The Best GLBTQ Films/Series
by harukohana | created - 21 Aug 2012 | updated - 27 Nov 2016 | PublicA list in which I include only the best GLBTQ films/series I have seen.
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1. A Single Man (2009)
R | 99 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
An English professor, one year after the sudden death of his boyfriend, is unable to cope with his typical days in 1960s Los Angeles.
Director: Tom Ford | Stars: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Nicholas Hoult
Votes: 117,779 | Gross: $9.17M
Intriguing, depressing, yet enjoyable.
2. And the Band Played On (1993 TV Movie)
PG | 141 min | Drama, History
The story of the discovery of the AIDS epidemic, and the political infighting of the scientific community hampering the early fight with it.
Director: Roger Spottiswoode | Stars: Matthew Modine, Alan Alda, Patrick Bauchau, Nathalie Baye
Votes: 11,009
A good film that is about the AIDS epidemic, which affected many gay men, in the early 1980s.
3. Backstroke (2007)
20 min | Short, Drama
Rome and Julie end up in the same psychiatric ward a month after their relationship's sudden end, though Rome's case of amnesia means that she doesn't remember the relationship at all.
Director: Amy Bronson | Stars: Niki Nielsen, Amee Walden, David Baggett, Linda Eyring
Votes: 61
The filming is not high quality, but the plot within it is just so good. It is so cute and moving and sad.
4. Blow (2002)
10 min | Drama, Short
A girl who thinks she is allergic to life tries to find a way to "blow" the sneezes away.
Director: Marie Craven | Stars: Elsa Carnaby, Miriam Glaser, Louise Siversen, Kim Gyngell
Votes: 112
A cute, little, short film.
5. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
R | 134 min | Drama, Romance
Ennis and Jack are two shepherds who develop a sexual and emotional relationship. Their relationship becomes complicated when both of them get married to their respective girlfriends.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, Randy Quaid
Votes: 382,293 | Gross: $83.04M
A really intense, dramatic, and tragic romance with two amazing leads.
6. But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
R | 85 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A naive teenager is sent to rehab camp when her straitlaced parents and friends suspect her of being a lesbian.
Director: Jamie Babbit | Stars: Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, Michelle Williams, Brandt Wille
Votes: 41,251 | Gross: $2.21M
A really cute, hilarious, satirical movie. One of my favorites. Prepare to crush on Clea DuVall and her character, like I did!
7. You, Me and Him (2007)
Not Rated | 18 min | Short, Drama, Romance
When the plans for the future change, new bonds are created between Danilo, Lucas and Marcos. in between video-games and milk cups, pain and disappointment, they need to learn how to live together.
Director: Daniel Ribeiro | Stars: Daniel Tavares, Diego Torraca, Eduardo Melo, Eleio Calascibetta
Votes: 1,495
A well-done, sweet short film.
8. The Children's Hour (1961)
Not Rated | 108 min | Drama, Romance
A rebellious student at a girls' school accuses two teachers of lesbianism.
Director: William Wyler | Stars: Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner, Miriam Hopkins
Votes: 18,401
A very tragic drama that focuses on the local disapproval of homosexuality, perceived or actual, at the time. I thought Shirley MacLaine's character was so cute. :[
9. C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005)
Not Rated | 129 min | Comedy, Drama
A young French Canadian, one of five boys in a conservative family in the 1960s and 1970s, struggles to reconcile his emerging identity with his father's values.
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée | Stars: Michel Côté, Marc-André Grondin, Danielle Proulx, Émile Vallée
Votes: 34,131
Enjoyable, but rather slow. Really touching portrayal of the struggle of growing up gay and the process of accepting it, as well as the father-son relationship.
10. The Crying Game (1992)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A British soldier kidnapped by the IRA soon befriends one of his captors, who then becomes drawn into the soldier's world.
Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson, Forest Whitaker, Miranda Richardson
Votes: 60,068 | Gross: $62.55M
11. Different from the Others (1919)
Not Rated | 50 min | Crime, Drama, History
Two male musicians fall in love, but blackmail and scandal makes the affair take a tragic turn.
