67 important LGBTQ movies to stream this Delight Month

Delight is a time through which everybody below the LGBTQ umbrella is inspired to come back out and wave their flag in spectacular parades. However for each wild night time out, we would want a comfy night time in, maybe with a film that retains the get together going?

Many a streaming service will make a rainbow present of their LGBTQ titles in June. Allow us to be your information by the necessities, highlighting movies throughout Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Max, Kanopy, and past.

Whether or not you’re within the temper for a thigh-slapping comedy, a heart-wrenching drama, a pulse-pounding romance, a mind-expanding documentary, or spine-tingling horror, we’ve received you coated.

Here’s a sensational number of LGBTQ movies to look at this Delight and past.

1. The Queen (1968)

You’ll have seen Paris Is Burning, however have you ever seen The Queen? Frank Simon’s seminal 1968 documentary particulars the 1967 Miss All-America Camp Magnificence Pageant, a aggressive drag pageant put collectively by trans and drag icon Flawless Sabrina. Simon’s not too long ago restored doc is so many issues directly: an archival treasure of early drag performances, an intimate take a look at the lives of queer males and trans ladies offstage, and, most famously, a file of 1 notorious incident that will later give approach to the delivery of home tradition and the ballroom scene: Crystal LaBeija’s scorching tirade to the digital camera after shedding to a white queen. LaBeija later went on to discovered the seminal Home of LaBeija, which led to the very inception of ball tradition we see in Paris is Burning, and has been massively influential to Black queer tradition at the moment. As an artifact of misplaced and, to many, largely unknown queer historical past, The Queen is crucial Delight viewing, and actually, important each rattling day viewing. —Oliver Whitney, Contributing Author

The best way to Watch: The Queen is on the market to stream at no cost on Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab) or for hire or buy on Kino Now(opens in a brand new tab), Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab), and iTunes.(opens in a brand new tab)

2. Rope (1948)

Rope could also be recognized to most as Hitchcock’s experimental try to shoot a complete movie in what seems to be a single shot, however it’s additionally the filmmaker’s gayest. The traditional psychological thriller is a couple of homosexual couple who murders a person, then throws a cocktail party utilizing the useless physique’s trunk because the buffet — fairly actually “be homosexual, do crime,” Hitchcock-style. After all, this was 1948, and that queerness is all subtext, however it roars to the floor because of homosexual screenwriter Arthur Laurents’s script and performances by its notably homosexual leads, Farley Granger who performs Phillip Morgan with an anxious flamboyance, and John Dall, whose Brandon Shaw embodies a extra reserved, posh queerness. That’s not even to say the oozing eroticism of the opening scene(opens in a brand new tab) — a closed curtain, a roaring scream, a shot of man sandwiched between two others, with a rope round his neck; oh, the abhorrent perversions two (or extra) males commit behind closed doorways!  —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Rope is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab), iTunes(opens in a brand new tab), and Google Play(opens in a brand new tab).

3. The Dwelling Finish (1992)

Usually dubbed the homosexual Thelma & Louise, Gregg Araki’s The Dwelling Finish follows the reckless street journey of two HIV-positive, anti-establishment homosexual males who go on the run after killing a homophobic cop. There’s Jon (Craig Gilmore), a slender, downbeat movie critic who simply discovered his HIV standing, and Luke (Mike Dytri), a hustler hunk who appears to be like like he walked proper out of Kenneth Anger’s Scorpio Rising(opens in a brand new tab). The 2 develop into lovers and shortly set out on a fuck-everything crime spree throughout California. A fixture of New Queer Cinema that put Araki on the map, this low-budget punk queer street film is scorching with radical rage, and feels as contemporary as ever at the moment. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: The Dwelling Finish is streaming on Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab) and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

4. The Stroll (2023)

There’s nothing extra highly effective and extra urgently wanted than trans folks telling their very own tales. In The Stroll, filmmaker Kristen Lovell (making her directorial debut alongside co-director Zackary Drucker) does precisely that, gathering the trans people she labored with in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District to recount the historical past of what was as soon as a hub for trans intercourse employees from the Nineteen Seventies by the early 2000s. The ladies and nonbinary interviewees recount not solely the horrific police violence and neighborhood harassment they consistently confronted, however, and maybe most importantly, they communicate to how The Stroll helped them discover a resilient group that enabled them to outlive. 

Via a mixture of interviews, collage-style animation, and archival footage — together with some presumably never-before-seen late footage of trans heroine Sylvia Rivera and an ultra-cringe clip from The RuPaul Present — Lovell and Drucker, who’re each trans, obtain one thing past the attain of most cis filmmakers. Instead of sorrowful trauma porn, the directing duo create a shocking ode to the ability and resilience of trans sisterhood. The Stroll isn’t solely a necessary doc of trans historical past; it’s a revitalizing reminder for trans people that collectively we now have the ability to pave a path for a greater trans future. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: The Stroll will premiere on Max(opens in a brand new tab) June 21.

5. Think about Me and You (2005)

There are two varieties of queers: ones who noticed beloved lesbian rom-com Think about Me and You early of their queerness and had been endlessly modified, and ones who’ve by no means heard of the undersung British film. When you’re within the latter camp, I’m so thrilled to lastly introduce you to this foolish, charming romance. Rachel (Piper Perabo donning a British accent) is about to marry her best buddy, Heck (Matthew Goode), however as she’s strolling down the aisle, her eyes catch a girl named Luce (Lena Headey), and one thing indescribable occurs. It’s love at first sight, as they are saying, and thus begins a candy love story between Rachel, who’s solely ever dated males, and Luce, an overtly homosexual florist in probably the most ’00s lesbian wardrobe you’ve ever seen. It’s delightfully cheery and has an ending that may, shockingly, go away you teary-eyed with pleasure. A queer rom-com traditional by and thru. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Think about Me and You is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab), iTunes(opens in a brand new tab), and YouTube(opens in a brand new tab).

