LGBTQ films have finally started to break into the mainstream and spread the message of love, acceptance, and understanding
As a closeted gay kid growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey, one of the greatest things I could turn to for comfort and understanding is LGBTQ films. There I could see people experiencing what I was experiencing and, in some, I would find hope that one day I would be able to be who I was unabashadly.
So many movies about marginalized groups, whether BIPOC or queer, focus on the struggle. Few, however, show the beauty and joy that could happen outside of that struggle. Here are a few LGBTQ films with happy endings to give you comfort, hope, and joy.
The Birdcage (1996)
Here’s what it’s about: Armand Goldman (Robin Williams) owns the drag cabaret The Birdcage with his life partner Albert (Nathan Lane), who’s also the star performer. When their son Val (Dan Futterman) announces he’s getting married, they’re forced to put up a false straight front to host his fiance’s ultraconservative parents (Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest).
Why you should watch it: Since Nichols and May started their careers as an improv comedy duo, The Birdcage was almost the perfect story for them to adapt. The premise itself is like an improv prompt. However, like their best work, they guide the story and the actors to the edge of ridiculousness, but never let it go over — even Nathan Lane whose performance is as bombastic as ever leans on the side of high camp rather than slapstick.
And while the story is ripe for stereotypes and cliches, they never let it get there. Instead, they take their time and pace themselves allowing for us to explore, get to know and, most importantly, fall in love with every single character. It’s perhaps one of the best comedic ensembles of all time with every actor getting their moment to steal a scene whether it’s Hank Azaria’s high-camp Guatemalan housekeeper repeatedly falling over because he’s not used to wearing shoes or Christine Baranski playing Val’s biological mother prancing around her office or Williams directing Albert’s cabaret performance.
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The Half of It (2020)
Here’s what it’s about: Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) is a straight-A student who helps her father with the bills by writing papers for other students, which is why she’s approached by sweet, but hopeless jock Paul (Daniel Diemer) for help writing love letters to the school’s misunderstood it-girl Aster (Alexxis Leimer). While Alice and Paul’s friendship develops, so do Alice’s feelings for Aster.
Why you should watch it: On the surface, The Half of It is a serviceable high school dramedy. However, at its core, it’s a sensitive character study of identity and how the town we grew up in shapes it, for better and worse. And though it only skims the surface of sexuality, it’s distinctly queer. The gaze is queer. The themes are queer. This is a movie that only a person that has experienced it could accomplish. And although it has all this complexity, it still has the moments of joy and levity we crave in a coming-of-age. However, those moments happen where — and between characters — we least expect them. This is a love story. But not between who you think.
There’s a chance The Half of It fades into the background of the multitudes of Netflix romantic comedies that are shuffled away in the mysterious algorithm. But I hope that the right audience sees it. It feels like a cliche now, but if I had seen this movie when I was a kid, I feel like the world would have been different for me. I’d see it differently. I’d understand myself and how to love differently. I’d understand that confusion is just a part of understanding. And that running after a train may look ridiculous, but that’s love. Read my full review here.
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The Handmaiden (2016)
What it’s about: A grifter (Kim Tae-ri) teams up with a con-man (Ha Jung-woo) to swindle an heiress (Kim Min-hee) out of her fortune. However, when real feeling begin to develop, the con gets out of hand.
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Moonlight (2016)
What it’s about: Barry Jenkins’ Best Picture winning masterpiece ? tells the story of a young black boy named Chiron as he grows up and struggles with his identity. The movie is split into three distinct acts following him as a child (Alex Hibbert), teen (Ashton Sanders), and adult (Trevante Rhodes).
Why you should watch it: Moonlight is arguably the most important Best Picture winner of the decade — and perhaps of all time. And not just because of the infamous mix up. It’s almost unfathomable that the Academy, which overlooked Brokeback Mountain to award Crash, would give its top prize to an independent film about a poor queer black boy dealing with his sexuality. However, I think it won, in part, because it’s a perfect film.