Director: Richard Oswald | Stars: Conrad Veidt, Leo Connard, Ilse von Tasso-Lind, Alexandra Willegh
Votes: 1,489
One of the earliest films, if not the earliest film, not just featuring homosexuality but in a very progressive manner.
12. I Don't Want to Go Back Alone (2010)
17 min | Short, Drama, Romance
The arrival of a new student in school changes Leonardo's life. This 15 year-old blind teenager has to deal with the jealousy of his friend Giovana while figuring out the new feelings he's having towards his new friend, Gabriel.
Director: Daniel Ribeiro | Stars: Ghilherme Lobo, Tess Amorim, Fabio Audi, Nora Toledo
Votes: 7,794
A tender romance, another great short film from the makers of Café com Leite.
13. Fingersmith (2005)
Not Rated | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
In Victorian England, Sue, a young thief, participates in a scam to defraud a rich heiress by becoming her maid. Things take an unexpected turn and Sue's plan goes horribly wrong.
Stars: Elaine Cassidy, Sally Hawkins, Imelda Staunton, Rupert Evans
Votes: 9,615
Really romantic. One of my favorites. It is rather slow-paced, however, which I enjoyed though, because it intensified the increasing romantic tension. Despite being a bit slow-paced, a lot happens, including some shocking twists! Not to mention, the two beautiful lead actresses. I developed quite the crush on Sally Hawkins's character.
14. Fire (1996)
Unrated | 104 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Two mentally unstable women who are abandoned by their husbands find love and solace in each other.
Director: Deepa Mehta | Stars: Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das, Karishma Jhalani, Ramanjeet Kaur
Votes: 6,365 | Gross: $0.40M
Really intense, excellent, dramatic romance.
15. Get Real (1998)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A tenderly romantic coming-of-age story as two boys in a British school fall in love.
Director: Simon Shore | Stars: Ben Silverstone, Brad Gorton, Charlotte Brittain, Stacy Hart
Votes: 14,679 | Gross: $1.20M
A nice coming-of-age movie.
16. The Handmaiden (2016)
Not Rated | 145 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
A woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, Moon So-ri
Votes: 172,821 | Gross: $2.01M
17. Heavenly Creatures (1994)
R | 99 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Two teenage girls share a unique bond; their parents, concerned that the friendship is too intense, separate them, and the girls take revenge.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse, Diana Kent
Votes: 67,420 | Gross: $3.05M
I love Kate Winslet in everything. Really morbid with an unhealthy mutual obsession.
18. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
R | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A gender-queer punk-rock singer from East Berlin tours the U.S. with her band as she tells her life story and follows the former lover/band-mate who stole her songs.
Director: John Cameron Mitchell | Stars: John Cameron Mitchell, Miriam Shor, Stephen Trask, Theodore Liscinski
Votes: 37,353 | Gross: $3.03M
19. Imagine Me & You (2005)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A newlywed bride becomes infatuated with another woman who questions her sexual orientation, promoting a stir among the bride's family and friends.
Director: Ol Parker | Stars: Piper Perabo, Lena Headey, Matthew Goode, Celia Imrie
Votes: 35,997 | Gross: $0.67M
A sweet, light-hearted romantic comedy with two beautiful leads.
20. The Journey (2004)
107 min | Drama, Romance
In Sancharram ("The Journey"), Kiran is mortified by her growing lesbian desire for the effervescent Delilah, in an idyllic Indian village where arranged marriage is the only acceptable form of coupling.
Director: Ligy J. Pullappally | Stars: Suhasini V. Nair, Shrruiti Menon, K.P.A.C. Lalitha, Valsala Menon
Votes: 377
Really intense and beautiful romantic movie set in rural India.
21. The L Word (I) (2004–2009)
TV-MA | 50 min | Drama, Romance
Follows the lives and loves of a small, close-knit group of lesbian women living in Los Angeles as well as the friends and family members that either support or loathe them.