6. Wearing Blue (1983)

Watching Wearing Blue for the primary time appears like discovering a long-lost treasure, one you virtually can’t imagine exists and which you solely want you’d seen sooner. This docudrama from Antonio Giménez-Rico mixes docu-style interviews with narrative reenactments to inform the life tales of six Spanish trans ladies dwelling in post-Franco Madrid. Josette, Loren, René, Eva, Nacha, and Tamara collect within the dazzling Palacio de Cristal in Madrid to commerce tales, gossip, bicker, giggle, and gossip some extra as Giménez-Rico jumps out and in of scripted moments of their pasts. The distinctive framing provides the movie one thing of an ethereal high quality, particularly paired with Teo Escamilla’s dreamy cinematography that imbues every girl with a glowy, virtually goddess-like high quality. Depictions of trans life have lengthy been sufferer to the gaze of cis creators, and although this movie from a cis male director is not any exception, Wearing Blue does really feel like one thing of an anomaly, particularly for its time, by permitting these ladies extra company in recounting their most non-public reminiscences. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Dressed In Blue is streaming on The Criterion Channel(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab), iTunes(opens in a brand new tab), and YouTube(opens in a brand new tab).

7. Born in Flames (1983)

For anybody in want of some radical-as-hell queer dystopian fiction throughout these more and more darkish and fascistic political instances, Lizzie Borden’s Born in Flames will show to be a most satisfying balm. Set in a futuristic New York Metropolis after a socialist revolution, the movie imagines America dwelling below democratic socialism, however the place the guarantees of that society are proving unfulfilled. Droves of girls are shedding their jobs, sexism and racism run rampant, and a queer Black revolutionary has simply been captured and murdered by the state. This kicks off a brand new fiery revolt the place feminist teams led by two radical radio hosts crew as much as take motion into their very own palms, from plotting direct motion in underground conferences to educating squads of girls how you can shoot rifles. 

This seering anti-capitalist, anti-racist, pro-feminist treatise is as related at the moment as ever. Listening to one queer radio DJ shout, “We’re being murdered on the market within the streets. Get up, it’s time to struggle!” you may’t assist however really feel the parallels to the present assaults on queer and trans life and bodily autonomy occurring on this nation at the moment. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Born in Flames is streaming on Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab) and OVID.television(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on iTunes(opens in a brand new tab) and Fandor(opens in a brand new tab).

8. Sure (1996)

A lesbian neo-noir directed by two trans ladies — there has by no means been a greater mixture of phrases. Sure, the debut characteristic from Lilly and Lana Wachowski, is a cult favourite for a purpose, or perhaps 10. It options Gina Gershon enjoying a tough-as-nails butch lesbian named Corky (only a yr after Showgirls‘ Cristal Connors, thoughts you), who falls for her sultry femme fatale neighbor, Violet (Jennifer Tilly). That is no mere queer romance although, however a razor-sharp crime thriller the place two abnormal ladies resolve to tear off the mob. Violet’s abusive boyfriend (an ideal Joe Pantoliano) is about to come back right into a load of money, so why not steal it, body him, and make a getaway for it? Any informal Wachowskis fan can see the sisters’ stylistic fingerprints throughout Sure, however it’s particularly a pleasure to see the methods the 2 boost traditional noir style conventions with queer intercourse, startling violence, and a complete lot of queer badassery. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Sure is streaming on Paramount+(opens in a brand new tab), Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab), MGM+(opens in a brand new tab), and accessible for hire or buy on iTunes(opens in a brand new tab). 

9. No Unusual Man (2020)

There are myriad methods to make a documentary about historic figures, however in No Unusual Man, Chase Joynt and Aisling Chin-Yee take a novel and even dangerous inventive strategy that lands superbly. To inform the story of Billy Tipton, a jazz musician whose stealth trans standing was outed after his dying and grossly mistreated for years within the press, No Unusual Man appears to be like to at the moment’s trans group to seek for the misplaced and ignored truths of his life. Joynt and Chin-Yee invite a set of transmasculine actors to learn scenes from a story script about Tipton’s life. This manifests into one thing profound, with every actor wrestling with how you can painting a person who lived at a time the place his transness needed to stay secret, and with near no fashions to form himself after. It’s a captivating and extremely transferring inventive train that each makes an attempt to restore the painful historical past hooked up to Tipton’s legacy, and showcases the need for trans performers to embody the roles of trans characters. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: No Unusual Man is streaming on The Criterion Channel(opens in a brand new tab) and Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab), and accessible for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab).

10. All of the Magnificence and the Bloodshed (2022)

One of many absolute best movies of 2022, Laura Poitras’s Oscar-nominated documentary All of the Magnificence and the Bloodshed manages to perform a number of issues: documenting the activism of acclaimed photographer Nan Goldin in a tireless pursuit to takedown the rich household chargeable for the opioid epidemic, commemorating the huge cultural significance of Goldin’s artwork, and detailing the private lifetime of the girl behind the digital camera. A outstanding title within the Eighties New York Metropolis artwork scene, Goldin, who identifies as queer, is most recognized for her visceral, probing pictures that captured a group ignored not simply by the artwork world however by your complete world — queer and trans people, intercourse employees, and people dwelling with and dying from HIV/AIDS. All of the Magnificence and the Bloodshed fuses previous and current, the person and the collective, to inform a narrative that’s achingly human, searing with urgency and rage but nonetheless simmering with hope. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: All of the Magnificence and the Bloodshed is streaming on Max(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market to hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab).

