Years ago, it was difficult to find any LGBTQ+ representation in film, let alone good representation. As time has passed, there have been significant strides in the stories about LGBTQ+ being told, not just in the sheer number but also in the diversity of stories themselves. Now, viewers don’t have to accept onlycoming out narrativesor movies surrounding the trauma inflicted upon individuals in this group. While those stories are important, it’s just as necessary to have films that celebrate LGBTQ+ people and those where their sexuality or gender expression isn’t the “point” of the story.
Audiences aren’t the only ones who’ve noticed an influx of support and interest in these stories. Streaming services, likeNetflix, continually add more content in this realm. SomeLGBTQ+ filmsyou can find on Netflix received massive marketing pushes and generated a ton of buzz online. Others, while excellent in their own right, were quieter and flew under the radar. But if consumers look beyond the flashiest titles, they can find some fantastic gems. Here are 15 underrated LGBTQ+ films you’re able to watch on Netflix.
15The Perfection
The Perfection
The Perfectionis a psychological horror about a cellist named Charlotte who was on track to becoming one of the best classic musicians. She was enrolled in an upscale music academy, but her time was cut short when her mother fell ill. Charlotte dropped out of school to care for her mom in her final days. Charlotte reconnects with the head of the academy and joins him in Shanghai, where she meets the student who replaced her, Lizzie. The two women begin a sexual relationship, and as they travel to China, Lizzie starts to get sick, and the pills Charlotte offers her don’t seem to be helping. In fact, they might be making things worse.
Skin-Crawling Fun
The focus of this story isn’t about the characters’ sexualities. Many people want queer characters to simply exist on the screen without their sexuality being dissected in the narrative. Here, there are plenty of things getting dissected, ripped apart, and analyzed, but it’s not Charlotte and Lizzie’s orientation. Unhinged is a perfect adjective to describe this film; it greatly contrasts the buttoned-up world we associate with classical music. There arehuge plot twists galore, and we never know how far the plot will push the two leads, but no matter what, we are along for the ride.
Stream on Netflix
14A Secret Love
A Secret Loveis aNetflix documentaryabout two women named Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel. Donahue was a Canadian professional baseball player. She and Henschel met in 1947, and most considered them to be close friends. What most did not know was that the two were in love but opted to keep their relationship secret due to the prejudice and intolerance rampant during those years. The documentary recounts their love and the gradual coming out to their friends, family, and the world.
A First-Hand Account of Falling in Love
As mentioned, even though many people yearn for more than coming-out stories, those accounts are still important. We need stories like Donahue and Henschel’s to mark these moments in history and see how far we’ve come and have yet to go. It’s amazing to hear from the women themselves about what it was like falling in love and having to mask that, even when around those close to them. Interviews with other people give additional context and truly invite us into the lives of these women. By the end of the documentary, it’ll feel like you were sitting in the couple’s living room alongside them as they poured their hearts out.
13The Boys in the Band
The Boys in the Band
Despite its title,The Boys in the Bandis not a musical drama about bandmates who fall in love with one another. Instead, it’s a drama based on an Off-Broadway play about a group of gay menliving in New York City. Set in 1968, the focal point of the story is a birthday party hosted by Michael. He’s throwing the party for his friend Harold, even though Michael has other things hijacking his attention. Financial troubles. Aging. And the impending arrival of his friend who doesn’t know he’s gay. But once drinks start flowing and inhibitions start lowering, this birthday bash becomes more intense than any of the guests anticipated.
A Film Featuring Authentic Portrayals
The film stays true to the spirit of the play it was based on with its open and honest depiction of these gay men. There is no singular experience of being a gay man, and each character demonstrates that. Whether it’s due to race, conventional attractiveness, financial privilege, gender expression, or other factors, each character shows that being gay is not one size fits all. So many moments in the movie will cause audiences to burst out in laughter, but there’s also a great deal of heart and sadness that touches an emotional chord. Additionally, many fans of the film appreciated that most of the actors in the roles are gay themselves, adding an extra layer of authenticity.
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12Boy Erased
Boy Erasedis a heartbreaking biographical drama based on a memoir by Garrard Conley. Our protagonist, Jared Eamons, is a nineteen-year-old from a conservative town in Arkansas raised by religious parents, including his preacher father. When his parents learn of his frequent “thoughts of other men,” they enroll him in a gay conversion therapy program. If he doesn’t complete the program and come back “fixed,” he risks losing his family and community forever.
An Emotional Watch
Perhaps because the film drew from the account of an actual person who went through these events, but every character felt so real. Even Jared’s parents, who it’d be so easy to cast off and label as evil, were complex, and at times, you felt for them, too. In their misguided ways, they did what they believed was best for their son. Scenes with the other program attendees provide even more characters to latch onto. Jared’s inner journey is packed with the push-and-pull from what messages he’s being fed and what he feels inside him.Boy Erasedwill make you want to scream and cry, buoyed by a strong story and stellar acting performances.