Stars: Jennifer Beals, Leisha Hailey, Laurel Holloman, Mia Kirshner
Votes: 28,761
A very enjoyable series! Though the last season and its finale was disappointing. I adore Leisha's character Alice, and Leisha for that matter, and her friendship and relationship with Dana, my favorite couple. :]
22. Lip Service (2010–2012)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama
Sex, lies and true love in modern Scotland. Following the lives and loves of a group of twenty-something lesbians living in Glasgow.
Stars: Fiona Button, Heather Peace, James Anthony Pearson, Natasha O'Keeffe
Votes: 4,555
A well-done series with interesting characters. The second is even better than the first. I particularly like Frankie, Tess, and Sadie.
23. Rak haeng Siam (2007)
Not Rated | 178 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
Two boyhood friends are separated due to the disappearance of the sister of one of them, then later meet again as teenagers, when one of them has become a pop singer, and they discover feelings that they did not know they had.
Director: Chookiat Sakveerakul | Stars: Sinjai Plengpanich, Songsit Roongnophakunsri, Pimpan Buranapim, Laila Boonyasak
Votes: 4,268
Sweet, adorable couple, story, and movie, but with a bittersweet ending.
24. Mädchen in Uniform (1931)
Passed | 87 min | Drama, Romance
At an all-girls boarding school, Manuela falls in love with a teacher, to terrific consequences.
Directors: Leontine Sagan, Carl Froelich | Stars: Dorothea Wieck, Hertha Thiele, Emilia Unda, Hedy Krilla
Votes: 3,739
The early lesbian classic that supposedly inspired the recent Loving Annabelle. The lead actress is charming and endearing as is the story.
25. Mars (2007)
16 min | Short
A short German film about an urban delinquent, Lilly, who catches the attention of Anna, a cute lesbian photographer and turns against two violent cohorts to save her from a fatal stabbing.
Director: Marcus Richardt | Stars: Anna Maria Mühe, Claire Oelkers, Yasmin Asadie, Louisa Herfert
Votes: 90
I just like this short film so much. I'm not sure why. I guess because it's such a tease and ends so soon and on a cliffhanger. And it really is sweet and cute.
26. Maurice (1987)
R | 140 min | Drama, Romance
Two English school chums find themselves falling in love at Cambridge. To regain his place in society, Clive gives up Maurice and marries. While staying with Clive and his wife, Maurice discovers romance in the arms of the gamekeeper Alec.
Director: James Ivory | Stars: James Wilby, Rupert Graves, Hugh Grant, Denholm Elliott
Votes: 23,589 | Gross: $3.13M
Such a well-done romantic drama with sweet characters, based upon E. M. Forester's novel.
27. Milk (I) (2008)
R | 128 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of American gay activist Harvey Milk, who fought for gay rights and was elected as California's first openly gay official.
Director: Gus Van Sant | Stars: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna
Votes: 179,868 | Gross: $31.84M
An excellent film based upon Harvey Milk's life and murder during San Francisco's gay rights movement and his contribution to it.
28. Moonlight (I) (2016)
R | 111 min | Drama
A young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.
Director: Barry Jenkins | Stars: Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Trevante Rhodes, Alex R. Hibbert
Votes: 331,952 | Gross: $27.85M
29. Mulholland Drive (2001)
R | 147 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
After a car wreck on Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Jeanne Bates
Votes: 383,938 | Gross: $7.22M
Extremely intense and surreal with an incredible plot. I love Lynch films.
30. Ma vie en rose (1997)
R | 88 min | Drama
Ludovic is an innocent seven-year-old child who provokes horror in his community when he dresses in girls clothes and insists he's a girl.
Director: Alain Berliner | Stars: Georges Du Fresne, Michèle Laroque, Jean-Philippe Écoffey, Hélène Vincent
Votes: 9,027 | Gross: $2.28M
An excellent movie that shows an 8 year old girl's budding crush and her increasingly worsened struggle with being able to be the girl she really is, because of her family, her harsh neighborhood, and society.
31. Mysterious Skin (2004)
Unrated | 105 min | Drama
Two pre-adolescent boys both experienced a strange event and later it affects their lives in different ways. One becomes a reckless, sexually adventurous prostitute, while the other retreats into a reclusive fantasy of alien abduction.