11. By Hook or by Criminal (2001)

A openly punk, DIY, queer buddy dramedy about an unlikely pair of butch trans outcasts, By Hook or by Criminal is one thing of a miracle for present. This ultra-indie, ultra-low finances 2001 movie from Silas Howard and Harry Dodge is a uncommon narrative depiction of queerness and transness that refuses to label its characters in any specific means, as an alternative permitting them to exist as their very own wacky, genderqueer selves dwelling on their phrases on the fringes of society. After going through an eviction in Kansas, the suit-donning Shy (Howard) runs away to San Francisco the place they meet the eccentric Valentine (Dodge), who sports activities a braided beard. The 2 develop into quick associates and, in an effort to finally rob a financial institution, pull off a collection of petty crimes to get fast money. By Hook or by Criminal is as buoyant and playful as it’s earnest, telling a heartfelt story about friendship, psychological sickness, and dwelling a lifetime of crime in a world that deems queerness prison from the soar — and all with virtually no finances. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: By Hook or by Criminal is streaming on The Criterion Channel(opens in a brand new tab) and is on the market for hire on Prime Video.(opens in a brand new tab)

12. Funeral Parade of Roses (1969)

Toshio Matsumoto’s Funeral Parade of Roses is an absolute journey, and it could be probably the most enthralling items of filmmaking about trans femininity. This 1969 Japanese New Wave movie fuses avant-garde enhancing with meta-documentary type filmmaking and non-linear storytelling to observe Eddie (performed by androgynous cis actor Peter), a trans girl who works as a hostess as a homosexual bar — the strains between trans and homosexual id are messy at best, given when this was made. With jarring enhancing, we’re torn between Eddie’s love triangle with the bar’s proprietor and his different mistress, fragmented reminiscences of a traumatic childhood incident, and meta-interviews with the opposite trans bar hostesses. It’s all fairly disturbing and disorienting, each aesthetically and thematically, and that’s kinda of the purpose — as critic Willow Maclay has written(opens in a brand new tab), Matsumoto’s movie “mirrors the breaking down of gendered notion by the destruction of cinematic kind.” It’s the kinda factor you simply want to look at to get, and perhaps greater than as soon as. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Funeral Parade of Roses is streaming in Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab) and Evening Flight+(opens in a brand new tab).

13. God’s Personal Nation (2017)

Typically homosexual romance dramas are tender, and generally they’re simply tremendous sizzling. God’s Personal Nation holds the dignity of being each, leaving you crying one second and indescribably turned on the following. Set on a farm within the Yorkshire countryside, Francis Lee’s movie traces the lonely and pained day-to-day lifetime of Johnny (Josh O’Connor), a younger homosexual man who buries his anger at his father with binge consuming and nameless hookups. However when Gheorghe (Alec Secăreanu) arrives for a brief stint to work on the farm, one thing shifts, and the newcomer’s presence begins to soften Johnny’s hardened aggression. A candy gentleness blossoms, together with one of many hottest (and muddiest) intercourse scenes in latest reminiscence. If horny emotional homosexual farmcore was a film, this may be it. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: God’s Personal Nation is streaming on Kanopy,(opens in a brand new tab) and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

14. Shinjuku Boys (1995)

It’s the mid-’90s in Tokyo, and also you stroll into the New Marilyn nightclub. You’re all of the sudden charmed by a flock of dapper studs in flashy fits with cool-as-ever haircuts. It’s a paradise of transmasc cuties.

In Shinjuku Boys, a brief documentary from Kim Longinotto and Jano Williams, we meet three transmasculine people who work at a nightclub that caters to doting feminine prospects. Tatsu, Gaish, and Kazuki, who all use he/him pronouns, describe themselves as “onabe,” a broad Japanese time period that’s been used to explain quite a lot of identities from trans man to butch lesbian. The doc captures a hardly ever seen slice of transmasc life (together with some not-so-great poisonous masc conduct), and provides a collection of extremely uncooked interviews that talk to issues not typically proven in movie. From private disclosures about intercourse and dysphoria to a T4T couple lovingly gushing over how seen they really feel by each other, Shinjuku Boys is a snapshot of a novel and little-known piece of Japanese trans historical past. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Shinjuku Boys is streaming on The Criterion Channel(opens in a brand new tab) and Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab).

15. Lingua Franca (2019)

Within the outstanding Lingua Franca, Isabel Sandoval performs Olivia, an undocumented Filipina trans caregiver who lives below a relentless wave of worry of being deported from her Brooklyn neighborhood. Sandoval, who additionally wrote, directed, produced, and edited the movie, brings a fragile contact to a superbly understated story that traces intimate moments in Olivia’s daily as she makes an attempt to safe a inexperienced card. Drawing inspiration from filmmakers like Chantal Akerman, Wong Kar-wai, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Sandoval’s movie is a quietly mild examine of longing, tenderness, and want. It’s additionally probably the most superbly photographed tales a couple of trans girl, and effectively price a look ahead to any religious cinephile. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Lingua Franca is streaming on Netflix.(opens in a brand new tab)

16. Sylvia Scarlett (1935)

It’s Katharine Hepburn in masc drag, what extra might you want? How about her trying as dashing as ever in a fedora and popped collar, flirting with Cary Grant and Brian Aherne and complicated the hell out of them each? On this 1935 movie that marks the primary collaboration between Hollywood homosexual icons Hepburn, Grant, and director George Cukor, Hepburn performs Sylvia, the meek daughter of a bookkeeper who disguises herself as a boy to assist her father flee playing money owed. Now going by the title Sylvester, Hepburn’s character finds a swaggering confidence round different males whereas passing as one. Launched in the course of the begin of the Hays Code, Sylvia Scarlett was a daring danger, and at the moment stays a captivating exploration of gender play, queer want, and the interior empowerment one can uncover in distorting gender expectations. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Sylvia Scarlett is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab), iTunes(opens in a brand new tab), and VUDU(opens in a brand new tab).

17. Altering the Recreation (2021)

When Altering the Recreation was launched in 2021, it felt like a dire time for trans athletes in America — on the time, 17 anti-LGBTQ payments(opens in a brand new tab) had been handed. In the present day, of the present proposed 530 anti-trans payments(opens in a brand new tab), 79 have handed(opens in a brand new tab) on the time of this writing. A big chunk of these particularly goal trans youngsters who simply wish to play sports activities, and greater than ever, Altering the Recreation stays an important movie that highlights the experiences of younger trans athletes. 

