From coming-of-age films and heartbreaking dramas to cult classics and recent favorites… There’s something for everyone to enjoy! Scroll below for must-see movies that focus on LGBTQ+ characters and stories.
The Inspection
Starring: Jeremy Pope, Raúl Castillo, McCaul Lombardi, Aaron Dominguez
A young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside.
But I’m a Cheerleader
Starring: Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, Melanie Lynskey, RuPaul
A satirical rom-com about a high school cheerleader who gets sent to “sexual redirection” camp when her straitlaced parents and friends suspect her of being a lesbian.
Bros
Starring: Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane
Two men in Manhattan who avoid commitment are drawn to each other.
Close
Two 13-year-old boys have always been incredibly close but they are drift apart after their relationship is questioned by schoolmates. When tragedy strikes, one is forced to confront why he distanced himself from his closest friend.
Fire Island
Starring: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Margaret Cho
The story centers around two best friends who set out to have a legendary week-long summer vacation with the help of cheap rosé and a cadre of eclectic friends.
Moonlight
Starring: Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe, Ashton Sanders
An African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality during childhood, adolescence, and early adult life.
The World to Come
Starring: Vanessa Kirby, Katherine Waterson, Casey Affleck, Christopher Abbott
In the 19th century, two women form a deep relationship as pioneers on the frontier of America.
The Boys in the Band
Starring: Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells
Based on the 1968 play of the same name, a surprise guest and a drunken game leave seven gay friends reckoning with unspoken feelings and buried truths at a birthday party in ‘60s New York City.
Crush
Starring: Rowan Blanchard, Auli'i Cravalho, Isabella Ferreira, Tyler Alvarez
When an aspiring young artist is forced to join her high school track team, she uses it as an opportunity to pursue the girl she’s been harboring a long-time crush on.
My Policeman
Starring: Harry Styles, Emma Corrin, Gina McKee, Linus Roache
Summer of 85
Starring: Félix Lefebvre, Benjamin Voisin, Philippine Velge
Alexis has just met the friend of his dreams. But will the dream last for more than one summer?
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Starring: John Cameron Mitchell, Andrea Martin, Michael Pitt, Miriam Shor
A gender-queer punk rock singer from East Berlin tours the U.S. with her band as she tells her life story while following the former lover who stole her songs.
Swan Song
Starring: Udo Kier, Jennifer Coolidge, Linda Evans, Michael Urie
A formerly flamboyant hairdresser takes a long walk across a small town to style a dead woman's hair.
The Half of It
Starring: Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire
A shy straight-A student finds herself helping the school jock woo the girl they both secretly love.
They/Them
Starring: Theo Germaine, Carrie Preston, Anna Chlumsky, Kevin Bacon
Jordan is sent to a conversion therapy camp run by the strict Owen Whistler, who wants to help queer teens to “find a new sense of freedom.” As the camp’s methods become more unsettling, the campers must protect themselves. And when a mysterious killer starts claiming victims, things get even more dangerous.
Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration
Starring: Billy Eichner, Mae Martin, Sarah Paulson, Margaret Cho
A comedy variety special featuring LGBTQ+ comedy icons and emerging voices.
Titane
Starring: Agathe Rousselle, Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier
Following a series of unexplained crimes, a father is reunited with the son who has been missing for 10 years.
Anything’s possible
Starring: Eva Reign, Abubakr Ali, Renée Elise Goldsberry
A delightfully modern Gen Z coming-of-age story that follows Kelsa, a confident high school girl who is trans, as she navigates through senior year.
Other People
Starring: Jesse Plemons, Molly Shannon, Bradley Whitford, Maude Apatow
In the midst of the worst year of his life, a 29-year-old gay man returns to Sacramento to care for his dying mother and deal with his conservative father.
Tangerine
Starring: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O’Hagan
Shot on 3 iPhones, the film tells the story of a sex worker who, after hearing her boyfriend cheated on her while she was in jail, goes on a mission to track him down and teach him a lesson.
Happiest Season
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza
A young woman plans to propose to her girlfriend while at her family's annual holiday party. However, she doesn’t know her partner has yet to come out to her conservative family.
Single All The Way
Starring: Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Kathy Najimy, Jennifer Coolidge
Desperate to avoid his family's judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter convinces his best friend Nick to join him for the holidays and pretend that they're now in a relationship.
Love, Simon
Starring: Nick Robinson, Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Garner, Katherine Langford
A coming-of-age story about Simon Spier, who has a huge secret. When that secret is threatened, Simon must face everyone and come to terms with his identity.
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, John Leguizamo, Stockard Channing
Three drag queens travel cross-country to Hollywood... until their car breaks down, leaving them stranded in a small town.
A Fantastic Woman
Starring: Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, Luis Gnecco, Aline Küppenheim
Marina, a woman who works as a waitress and moonlights as a nightclub singer, is thrown into turmoil by the death of her partner.
Milk
Starring: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Victor Garber
The biographical film is based on the life of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Booksmart
Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams, Jason Sudeikis
Annapurna Pictures
The day before high school graduation, two overachiever best friends decide to cram four years of fun into one night.
Brokeback Mountain
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams
Based on Annie Proulx’s short story of the same name, a rodeo cowboy and a ranch hand develop a deep lifelong connection that spans 20 years of their lives.
Shiva Baby
Starring: Rachel Sennott, Molly Gordon, Polly Draper, Danny Deferrari
A college student has an awkward encounter with her sugar daddy and ex-girlfriend while attending a Jewish funeral service with her parents.
The Birdcage
Starring: Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Hank Azaria
A gay club owner and his companion agree to put up a false straight front so their son can introduce them to his fiancée's right-wing parents.
Parting Glances
Starring: Richard Ganoung, John Bolger, Steve Buscemi, Adam Nathan
One of the first films to address the AIDS pandemic, the drama revolves around a gay couple – one of which is leaving for a work assignment in Africa, while the other stays behind.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Starring: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami, Valeria Golino
On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of a reluctant bride-to-be.
Call Me By Your Name
Starring: Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar
While spending the summer in Italy, a seventeen-year-old falls for his father’s research assistant – altering their lives forever.
Stage Mother
Starring: Jacki Weaver, Lucy Liu, Adrian Grenier, Mya Taylor
A conservative church choir director inherits a drag club started by her deceased son.
What Keeps You Alive
Starring: Hannah Emily Anderson, Brittany Allen
A young woman fights for her life as her wife's murderous intentions become evident while celebrating their one-year anniversary.
Pride
Starring: Billy Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine
U.K. gay activists work to help miners during their strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984.
