Over the last few years, there has been a noticeable increase in LGBT+ visibility in mainstream movies. It is wonderful to see and is a major step in the acceptance of our community by the masses. Having those characters in the movies helps show that we are human too. That could really sound pretentious but a large part of the issues and homophobia we face is because some people focus heavily on what makes us different without viewing us as actual people going through many similar trials and tribulations. Of course, gay people in movies is not a completely new thing and there have been ‘less’ mainstream movies centred around LGBT+ characters for years too.
With that in mind, here is just a small selection of my favourite LGBT movies. I am no critic and so these are just my favourites but also films I genuinely feel everyone should see. I will give a brief overview of each before writing a longer review in the near future.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
Follow two drag queens and a transgender woman on a bus trip across the Australian outback with sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking consequences. If you haven’t seen it, it is definitely one of those films that you should have!
It is particularly important for me because it was the first proper piece of gay cinema I ever saw back when I was around 15. I wasn’t out at the time, but it showed me a world I knew nothing about. It opened my eyes to a part of the gay 'world'. It also managed to leave me with a desire to do drag myself...
Beautiful Thing (1996)
Set during a heatwave on a South London Council Estate, the film follows Jamie, a teenager who is coming to terms with his sexuality and has developed an infatuation with his next-door neighbour, Ste. The premise itself is simple enough, but the supporting characters add so much texture and reality to the film: Jamie’s mother Sandra and her latest boyfriend, the neo-hippy, Tony; The troubled, sassy and rude neighbour Leah; Ste’s brother and father, who think it is ok to use Ste as a punching bag. Each of these supporting storylines adds the complexity and the reality of the story. The title of the movie is perfectly appropriate because this tale of a young romance blossoming really is a beautiful thing.
Weekend (2011)
The film starts out with two men who begin a sexual relationship the week before one of them is intending to leave the country. What could be a pretty standard hook-up becomes a somewhat of a meeting of minds! It challenges the conceptions of what a hook-up is, what a relationship is, heteronormativity, gay marriage and sex. I know that sounds really weighty, but the performances put in by the two leads are incredible. They both strike a raw but realistic balance which comes from the heart but manages to avoid being overly sentimental. It also manages to cover all these discussion worthy topics without becoming preachy. It is a thought-provoking, subtle, sensitive and natural film that is well worth a watch!
Torch Song Trilogy (1988)
Fierstein plays Arnold, a female impersonator and torch song singer and follows his life in three particular time periods; the early 70s, the mid to late 70s and the 80s. It touches upon many of the troubles the gay community faced back then, and notably before the horrific AIDS crisis. Many of the themes still resonate today. Denial, homophobia, gay parenting and family life are all featured and handled beautifully. This one always me reaching for the box of tissues. It is one I would absolutely love to see on stage too.
Shelter (2007)
The film tells the story of Zach, a young artist who has given up on his dreams in order to care for his somewhat dysfunctional family. Naturally, his world is shaken when his best friends brother returns to their hometown and a romance begins. In part, this is a coming-out story, part romance but even more so, a life story. Zach faces really tough choices which have implications for his entire family. Just like real life. I strongly recommend you see this movie!
So that rounds up my first Top 5 must see. Of course, there are way more than these five films I feel people should see but these are a great starting point. As mentioned at the outset, I also intend to write more in-depth reviews of each movie soon.
How about you? What are your favourites and would make your list? Let me know in the comments section below.
Thanks for stopping by and reading x
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