The doc from Michael Barnett follows Mack, a trans boy who’s the Texas state wrestling champion…of women’ wrestling; Andraya, a Connecticut observe star who, although in a position to compete on her college’s ladies crew, is met with harassment from dad and mom; and Sarah, an alpine skier who splits her free time between activism and a make-up vlog. Whereas circumstances have solely gotten horrifically worse for trans youth, Altering the Recreation is a reminder that the resilience and diehard activism of youthful trans generations hasn’t and received’t be dying down anytime quickly. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Altering the Recreation is streaming on Hulu(opens in a brand new tab).

18. Desert Hearts (1985)

Set in 1959, Donna Deitch’s indie traditional Desert Hearts finds Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver), a straight-laced English professor wearing pearls and a skirt swimsuit, arriving in dusty Reno to file for a fast divorce. The primary time she meets Cay (Patricia Charbonneau), an overtly queer, free-wheeling native, Cay’s riotously racing down the freeway backwards, like one thing of a lesbian James Dean straight out of Insurgent With out A Trigger. It’s a traditional story of opposites attracting as Cay begins to pursue the hesitant and old school Vivian. Brimming with quiet ardour and craving, and lit stunningly by grasp cinematographer Robert Elswit, Desert Hearts is a must-watch for any lover of queer cinema.  —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Desert Hearts is streaming on The Criterion Channel(opens in a brand new tab) and Max(opens in a brand new tab).

19. Adam (2019)

Filmmaker Rhys Ernst’s directorial debut does one thing surprising and controversial: It portrays an genuine transmasculine expertise, however with no trans character because the lead. In Adam, Nicholas Alexander (a cis male actor) performs Adam, a cis male character who, after stumbling into New York Metropolis’s queer scene, winds up pretending to be a trans man. It sounds terrible, I do know! However hear me out — Adam makes use of this state of affairs to flip expectations and, within the course of, heart transness whereas placing cis views on the sidelines. Ernst (a trans man) does this by the friendship between Adam and trans man Ethan (The L Phrase: Gen Q‘s Leo Sheng). Their relationship proposes a substitute for a world the place trans males develop up studying about masculinity (fairly often poisonous) and sexuality (additionally typically poisonous) from a cis-centric perspective. Right here, Adam comes of age by the knowledge of a person who has deeply investigated his relationship to traditional masculinity. Although a divisive movie, Adam’s price seeing for the advanced conversations it’ll give approach to. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Adam is streaming on Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

20. Colette (2018)

The one factor higher than a Keira Knightley interval piece? An unabashedly queer one. In Colette, Knightley portrays the titular well-known French novelist best recognized for her 1944 work Gigi, however who for years was the ghostwriter of novels her husband took credit score for. Wash Westmoreland’s movie isn’t most attention-grabbing as a literary biopic although, however for the best way it spotlights how Colette was overtly and radically queer, particularly for the early Twentieth century. Knightley’s Colette has affairs with ladies, together with an extended relationship with Mathilde De Morny, a French trans man and aristocrat known as Max and Missy all through historical past (although performed right here by cis actress Denise Gough). Their onstage kiss on the Moulin Rouge in 1907 famously sparked a riot. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Colette is streaming on Netflix(opens in a brand new tab) and Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

21. The Aggressives (2005)

In Daniel Peddle’s documentary, there’s one factor that every of his 5 topics has in frequent: All of them establish as “Aggressives,” or “AG.” That time period can imply vastly various things from one particular person to the following. For Octavia, they’re only a one that attire like a dude with dude methods, whereas to Tiffany, it means carrying a femme-aggressive angle and appearing extra like a homosexual man. Rjai, however, is a ballroom champ with rows of trophies for strolling in each masc and butch classes. After which there’s Marquise Vilson, who binds his chest and describes himself as a trans lesbian; he’s gone on to develop into a notable trans actor. Peddle’s movie is a uncommon doc of Black and brown butch, transmasc, and gender nonconforming people in early aughts New York Metropolis that is still an exquisite showcase of the expansiveness of gender id and expression outdoors the binary.  —O.W.

The best way to Watch: The Aggressives is streaming on The Criterion Channel(opens in a brand new tab) and Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

22. Caravaggio (1986)

When you like your historic dramas ripe with unabashed queerness, look no additional than the work of grasp British filmmaker Derek Jarman. In Caravaggio, Jarman queers the historical past of the Italian Baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio by taking the extremely homoerotic subtext of his work (together with age-old suspicions about his sexuality) and injecting it proper into the textual content, reimagining the artist in overtly homosexual affairs. This dazzling and layered meditation, with a mise en scène that evokes the compositions of a Caravaggio portray, finds the artist (performed by Nigel Terry) engaged in romances with a avenue fighter (Sean Bean) and his girlfriend (Tilda Swinton). Even with no data of Caravaggio or artwork historical past, Jarman’s movie is kind of a visit, and one effervescent with queer want. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Caravaggio is streaming on The Criterion Channel(opens in a brand new tab), Metrograph at Residence(opens in a brand new tab), and Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Kino Now(opens in a brand new tab).

23. Something’s Potential (2022)

A candy coming-of-age romantic comedy the place a younger trans lady will get to be charmed and liked and swept off her toes like each different girl of rom-coms’ previous? Sure, please! Something’s Potential is the directorial debut from Billy Porter, with a script by trans screenwriter Ximena García Lecuona. Eva Reign stars as Kelsa, a highschool senior who begins crushing on Khal (Abubakr Ali). The 2 flirt, go on a cute first date, and romance begins to brew. However jealousy and backlash from Kelsa’s buddy group will get ignited, and for the primary time, Kelsa’s transness turns into a subject of fiery consideration at her college — and in her relationship. Something’s Potential has all of the attraction of a teen rom-com like To All of the Boys I’ve Liked Earlier than, however facilities the story on a trans lady with out making her id the only focus of her character. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Something’s Potential is streaming on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab).

