Movies and shows hold the power to borrow from real life. They possess this undeniable capability to shape us, our thoughts, and our ideologies. And it’s about time that mainstream cinema shone the spotlight on legit LGBTQIA+ experiences and characters. None of that token character nonsense, thank you. And luckily, there have been films and shows that have done precisely that. So, this Pride Month, to honour and celebrate the community, we’re raising our glasses to the movies and shows that got it right. Who knows maybe someone out there can learn something from these, and it'll open their minds.
18 Movies And Series That Celebrate The LGBTQIA+ Community
Movies
A Perfectly Normal Family
A story of understanding, acceptance, and love, this movie, by Reymann, is based on her own childhood experiences when her father decided to transition to female. Set in the 90s, the story is narrated through an 11 year old girl. What’s heartwarming is to see how the movie explores the confusion and bafflement that follows when her parents decide to divorce because her father is transgender.
Where To Watch: MUBI and Amazon Prime Video
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Carol
A romantic drama period film, Carol follows the story of Therese who works at a department store where she encounters the enchanting Carol. What then follows is an unexpected turn of events where Therese realises that she now harbours feelings for Carol. What we love about this movie is how poignantly it showcases a very real and a very human lesbian relationship, further tipping its hat to the much-needed representation. No drama. Just real and raw story-telling.
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video
IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
Portrait Of A Lady On Fire
Set in France, 1770, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire is one of the most heartbreaking yet warming cinematic experiences. The plot follows Marianne, who’s commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Heloise, a young woman who is unwilling to marry. Heloise being reluctant leads to Marianne scheming ways to paint her in secrecy. This relationship eventually leads to a passionate affair between the two women where they not only realise their sexuality but are heartbroken about the limited options of what they could do next.
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Brokeback Mountain
Brokeback Mountain, released in 2005, is a gem of a movie that became one of the first mainstream movies to represent the LGBTQIA+ community, reflecting and holding up a mirror to reality. If you haven't yet watched it, without spoiling it all, we'll say that it is an American Neo-Western romantic drama film that revolves around two shepherds who develop a highly emotional and sexual relationship with each other. Things get complicated when they both get married to their girlfriends who are unable to accept their sexuality, and not know what could ensue if others 'found out'. We love how the movie delicately tip-toes around the realities closeted men face, especially in a hyper-masculine environment. The late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal have done a fantastic job of portraying the lovers, the betrayal and utter sadness. You'll be crying through this one.
Where To Watch: Netflix
IMDb Rating: 4.5/10
Uncle Frank
A different drama-comedy, Uncle Frank revolves around a gay literature professor who reluctantly returns home to attend his father’s funeral, accompanied by his teenage niece. It’s got a tint of good ‘ol American retro while also being an entertaining 'road movie.' A film about acceptance, understanding, and the unclenching of generational guilt, we love to see the evolution of Frank’s character as he does all three for none other than himself. While you will laugh, and cry a little too, this one is great to subtly get folks who still find it 'tough to accept' the LGBTQIA+ community.
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Laurence Anyways
A compelling movie that’s all about confronting the prejudices of friends, ignoring the non-acceptance from family, and fiercely braving the phobias of society. Set in the 90s, Laurence Anyways is a Canadian romantic drama film revolving around when Laurence informs his girlfriend that he wants to become a woman.
Where To Watch: MUBI & Amazon Prime Video
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Saving Face
Released in 2004, Saving Face was a defining entry into the lesbian film canon, becoming one of the first Hollywood movies to revolve around Chinese-Americans. The film narrates the story of a closeted Chinese-American woman who falls in love for the first time and struggles to come to terms with the strained relationship between her and her girlfriend’s 'traditional' and 'unaccepting' NYC community.
Where To Watch: MUBI
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Shows
Sex Education
A Gen Z (and hey, millennial too!) favourite, Sex Education is a comedy-drama series that revolves around the life of the awkward Otis, who navigates the ins and outs of his drama-filled comedic life with his best friend Eric. The show does a brilliant job when it comes to representation, with the characters of Eric, Ola, Adam, and Anwar, to name a few. Each character comes with their own baggage and story, and most importantly how they not only learn to accept themselves but how they’re perceived and accepted in an environment that can be particularly hostile at times—high school. For younger viewers, this is by far the best representation of the community.
Where To Watch: Netflix
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Pose
Set in the New York of the late 80s, this series revolves around New York’s evolution of the ball culture, the gay and trans community, the raging AIDS crisis, and capitalism. The focal point, however, of the show is Bianca, who establishes her own ball-house where she takes a gifted dancer and sex worker under her wing.
Where To Watch: Disney+ Hotstar
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
Modern Family
Fun, quirky, and unconventional. Modern Family, an American comedy series that heart-warmingly celebrates the queer community with the characters of Mitchell and Cam who are not only an openly gay couple, but also adopt an Asian girl-child Lily. The show essentially revolves around the Pritchett and Dunphy family with Mitch and Cam’s journey as one of the main story points. What we love about this story is how easily they integrate queer characters without making a 'fuss' about it.
