Celebrate Pride Month with LGBTQ movies
June is LGBTQ Pride Month, but many of the usual rainbow-filled parades and exuberant festivities have been canceled as social distancing guidelines remain in place due to the spread of the new coronavirus.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate in other ways, like appreciating queer cinema and learning about the LGBTQ-centered issues depicted in some of the greatest films of the past 50 years.
From newer award winners like “The The Favourite” to older classics like “The Boys in the Band,” there are many genres to explore.
Here are some of the best LGBTQ films to watch as you celebrate Pride Month 2020.
‘The Thing About Harry’ (2020)
Cast:
Jake Borelli, Niko Terho, Britt
Baron, Japhet Balaban.
Director: Peter Paige.
What it’s about: This light-hearted rom-com follows two former high school enemies, Sam and Harry, who are reunited on a road trip to a mutual friend’s Valentine’s Day engagement party. Sam is shocked to learn that Harry is pansexual, granting him somewhat of a connection to his once high school bully. As the two continue to cross paths, Sam grapples with Harry’s insistence to be friends as the two float in and out of being love interests.
Where to find it: Streaming on Freeform, buy on Google Play or YouTube.
‘Rafiki’ (2019)
Cast: Samantha Mugatsia, Sheila Munyiva, Neville Misati, Nice Githinji. Director: Wanuri Kahiu.
What it’s about: This lesbian romance was the first Kenyan film to pre
miere at the Cannes Film Festival, and the love story it tells is riveting. ‘Rafiki’ follows Kena and Ziki, whose fathers are running against each other for a seat in the county assembly. Not only is samesex marriage illegal in Kenya, but Kena and Ziki simply being seen together is enough to raise constituents’ eyebrows. The film follows their intimate relationship in the context of the troubling society they live in.
Where to find it: Rent or buy on Amazon, iTunes or Vudu.
‘The Favourite’ (2018)
Cast: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn.
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos.
What it’s about: During the early 18th century, Queen Anne holds the English royal throne in poor health while her confidant and love interest Lady Sarah governs the country in her place. When new servant Abigail arrives, she quickly catches the eye of Anne and also forms a sexual relationship with the queen, setting off an ugly rivalry between Sarah and Abigail.
Where to find it: Rent or buy on Amazon, Google Play or YouTube.
‘Call Me By Your Name’ (2017)
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel.
Director: Luca Guadagnino.
What it’s about: A sun-drenched Italian summer romance blossoms between a precocious young man and an American academic during the early ‘80s in this adaptation of André Aciman’s 2007 novel. The strapping Hammer and bookish Chalamet are spellbinding in moments of silent tenderness that culminate in the first great love of their lives. Think of it as part Richard Linklater’s star-crossed “Before Sunrise” and Louis Malle’s coming-ofage tale “Murmur of the Heart” with a twist of Guadagnino’s “I Am Love.”
Where to find it: Rent or buy on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play or YouTube.
‘Moonlight’ (2016)
Cast: Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe.
Director: Barry Jenkins.
What it’s about: Forget the infamous Oscar snafu in which the presenters incorrectly named the winning film. The Best Picture winner deserves its acclaim
“Brokeback Mountain,” starring Heath Ledger (left) and Jake Gyllenhaal, tells the story of two cowboys whose secret emotional and sexual relationship spans two decades.
FOCUS FEATURES
for providing an unflinchingly honest and unforgettable exploration of identity. Jenkins tells the story of young Chiron’s rough Miami upbringing in three chapters that show him grow from a sensitive, bullied child to a hardened and adrift man.
Where to find it: Streaming on Netflix; rent or buy on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube or Vudu.
‘Tangerine’ (2015)
Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, James Ransome.
Director: Sean Baker.
What it’s about: Shot entirely on an iPhone 5, the Los Angeles-set “Tangerine” was initially lauded for its technical achievements by making do with a shoestring budget. But it’s the plot, centered on two transgender sex workers chasing a wayward pimp-boyfriend on Christmas Eve, that makes it a real wild ride.
Where to find it: Streaming on Hulu; rent or buy on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube or Vudu.
‘Laurence Anyways’ (2013)
Cast:
Director: Xavier Dolan.
What it’s about: Dolan’s third film centers on a schoolteacher transitioning into a woman and how her relationship with her longtime girlfriend inevitably changes over the course of a decade. Laurence’s personal revolution is documented in a 21⁄2-hour movie that combines rich montages with heartbreak and triumph.
Where to find it: Streaming on Amazon Prime; rent or buy on Amazon.
Melvil Poupaud, Suzanne Clément.
‘Weekend’ (2011)
Cast: Tom Cullen, Chris New. Director: Andrew Haigh.
What it’s about: A one-night stand turns into a brief romance over the course of a few days before one man leaves the country. Haigh combines intimate, charming conversation with the expectations and projections people have when the possibility of love lingers.
Where to find it: Rent or buy on Amazon or iTunes; rent on Google Play or Youtube.
‘Brokeback Mountain’ (2006)
Cast: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway. Director: Ang Lee.
What it’s about: Nuanced and delicate, Lee’s celebrated film concentrates on two cowboys whose secret sexual and emotional relationship spans two decades. The triple Academy Awardwinning film touts unforgettable performances from Ledger and Gyllenhaal in addition to the supporting cast.
Where to find it: Rent or buy on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube or Vudu.
‘But I’m a Cheerleader’ (2000)
Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, Cathy Moriarty, RuPaul.
Director: Jamie Babbit.
What it’s about: Lyonne plays a cheerleader who is unconvincing at appearing straight and is sent away to a conversion therapy camp lead by the gravel-voiced Moriarty and a “Straight Is Great” T-shirt donning RuPaul. Though it sounds dark, the 2000 comedy remains light fare complete with candy-coated art direction straight from a Paper magazine spread.
Where to find it: Rent or buy on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube or Vudu.
‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ (1994)
Cast:
Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce,
Terence Stamp.
Director: Stephan Elliott.
What it’s about: Traverse the stark Australian Outback in Priscilla, the tour bus of two Sydney-based drag performers and a transgender matriarch. The theme of the importance of family, both the one we are born with and the one we choose, give this feather-boa-filled film heart. You won’t be able to get CeCe Peniston’s “Finally” out of your head by the end of it.
Where to find it: Rent or buy on Amazon, Google Play, YouTube or Vudu.
‘Paris is Burning’ (1990)
Cast: Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, Willi Ninja, Venus Xtravaganza. Director: Jennie Livingston.
What it’s about: Ball culture in New York during the 1980s. There’s plenty of opulence and decadence in store on the ball floor but once the lights dim, many of the performers went home to squalor or into the care of their surrogate families.
Where to find it: Rent the DVD from Netflix.
‘The Boys in the Band’ (1970)
Cast: Kenneth Nelson, Leonard Frey, Cliff Gorman, Frederick Combs. Director: William Friedkin.
What it’s about: A seemingly lighthearted 30th birthday party in preStonewall New York becomes a viper pit as a straight man scores an invite to a gay-dominated gathering. Tempers burn slowly and hidden resentments surface to show there’s more than dancing and cocktails. Though the central characters are self-loathing and fraught with animosity, “Boys” is a milestone for queer cinema that allows its characters to not necessarily be likable at all times.
Where to find it: Rent the DVD from Netflix.