24. Disclosure (2020)

Ask anybody over 20 to call the primary time they noticed a trans character portrayed on display screen, and it’ll possible fall into one of many following classes: a villainous monster, a mocked shame, or a tragic tragedy ending in dying. Sam Feder’s documentary Disclosure charts the historical past of transness depicted throughout movie and TV, displaying that from cinema’s silent origins to the trendy collection of at the moment, trans folks have at all times been current, however largely solely to be derided, misrepresented, and gawked at. With a mixture of archival footage and speaking head interviews with dozens of trans actors, administrators, and authors, Disclosure provides a uncommon glimpse of a trans perspective on the painful historical past of illustration in media. It’s important academic viewing for cis audiences. For trans people, it supplies a cathartic look again on an unsightly historical past, however with a hopeful promise of what visibility can appear to be. —O.W.

The best way to Watch: Disclosure is streaming on Netflix.(opens in a brand new tab)

25. The Matrix (1999)

What higher approach to have fun Delight than by watching probably the most well-known trans film of all time, The Matrix? (It’s canon(opens in a brand new tab), cope with it.) The sci-fi motion epic is probably not explicitly trans on the floor, however as trans critics and audiences(opens in a brand new tab) over time(opens in a brand new tab) have noticed, Neo’s story down the rabbit gap is affected by subtextual allusions to trans id. There’s the pink/blue capsule “splinter in your thoughts” metaphor for hormone remedy, the “waking up” and “unplugging” from the Matrix as a realization of 1’s gender when the egg shell cracks(opens in a brand new tab), the truth that Neo retains getting deadnamed by Agent Smith, the entire essence of Trinity — you may go on and on. Learn this sci-fi traditional how you’ll, however when you begin recognizing all of the trans symbolism, within the phrases of Morpheus, “There’s no turning again.” —O.W.

The best way to watch: The Matrix is streaming on Max(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

26. Earlier than Stonewall (1984)

Filmmakers Greta Schiller and Robert Rosenberg did a public service of their creation of the seminal documentary Earlier than Stonewall. An academic but humorous work that gives important context to the LGBTQ group’s long-fought marketing campaign for civil rights, this can be a nice beginning place for anybody keen to raised admire simply how far acceptance has come and the way far it nonetheless has to go. —Alison Foreman, Leisure Reporter

The best way to watch: Earlier than Stonewall is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

27. Swan Music (2021)

Impressed by the real-life “Liberace of Sandusky, [Ohio],” Swan Music stars heralded character actor Udo Kier as a Mr. Pat, a retired and unapologetically flamboyant hairdresser out to safe his legacy with one final hurrah of a hairdo. Striding again into his outdated haunts to reconcile along with his previous, this wickedly humorous hero finds new associates, outdated foes, and the glory of a mint-green classic swimsuit. With a high-quality wit, daring type, and an enormous coronary heart, author/director Todd Stephens’s movie pays dazzling tribute to a era of homosexual males who had been decimated by AIDS and societal indifference. Swirling collectively rage and gratitude into an intoxicating cocktail, Kier provides the best efficiency of his lengthy and storied profession.* —Kristy Puchko, Movie Reporter

The best way to watch: Swan Music (opens in a brand new tab)is now streaming on Hulu.(opens in a brand new tab)

28. Moonlight (2016)

Director Barry Jenkins’s Academy Award-winning Biggest Image could use among the formulaic elements seen in different coming-of-age tales, however it imbues them with such immense inventiveness and originality that to match Moonlight to anything appears like an insult. This movie has rightly been referred to as among the most impactful filmmaking in historical past, a perennial meditation on abuse, remorse, ache, and acceptance. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Moonlight is streaming on Max(opens in a brand new tab) and Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

29. Hedwig and the Offended Inch (2001)

Hedwig and the Offended Inch is at all times best loved on the stage. However when a go to to the theater isn’t an possibility, director and star John Cameron Mitchell’s display screen adaptation greater than does the trick. On this musical dramedy, Stephen Trask’s spectacular songs as soon as once more come to life because the titular and iconic East German rock singer explores revenge, betrayal, and acceptance. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Hedwig and the Offended Inch is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

30-32. The Worry Road Trilogy (2021)

A stellar instance of queer horror hit in three elements in 2021, when R.L. Stine’s beloved YA e book collection impressed a slasher trilogy centered on a lesbian couple. Kiana Madeira and Olivia Scott Welch are struggling the usual torments of teendom when the native legend of a vicious witch upends their lives — and should finish them! Director Leigh Janiak ushers audiences by three eras of terror, chasing her heroes by procuring malls, summer time camps, and colonial forests to unearth the darkish fact of Shadyside. —Ok.P.

The best way to watch: Worry Road: Half One: 1994 is streaming on Netflix.(opens in a brand new tab)

The best way to watch: Worry Road: Half Two: 1978 is streaming on Netflix.(opens in a brand new tab)

The best way to watch: Worry Road: Half Three: 1666 is streaming on Netflix.(opens in a brand new tab)

33. The Watermelon Lady (1996)

Director Cheryl Dunye’s cinematic debut brings utter fearlessness to righting wrongs. On this romantic comedy, Dunye performs a pseudo-autobiographical model of herself intent on giving credit score to the Black actors and filmmakers that got here earlier than her however had been too typically left unnamed of their works. Broadly thought to be the primary feature-length movie directed by an overtly lesbian Black girl, The Watermelon Lady stays a triumph virtually 30 years later. —A.F.