Where To Watch: Disney+ Hotstar
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Grace & Frankie
Throw it back with this American comedy series, which revolves around two ageing women who form a rather unlikely friendship after years of rivalry and one-upmanship when their respective husbands–law firm partners–reveal that they’re actually partners and are hopelessly in love with each other. The show does a great job at showcasing how the two men finally accept themselves (well into their 60s), get over their guilt of 'abandoning' their wives, and walk out into the open while their families digest this wave of change in a comedic, yet heartwarming backdrop.
Where To Watch: Netflix
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Brooklyn 99
This show needs no introduction, but we'd still comply. The show follows a group of New York detectives and their day to day lives solving crimes. The show has been dubbed as one of the most 'inclusive' shows and rightly so. With characters like Rosa Diaz, who plays a bisexual woman, to Raymond Holt who is the captain of B99, married to his husband Kevin. This show does a fantastic job, something similar to Modern Family, where they do not create a 'fuss' over things. Things are portrayed in the most real and natural way while also alluding to the struggles faced by queer folk in the police fraternity. All in all, we have so much to learn from this show while also laughing till our stomachs ache.
Where To Watch: Netflix
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Schitt's Creek
'Eww David!' If you scroll on Instagram for even 2 minutes a day, we bet you said this in an Alexis' voice. And if you haven’t, then my friend, you’re missing out because you need to watch Schitt’s Creek. The plot follows a super-rich couple that suddenly goes bankrupt and the only remaining asset they have is an ugly small town named Schitt’s Creek that Johnny Rose, the patriarch of the house bought as a joke for his son David Rose. When it comes to celebrating the queer community, the show does a great job of portraying the character of David Rose–a pansexual man who falls in love with a local. Their bond and love shunned all types of stereotypes associated with the LGBTQIA+ community, while their romance made us cheer, cry, and jump with joy.
Where To Watch: Netflix
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Big Mouth
Big Mouth is a series that represents preteen experiences of highschoolers. In six short seasons, Big Mouth has addressed the experiences of gay, bisexual, pansexual, questioning, trans, and asexual students. It has a story for every middle school experience you might have had, hence normalizing your experiences. Although the show had a rocky start with character Mathew MacDell (represented as a flamboyant, snarky and judgmental preadolescent, who even ran a tabloid-like morning gossip broadcast at school). But the show evolved into an edgy comedy that highlights the hypocrisy of painful homophobic and transphobic life experiences through humor.
Where to Watch: Netflix
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
I’m Not Okay With This
I’m Not Okay With This is based on a graphic novel of the same name by Charles Forsman released on 26 February 2020. It represents Syd, a teenage girl whose counselor highlights her 'mood' issues and asks her to journal it. Her moods, however, are so much more than just moods, they are layered. She’s an individual trying to cope with the death of her father, additionally she is trying to figure out her sexuality—which can be ever so fluid and difficult to label, simultaneously, she realizes she has superpowers she has no control over quite like her grieving process or her queerness. Syd’s queerness is not represented as a cliche 'girl meets girl, falls in love and leaves boyfriend' plot. I'm Not Okay With This does not base gay experiences on this extreme polarity and hence it sets itself apart. Syd’s lesbian identity, beautifully becomes verbalized via her superpowers. The show deviates from the book, without taking anything away from the essence of the narrative.
Where to Watch: Netflix
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
God’s Own Country
God’s Own Country released in 2016 is about a Yorkshire farmer and his relationship with a Romanian worker. This movie is a semi-autobiography of director Francis Lee’s own life. The movie is an impressive labour of love. The relationship portrayed is realistic, awkward, emotional and beautiful. If you are a sucker for romance and happy endings this one's for you! The director stated that the movie was devoid of homophobia since at that point in life he had not experienced it. This is a refreshing turn from the constant homophobia that is so poignant in our society.
Where to watch: Netflix
IMDb rating: 7.6/10
The Birdcage
The Birdcage is a remake of the French classic farce La Cage aux Folles. It is a hilarious movie about a happily 'married' gay couple, forced to play straight for Albert’s son and his conservative in-laws. Having been released in the 90s, it is a bit stereotypical however, putting it in context of the time gives it so much more depth. The movie had a great deal of maturity. It highlights how characters have spent all of their lives trying to accept themselves, only for the person they love to ask them to change who they are. What The Birdcage does display perfectly, and not quite like any other movie, is the burden of performing normativity. The Birdcage has been described as the first movie about the LGBTQIA+ community that isn’t a tragedy. It is one of the most radical Hollywood depictions about gay men, since it offers both diversity and humanity.
Where to watch: Prime video
IMDb ratings: 7.2/10
Special Mentions
There are plenty of shows and movies, but we have a few special mentions that are worth checking out once you're done with the above (or have watched them already!)
Movies: Love Simon, The Favourite (for period drama lovers), Disobedience, Happiest Season (if you love cheesy holiday movies), Call Me By Your Name, Fire, Moonlight, Margarita With A Straw, Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, The Perks of Being A Wallflower.
Shows: Orange Is The New Black, Feel Good, Jessica Jones and/or Supergirl (because both Marvel and DC lovers need something) for superhero show fans, Queer Eye, Atypical, Bonding (for dark comedy lovers), AJ & The Queen, I May Destroy You, Elite, Firefly Lane, XO Kitty.
Happy Pride Everyone!
