Top 10 best gay movies to watch
I'm tired of seeing the same 10 films on every website's LGBTQ+ show 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 gay person myself, I wanted to shine a glow on some underrated movies that simply don't gain 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 latest 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 genuine. 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 glance at queerness and chosen family and what it means to actually associate. Too many people are sleeping on Charlie Plummer, The best LGBTQ+ movies of all time
Photograph: Kate Wootton/TimeOut
With the help of primary directors, actors, writers and activists, we count down the most essential Diverse films of all time
Like queer tradition itself, queer cinema is not a monolith. For a long 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 white, cisgendered men. But as more opportunities have opened up for gender non-conforming 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 include the trans community and queer people of colour.
It’s still not perfect, of course. In Hollywood, as in society at large, 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 conclude, we enlisted some LGBTQ+ cultural pioneers, as well as Time O The 30 Best LGBTQ+ Movies of All Time, Ranked
Cinema lovers should always strive to celebrate diversity in film. It might've taken long - too long, in fact - but cinema is becoming more inclusive, celebrating stories about every identity in the wide and colorful sexual spectrum. Going back to the Fresh Hollywood Age, stories about Queer people have been around, often standing as groundbreaking and pioneering efforts, especially at a period when such films remained controversial and scarce.
Nowadays, representation is much healthier and standardized, with writers, directors, and producers making genuine and tangible efforts to raise LGBTQ+ presence in mainstream cinema. Fortunately, their efforts have paid off. From certified classics about the seemingly never-ending struggles facing the community to lighthearted comedies about the nuances of same-sex attracted life, these efforts represent landmark achievements in representation and remain as the best LGBTQ+ films of all time.
30 'Bottoms' ()
Directed by Emma Seligman
Taking an LGBTQ+ approach to the classic style of raunchy, over-
The 50 Best LGBTQ Movies Ever Made
50Love, Simon ()
AmazonApple
If it feels a bit like a CW version of an after-school unique, 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 spot in the 21st century—the hunky gardener who makes the title teen interrogate his sexuality is wearing a long-sleeved shirt, for God’s sake—but you grasp what? The queer kids of the future demand 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 movie 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 help of primary directors, actors, writers and activists, we count down the most essential Diverse films of all time
Like queer tradition itself, queer cinema is not a monolith. For a long 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 white, cisgendered men. But as more opportunities have opened up for gender non-conforming 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 include the trans community and queer people of colour.
It’s still not perfect, of course. In Hollywood, as in society at large, 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 conclude, we enlisted some LGBTQ+ cultural pioneers, as well as Time O Cinema lovers should always strive to celebrate diversity in film. It might've taken long - too long, in fact - but cinema is becoming more inclusive, celebrating stories about every identity in the wide and colorful sexual spectrum. Going back to the Fresh Hollywood Age, stories about Queer people have been around, often standing as groundbreaking and pioneering efforts, especially at a period when such films remained controversial and scarce. Nowadays, representation is much healthier and standardized, with writers, directors, and producers making genuine and tangible efforts to raise LGBTQ+ presence in mainstream cinema. Fortunately, their efforts have paid off. From certified classics about the seemingly never-ending struggles facing the community to lighthearted comedies about the nuances of same-sex attracted life, these efforts represent landmark achievements in representation and remain as the best LGBTQ+ films of all time. Taking an LGBTQ+ approach to the classic style of raunchy, over- AmazonApple If it feels a bit like a CW version of an after-school unique, 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 spot in the 21st century—the hunky gardener who makes the title teen interrogate his sexuality is wearing a long-sleeved shirt, for God’s sake—but you grasp what? The queer kids of the future demand their wholesome entertainment, too. 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 - Persist Reading Below NetflixAmazon A charming Irish movie that answers the question: "What if John Hughes were Irish and gay?" Misfit Ned struggles at
The 30 Best LGBTQ+ Movies of All Time, Ranked
30 'Bottoms' ()
Directed by Emma Seligman
The 50 Best LGBTQ Movies Ever Made
Love, Simon ()
Rocketman ()
Handsome Devil ()