The best way to watch: The Watermelon Lady is streaming on Showtime(opens in a brand new tab), Paramount+,(opens in a brand new tab) and Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

34. My Lovely Laundrette (1985)

On this charming, horny, and foolish comedy from Stephen Frears, Gordon Warnecke and Daniel Day-Lewis play childhood friends-turned-lovers struggling to profit from their meager means. When the pair take over a laundromat collectively, they have to face the conventional pitfalls of working a enterprise in addition to battle the political local weather surrounding immigrants in ’80s Nice Britain. —A.F.

The best way to watch: My Lovely Laundrette is streaming on Hulu(opens in a brand new tab), Max(opens in a brand new tab), and Pluto TV(opens in a brand new tab), and accessible to hire or buy on iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

35. Rift (2017)

Need one thing uniquely chilling? Then take a look at this 2017 Icelandic thriller set in a frigid and frightful panorama. Written and directed by Erlingur Thoroddsen, Rift follows a person (Björn Stefánsson) to a distant cabin, the place he hopes to assist his distraught ex-boyfriend (Sigurður Þór Óskarsson) and perhaps discover some closure over their breakup. Nonetheless, their reunion is rattled by a collection of unusual occasions that counsel they aren’t alone. One thing is within the darkness, watching and ready. This unbelievable movie lures you in with lovely vistas and a slow-burn tempo, then spirals into scares positive to linger like a chilly shiver down your backbone.* —Ok.P.

The best way to watch: Rift is streaming on Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab) and Shudder(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market to hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab).

36. Carol (2016)

Based mostly on Patricia Highsmith’s groundbreaking 1952 novel, Todd Haynes’s Carol brings the lives of Carol Aird and Therese Belivet to the display screen by actors Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. This masterful rendition of a Christmas-set romance will pull at your heartstrings in the entire proper methods, completely nestling right into a nook of your soul. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Carol is streaming on Netflix(opens in a brand new tab) and accessible for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

37. Benedetta (2021)

If you hear that the director of Showgirls made a film about lesbian nuns, you may suspect Benedetta to be outlandishly raunchy and ferociously campy, reveling within the trashy tropes. Nonetheless, Paul Verhoeven brings beautiful artistry to this stranger-than-fiction story, delivering a biopic filled with outrageous moments with a complicated but depraved wit. Virginie Efira stars as Seventeenth-century Italian nun Benedetta Carlini, who rose eyebrows in her convent not solely due to the miracles she appeared to carry out but additionally due to her romance with a fellow sister (Daphne Patakia). —Ok.P.

The best way to watch: Benedetta is streaming on Hulu(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

38. Weekend (2011)

Tom Cullen and Chris New redefine the possibility encounter in director Andrew Haigh’s Weekend. Informed over the course of a 48-hour interval, this stirring, passionate romance considers the impacts strangers can have on each other — even when their time collectively is reduce all too quick. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Weekend is streaming on The (opens in a brand new tab)Criterion Channel(opens in a brand new tab) and Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

39. Tongues Untied (1989)

Artist Marlon Riggs’s experimental movie Tongues Untied addresses the onslaught of racist and homophobic prejudices Black homosexual males have been compelled to endure and navigate for many years. Combining documentary footage with scripted private accounts, this 55-minute movie stays an impactful and related level of reference in intersectional LGBTQ activism. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Tongues Untied is streaming on Kanopy.(opens in a brand new tab)

40. Love, Simon (2018)

Of us in search of a heartwarming, candy, and goofy romp to accompany the proper at-home Delight celebration can cease their search. Love, Simon, starring the at all times charming Nick Robinson, broke floor as the primary main studio movie to deal with a homosexual teen romance. Pleasant as it is crucial, this film combines the best of rom-coms and popping out tales to examine each field on a film lover’s checklist. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Love, Simon is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab), iTunes(opens in a brand new tab), YouTube(opens in a brand new tab), and Google Play(opens in a brand new tab).

41. Shiva Child (2021)

Right here’s a nightmare state of affairs: You’re a younger, bi Jewish girl (Rachel Sennott) who simply completed hooking up with certainly one of your sex-work shoppers — he’s wealthy and cute and, hey, perhaps you kinda like him. You present up on the shiva your dad and mom dragged you to, and oh fuck, Sugar Daddy walks in…with a sizzling spouse…holding a new child child. And he is aware of your dad and mom. Oh, and your ex-girlfriend, who’s been a complete flake currently, is there too. Emma Seligman’s debut characteristic is just like the Jewish comedic model of Trey Edward Schults’s Krisha, solely it finds the humor (and the suffocating nervousness) within the chaos. Even higher, it’s solely an hour and 17 minutes.* — O.W.

The best way to watch: Shiva Child is streaming on Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab) and Max(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market to hire or purchase on iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

42. Comfortable Collectively (1997)

Directed by Wong Kar-wai, this nail-biting romantic saga depicts a tumultuous relationship on the point of collapse. The movie’s leads, Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai, discover ardour and its limitations as Comfortable Collectively supplies a novel, if not jarring, glimpse into affairs of the center. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Comfortable Collectively is streaming on Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab) and Max(opens in a brand new tab).

43. However I’m a Cheerleader (2000)

Natasha Lyonne stars as a cheerleader compelled to attend a conversion remedy camp in what could very effectively be the best lesbian fairytale of all time. Directed by Jamie Babbit, However I’m a Cheerleader was met with lukewarm evaluations in 2000 however has since garnered a well-deserved cult following. Come for the promise of RuPaul making an attempt to fake he’s straight; keep for a primary kiss scene that includes Clea DuVall that may knock your pom-poms off. —A.F.