Without many words or huge plot moments, Director Barry Jenkins able to tell us a complex story about a kid going through the process of discovering, struggling, and ultimately accepting who you are. He explores it with a singular style that plays with the cinematic form in a way that we haven’t seen in decades. Everything from the cinematography, sound design, and score are there to serve the story — there’s not a single scene that doesn’t serve a purpose. And as painful as the journey is, it all feels satisfying at the end. Like an exhale that we didn’t know we needed. Moonlight is streaming on Netflix.
? Buy or rent: Prime Video | iTunes | YouTube
Pariah (2011)
? Buy or Rent: Prime Video | Apple TV | YouTube
Pride (2014)
What it’s about: It’s 1984. In England, Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike. Meanwhile, a group of queer activists decides to raise money to support the families of the striking miners—in an act of solidarity. However, the Union is too embarrassed to receive their support, setting off a journey of acceptance, love, and protest.
Why you should watch it: “It’s a show of solidarity. Who hates the miners? Thatcher. Who else? The police, the public, and the tabloid press. That sound familiar?” But also, sound familiar? You can replace a couple of words in that quote and talk about exactly what’s happening today. And while Pride’s message that our similarities are greater than our differences is profound and well delivered, it’s also entertaining.
Pride is careful not to tread into the territory of a contrived or corny feel-good historical dramedy and instead use its well-drawn characters to tell its endearing story—with all the heartbreaking moments intact. Its cast of British screen legends—Imelda Staunton, Bill Nighy, Andrew Scott—and newcomers (at the time)—George Mackay, Ben Schnetzer, Joe Gilgun, Faye Marsay—give Pride its heart and spirit while also delivering genuine laughs. Pride is streaming on Prime Video.
? Buy or Rent: Prime Video | iTunes | YouTube
Tangerine (2015)
Here’s what it’s about: It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend hasn’t been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra, embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor.
Why you should watch it: Tangerine, with its frenetic editing, vivid iPhone cinematography, and rich sound design, throws you into the dreamy L.A. underbelly unlike any other film. However, within that dreamscape are characters so daringly planted in reality. Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor imbue their characters with both bite and heart, which makes them incredible subjects for this story looking to inspire empathy for an entire community.
Pride Month began as a protest against the police brutality of largely black and brown transwomen in 1969, which is why it’s more important than ever to explore both the joys and struggles of that community. Tangerine does so in an entertaining and heartwarming way that leaves you pining for more. Tangerine is streaming on Hulu.
? Buy or Rent: Prime Video | Apple TV | YouTube
Weekend (2011)
What it’s about: After meeting at a club, Russell (Tom Cullen) and Glen (Chris New) have what they think is a one-night stand. However, it turns into a weekend-long conversation about identity, love, and acceptance.
Why you should watch it: Weekend is a meditation on moments. There are no grand romantic gestures or ridiculous ultimatums. Though, the central conflict of the movie is an impending departure. Its greatest virtue is its realism. So rarely in relationships nowadays we say what we feel. So two men with a mutual attraction that want it to become more won’t explicitly address that feeling.
Instead, Haigh hides that development in the small moments — a touch, a look of familiarity or understanding. As the two men see each other more, each sexual encounter become more explicit — their first hookup isn’t shown on screen. It’s Haigh’s way of showing their growing intimacy and perhaps love. Weekend is streaming on the Criterion Channel.
▶︎ Streaming on the Criterion Channel. Buy or rent on Amazon.
God’s Own Country (2017)
What it’s about: Johnny (Josh O’Connor) bides his time working on his family’s farm and binge drinking—which often leads to casual sex with random men. However, he begins to think about his future when handsome Romanian migrant worker Gheorghe (Alec Secăreanu) begins to work on the farm.
Why you should watch it: God’s Own Country in a lot of ways feels akin to Brokeback Mountain—two men spending time doing manual labor involving sheep in a remote picturesque landscape. However, where the two differ is Brokeback is coded as a tragedy from the start—as it’s as much about the external factors keeping the men apart as it is the internal factors.
God’s Own Country is about the internal factors. It’s not just about the emotional repression that plagues queer people, but also the obligation we often feel towards our families. In the end, it’s a journey of self-discovery—and unlike Brokeback one that ends before it’s too late.
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Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.