Director: Gregg Araki | Stars: Brady Corbet, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elisabeth Shue, Chase Ellison
Votes: 76,336 | Gross: $0.70M
A really great, but depressing and disturbing, film, involving child molestation.
32. Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019)
TV-MA | 59 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Convicted of a decade-old crime of transporting drug money, ordinarily law-abiding Piper Chapman is sentenced to 18 months behind bars and quickly discovers the realities of life-changing prison time.
Stars: Taylor Schilling, Danielle Brooks, Taryn Manning, Emma Myles
Votes: 320,229
33. Pariah (I) (2011)
R | 86 min | Drama
A Brooklyn teenager juggles conflicting identities and risks friendship, heartbreak and family in a desperate search for sexual expression.
Director: Dee Rees | Stars: Adepero Oduye, Kim Wayans, Aasha Davis, Pernell Walker
Votes: 7,560 | Gross: $0.76M
A really good, well-done, beautiful movie with a precious main character. I just thought she was so cute. This movie is far too underrated.
34. Rent (2005)
PG-13 | 135 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
In New York City's gritty East Village, a group of bohemians strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic.
Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Taye Diggs, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Rapp
Votes: 55,927 | Gross: $29.08M
A touching, emotional musical.
35. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
R | 100 min | Comedy, Horror, Musical
A newly-engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must seek shelter at the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-n-Furter.
Director: Jim Sharman | Stars: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O'Brien
Votes: 166,968 | Gross: $139.88M
An extremely unusual cult film classic and musical. Quite entertaining.
36. Saving Face (2004)
R | 91 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A gay Chinese-American and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to go public with secret loves that clash against cultural expectations.
Director: Alice Wu | Stars: Joan Chen, Michelle Krusiec, Lynn Chen, Jin Wang
Votes: 13,435 | Gross: $1.19M
Another cute romantic comedy with two cute leads that form a cute couple. Wow, how many times can I use the word cute? :P
37. Shelter (II) (2007)
R | 97 min | Drama, Romance, Sport
When his college dreams are sidelined by family obligations, a young man finds comfort in surfing with his best friend's brother.
Director: Jonah Markowitz | Stars: Trevor Wright, Brad Rowe, Tina Holmes, Jackson Wurth
Votes: 24,040 | Gross: $0.14M
A sweet romantic movie with a beautiful couple.
38. Soldier's Girl (2003 TV Movie)
R | 112 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The true story of the price a young soldier paid for falling in love with a transsexual night-club performer.
Director: Frank Pierson | Stars: Troy Garity, Lee Pace, Andre Braugher, Shawn Hatosy
Votes: 7,241
A tragic, moving romance based upon true events. I found Calpernia's character adorable as well as her relationship with the main character, and the main character himself really. :P
39. Tipping the Velvet (2002)
59 min | Drama, Romance
The story of Nan Astley who falls in love with three different women on her journey to stardom and happiness in 1887 Victorian England.
Stars: Rachael Stirling, Keeley Hawes, Jodhi May, Alexei Sayle
Votes: 8,606
Like Fingersmith, this movie is based upon a Sarah Waters's novel. Unlike Fingersmith, this has a faster pace and, to me, is not nearly as romantic.
40. To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)
PG-13 | 109 min | Comedy, Drama
Three drag queens travel cross-country until their car breaks down, leaving them stranded in a small town.
Director: Beeban Kidron | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, John Leguizamo, Stockard Channing
Votes: 36,562 | Gross: $36.47M
41. Yes or No (2010)
102 min | Comedy, Romance
Pie is a sweet girl who moves into a new college dorm room where she finds out that her new roommate Kim, is a tomboy who looks and dress like a boy. As their friendship develops, Pie and ... See full summary »
Director: Sarasawadee Wongsompetch | Stars: Sushar Manaying, Supanart Jittaleela, Arisara Thongborisut, Soranut Yupanun
Votes: 2,092
An extremely, immensely, sweet and cute romantic movie with adorable characters.
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