follows 18-year-old Kol (Elias Anton), a Serbian born ballroom dancer whose ordinary life takes a turn after he experiences an unexpected – and intense – 24 hour-long romance with his best friend’s older brother, Adam (Thom Green). Bringing in a mix of how beautiful yet terrifying it is to be seen for the first time, this is a film best served with a healthy dose of nostalgia.

You'll have to turn on the subtitles for this one, but Happy Ending - available on Netflix - is well worth it.

Luna (Gaite Jansen) and Mink (Martijn Lakemeier) are a symbiotic couple celebrating their one-year anniversary together. Mink doesn't know that Luna has been faking her orgasms since the beginning of their relationship, and Luna has kept this quiet for so long now that she doesn't dare bring it up with him. When her best friends who know about her problem urge Luna to try new things in the bedroom with Mink, Luna proposes an exciting idea to him: a threesome. The following evening with climate activist Eve (Joy Delima) turns Luna's life upside down.

Now an Oscar-nominated film, NYAD tells the remarkable true story of athlete Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) who, at the age of 60 and with the help of her best friend and coach Bonnie Stoll (Jodie Foster), commits to achieving her life-long dream: a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Florida.

Another Oscar-nominated triumph, at its core, Maestro is a love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper - who also directed) and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan), as well as the famously queer composer's love affairs with both men and women.

One of the most celebrated comedy releases of 2023, Joy Ride follows four Asian American friends (Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu) as they bond and discover the truth of what it means to know and love who you are, while they travel through China in search of one of their birth mothers.

Telling the story of Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), who is targeted in a horrific homophobic attack, destroying his life and career, Femme makes for difficult but essential viewing. Some time after that event Jules encounters Preston (George MacKay), one of his attackers, in a gay sauna and decides to seek revenge.

Two handsome leads? Check. A dramatic cake fight that turns weirdly sexy? Check. Available to watch on a streaming service? Check - Amazon Prime fyi. Honestly, Red, White & Royal Blue - which tells the story of a feud between the son of the American President and Britain's prince which threatens to drive a wedge in U.S./British relations - has everything you could need from a trashy teen rom-com.

Before Ayo Edebiri started delighting everyone in The Bear, she was making people laugh in this rom-com Bottoms about two unpopular queer high-school students start a fight club to have sex before graduation. Iconic.