The best way to watch: However I’m a Cheerleader is streaming on Tubi(opens in a brand new tab), and Pluto TV(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

44. Wig (2019)

Probably the most iconic occasions of New York Metropolis Delight, Wigstock has taken many types over time. Watch as director Chris Moukarbel follows present-day queens as they try to revitalize the pageant made widespread by legends, like Girl Bunny, in 2018. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Wig is on the market to stream on Max.(opens in a brand new tab)

45. Velvet Goldmine (1998)

One other glittering present from Todd Haynes, this ’70s-set drama performs like fan fiction, penned about queer icons like David Bowie, Lou Reed, and Oscar Wilde. Jonathan Rhys Meyers stars as a glam rock star who wins the center of a headstrong American punk (Ewan McGregor), a glitzy get together lady (Toni Collette), and the devotion of a younger teen coming into his personal (Christian Bale). Full of unimaginable music, scintillating spectacle, and unapologetically queer lust, Velvet Goldmine is gorgeous and daring even earlier than you notice Haynes mopped its narrative construction from Citizen Kane. —Ok.P.

The best way to watch: Velvet Goldmine is now accessible for hire or buy on Prime Video.(opens in a brand new tab)

46. Paris Is Burning (1990)

It’s the movie you knew needed to be on this checklist. Director Jennie Livingston’s unparalleled documentary Paris Is Burning captures the New York Metropolis drag ball tradition of the late ’80s with type, grace, and intelligence. It’s a robust reflection on wealth disparity, race discrimination, and stigma surrounding the LGBTQ group — a must-see if there’s ever been one. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Paris Is Burning is now streaming on The Criterion Channel(opens in a brand new tab) and on Max(opens in a brand new tab), and accessible for hire or buy on iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

47. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger shepherd a nuanced narrative of ardour, worry, romance, and disgrace in director Ang Lee’s story of star-crossed lovers in rural Wyoming and Texas. A timeless reflection on what it takes to unite who you’re anticipated to be with who you actually are, Brokeback Mountain generally is a little sappy — however its faultless message at all times lands. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Brokeback Mountain is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

48. The best way to Survive a Plague (2012)

Reporter David France appears to be like again on the HIV/AIDS epidemic on this riveting, complete documentary. Weaving a whole bunch of hours of archival footage right into a cohesive narrative on the LGBTQ group’s struggle towards biased healthcare practices, The best way to Survive a Plague bottles what it means to make societal change occur earlier than it’s too late. —A.F.

The best way to watch: The best way to Survive a Plague is streaming on Pluto.television(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

49. Portrait of a Girl on Hearth (2019)

Author-director Céline Sciamma will blow you away with this historic French drama. Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel lead as a painter and her unwilling topic whose intimate time collectively begins a secret romance that threatens to unravel them each. Painful and poetic, Portrait of a Girl on Hearth is the under-appreciated watch you want to find time for. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Portrait of a Girl on Hearth is streaming on Hulu,(opens in a brand new tab) and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

50. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

Few issues are as unspeakably enjoyable as The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, and Man Pearce star as drag performers touring the Australian outback on this heartfelt comedy full of iconic one-liners and costume adjustments. (It ought to be famous that this movie accommodates some outdated, racist portrayals of non-white characters. Many argue the movie stays a historic textual content(opens in a brand new tab) for the adjustments it caused in mainstream acceptance of LGBTQ artwork.) —A.F.

The best way to watch: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab), iTunes(opens in a brand new tab), YouTube(opens in a brand new tab), and Google Play(opens in a brand new tab).

51. Upstairs Inferno (2015)

Documentarian Robert L. Camina remembers the catastrophic fireplace that took the lives of 32 folks at New Orleans homosexual bar UpStairs Lounge on June 24, 1973. Witnesses to the tragedy replicate on the lives misplaced, the anticipated arsonist behind the assault, and the town’s missing response to group devastation. It is a heartbreaking however important chapter in any LGBTQ historical past e book. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Upstairs Inferno is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

52. Kiki (2016)

There has by no means been a greater time to revisit Sara Jordenö’s breathtaking Kiki. Centered on the drag and ballroom scene of New York Metropolis and people communities’ roles in rebuffing systemic intersectional bias, this documentary is an inspiring reminder that pleasure and love can result in lasting change — however not with out profound battle. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Kiki is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

53. Pariah (2011)

Adepero Oduye devastates on this coming-of-age story. A cinematic journey that leaps from the display screen straight to your soul, Pariah follows a 17-year-old Black lady as she fights to simply accept her lesbian id and reconcile her sexual orientation together with her household’s imaginative and prescient of the longer term. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Pariah is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

54. Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Road (2019)

Queer horror is a style filled with cringeworthy strikes. However followers of the much-maligned A Nightmare on Elm Road 2: Freddy’s Revenge got here to embrace its quirky dance quantity and its groundbreaking scream queen, Mark Patton. Teaming with documentarians Tyler Jensen and Roman Chimienti, this fascinating main man steps again into the highlight to share his story as a closeted homosexual actor who survived public mockery and the AIDS disaster to discover a love and group that takes satisfaction in him. —Ok.P.

The best way to watch: Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Road is streaming on Shudder(opens in a brand new tab) and AMC+,(opens in a brand new tab) and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

55. The Favorite (2018)

Solely star Olivia Colman walked away with an Oscar for her work on The Favorite, however the 2018 historic black comedy greater than earned its fair proportion of reward. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, this Biggest Image nominee tells the story of two courtiers, performed by Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone, vying for the favor of Queen Anne (Colman). A wonderful argument towards aristocracies — and proudly owning too many rabbits — this darkly hilarious and queer romp is effectively price a watch. —A.F.

The best way to watch: The Favorite is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab), iTunes(opens in a brand new tab), YouTube(opens in a brand new tab), and Google Play(opens in a brand new tab).

56. We Had been Right here (2011)

Director David Weissman’s documentary We Had been Right here transports viewers again to the San Francisco LGBTQ scene of the ’80s and ’90s as interview topics relive their battle to take care of the unfathomable HIV/AIDS disaster. A testomony to the power of the human spirit and the ability of group, this can be a historical past lesson price being attentive to. —A.F.

The best way to watch: We Had been Right here is streaming Kanopy(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

57. Name Me By Your Title (2017)

Timothée Chalamet leads in director Luca Guadagnino’s gorgeous coming-of-age romance. Winner of Biggest Tailored Screenplay on the ninetieth Academy Awards, Name Me By Your Title approaches its starring couple with tenderness, understanding, and unshakable heat. That is the proper choose for a cozy-yet-ethereal night time in. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Name Me By Your Title is streaming on Netflix(opens in a brand new tab) and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

58. Tomboy (2011)

One other installment from writer-director Céline Sciamma. Tomboy paints a staggering portrait of a gender non-conforming youngster grappling with societal expectations in a brand new atmosphere. Filled with hope however grounded in its true-to-life performances, this movie exists as a testomony to turning into who you actually are at any age. Then-10-year-old Zoé Héran positively dazzles together with her lead position. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Tomboy is streaming on The Criterion Channel.(opens in a brand new tab)

59. A Unbelievable Lady (2017)

Winner of Biggest International Language Movie on the ninetieth Academy Awards, director Sebastián Lelio’s A Unbelievable Lady is a tragedy and triumph for the ages. Daniela Vega performs a girl who loses her companion unexpectedly. Amidst her grief, she should contend together with her late companion’s household and their transphobia. This movie provides beautiful cognizance of the ache prejudice can add to present loss. —A.F.

The best way to watch: A Unbelievable Lady is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

60. My Personal Personal Idaho (1991)

Keanu Reeves and the late River Phoenix star on this Twentieth-century retelling of Shakespeare’s Henry IV and Henry V. Director Gus Van Sant guides his leads by a tense, melancholy exploration of intimacy, energy, and uncertainty that by no means fails to ship poignant reflection regardless of its adventure-fueled storyline. Oh, and the pair’s chemistry is…searing. —A.F.

The best way to watch: My Personal Personal Idaho is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab), iTunes(opens in a brand new tab), and Google Play(opens in a brand new tab).

61. The Half of It (2020)

Since arriving on Netflix final yr, The Half of It has quietly constructed a following of younger queer folks enchanted by its presentation of popping out. Starring Leah Lewis as Ellie Chu, an introverted Chinese language-American excessive schooler, this romantic comedy is one more retelling of the 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, however with an intense honesty to its topic that makes it stand out. —A.F.

The best way to watch: The Half of It (opens in a brand new tab)is streaming on Netflix.(opens in a brand new tab)

62. A(sexual) (2011)

Director Angela Tucker’s debut documentary provides an intensive, albeit imperfect, examination of what it means to be asexual in our typically sex- and romance-obsessed tradition. A(sexual) provides profound perception into what it means for asexual folks to struggle for his or her proper to not partake in normalized relationship rituals and outline their very own areas inside the LGBTQ group. —A.F.

The best way to watch: A(sexual) is now streaming on Plex. (opens in a brand new tab)

63. Milk (2008)

In director Gus Van Sant’s astounding biopic, Sean Penn stars as activist and politician Harvey Milk. The primary overtly homosexual man to be elected to public workplace in California, Milk progressed the rights of LGBTQ Individuals by unprecedented leaps and bounds. Milk honors that legacy with its heartfelt imagining of an icon. Penn received Biggest Actor for his portrayal of Milk on the 81st Academy Awards. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Milk is streaming on Max(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

64. Tangerine (2015)

Director Sean Baker’s low-budget tour de power follows transgender intercourse employee Sin-Dee Rella (performed by the bubbling Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) as she seeks to enact revenge on the person who cheated on her and the cisgender girl he cheated with. Bittersweet and hysterical, Tangerine is a one-of-a-kind viewing expertise you’ll cherish endlessly. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Tangerine is streaming on Max(opens in a brand new tab) and Kanopy,(opens in a brand new tab) and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

65. The Birdcage (1996)

Within the wake of an surprising wedding ceremony, The Birdcage chronicles the chaotic mixing of two very completely different households. Alongside the best way, Nathan Lane dons full drag, Robin Williams dances his pleated pants off, and Gene Hackman brings outstanding depth to his straight-man position. That is the proper choose if you’d like one thing mild and enjoyable to look at together with your chosen household. —A.F.

The best way to watch: The Birdcage is streaming on Paramount+(opens in a brand new tab), and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

66. Rafiki (2018)

Starring Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva as burgeoning lovers, Rafiki was banned in Kenya(opens in a new tab) “as a result of its gay theme and clear intent to advertise lesbianism in Kenya opposite to the regulation.” Because of this, in fact, a lot of the remainder of the queer world embraced it as a logo towards censorship. Director Wanuri Kahiu treats these viewers to a positively enchanting romance, one which solely emphasizes the necessity for LGBTQ equality all over the place. —A.F.

The best way to watch: Rafiki is streaming on Kanopy,(opens in a brand new tab) and is on the market for hire or buy on Prime Video(opens in a brand new tab) and iTunes(opens in a brand new tab).

67. Welcome to Chechnya (2020)

The third movie from Academy Award-nominated documentarian David France, Welcome to Chechnya takes viewers on a guerilla-style investigation into the anti-gay purges that also plague the constituent republic of Russia. 

Not solely does the explosive venture element the abhorrent insurance policies created by Vladimir Putin and Chechen chief Ramzan Kadyrov to criminalize homosexuality, it additionally delves into the insidious tradition the federal government has instilled in its residents to encourage hate crimes. It’s a painful watch that calls for consideration from viewers, focusing largely on the brave efforts of underground networks working to assist LGBTQ folks escape the area.*  —A.F.

The best way to watch: Welcome to Chechnya is streaming on Max(opens in a brand new tab), or is on the market to buy on iTunes(opens in a brand new tab)

Asterisks (*) point out the write-up comes from a earlier Mashable checklist.

UPDATE: Jun. 1, 2023, 2:57 p.m. EDT This checklist has been up to date with lively hyperlinks and extra film suggestions.