11Duck Butter
Duck Butter’s intrigue doesn’t end with its head-scratching name; it has an engaging plot to match. This independent film follows two women with increasingly cynical views on love and relationships. Nima is an actress, but she can’t fully click with the latest script she’s been given. She goes to a bar and meets a woman named Sergio. After a hookup, the two discuss their pessimistic outlook on love and believe that the good parts are just in the beginning. To put this theory to the test, they agree to spend twenty-four hours together glossing over the getting-to-know-you phase and diving straight into deep conversations about their pasts and frequent sexual encounters.
Quiet yet Meaningful
So much subtext exists in every interaction between Nima and Sergio. It’s evident they have wounds they’ve yet to heal from, and when they begin to verbalize the hurt they’ve experienced, it endears viewers to them more. Despite their short relationship, they manage to go through a great deal with one another. They test each other’s boundaries, navigate different levels of comfortability around sex, and can be downright toxic. So, while Nima and Sergio won’t be a relationship most hope to emulate, it doesn’t make it any less compelling.
10Ride or Die
Ride or Dieis a Japanesepsychological thrillerabout a twisted love affair with fatal consequences. Rei is a plastic surgeon in a relationship who decides to throw it all away to help someone in need. She used to go to school with Nanae and has harbored feelings for her for years. Upon learning that Nanae’s husband is violent and physically abusive, Rei vows to get her former schoolmate away from such harm. Rei kills the husband, and the two ladies run off together. But it’s not all smooth sailing, as the consequences of the murder and their fiery personalities begin to cause friction.
Dark and Twisted
The film ruffled some feathers with such an unhealthy, toxic relationship at the heart of the movie. Some claim it paints lesbian relationships in a negative light, while others counter that one portrayal shouldn’t define an entire group of people. Besides that, there are some explicit scenes in the film that some questioned weren’t needed to get across the story, which is based on a manga. No matter the critiques lobbed at it,Ride or Dieworks with what it claims to be: a psychological thriller. The characters’ psyche and views of the world deeply impact each choice they make and, therefore, the plot. It’s tense, unnerving, and has an ending that can lead to hours-long discussions.
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While more and more stories about gay and lesbian people are getting made, there’s still a huge gap withtrans folks. Luckily,Muttexists to help fill that void. Feña has gone through plenty of changes in his life recently. He recently transitioned from female to male and, through this period, lost touch with his father, sister, and ex-boyfriend. Now, in just a single day, Feña will get the opportunity to reconnect with them. But his sister believes he abandoned her and is still grappling with the loss of a sister. Feña’s ex-boyfriend identifies as straight and doesn’t know how to deal with the lingering feelings between him and Feña.
Mutt Looks at the Love Between Siblings
This film grapples with issues many trans folks deal with, especially in the early days: Self-acceptance, the idea of “passing,” sexuality, familial acceptance, and much more. The relationships given the most attention in many LGBTQ+ films are the romantic ones and those that deal with their parents. What many loved inMuttwas Feña’s relationship with his sister. The love between them is present, but also the hurt coming from both sides. Watching as they redefine what their relationship can be in the future is touching.
8Nuovo Olimpo
Nuovo Olimpois anItalian dramaset in the late seventies. The Nuevo Olimpo theater isn’t your average cinema in Rome. When people aren’t watching the latest flick, there’s a subset of gay men who use the grounds as a place for casual sex. Reserved Pietro goes to the theater and meets Enea, who is more open and even has a partner named Alice who knows about his affairs. Despite being drawn to Enea, Pietro declines the offer. It doesn’t take too long until he acquiesces, and the two begin to have sex and develop feelings for one another. But the political unrest in Italy will tear them apart in long-lasting ways, a separation with effects that may be irreversible.
On an Evening in Roma
Rome and Italy, in general, are prime locations for romantic films. The architecture, the music, the language. This film doesn’t withhold some classic Italian romance tropes we all love. Riding on cobbled streets on a Vespa? Check. How about scenes with a character traveling by train? You bet. ButNuovo Olimpodoesn’t shy away from the darker sides of the country with the anti-fascism movement and the danger surrounding that time.Time jumps in filmscan be tricky to pull off, but filmmakers struck just the right balance here. Viewers get the sense that the characters have grown and changed, but they still haven’t understood the life lesson necessary for them to truly grow and change.
Fanficis a Polish coming-of-age drama based on a novel. Tosiek is seventeen years old and desperately wants to escape from the world. He was formerly known as Tosia but now identifies as a trans boy. At school, he doesn’t fit in, resorting to self-destructive behaviors and writing fan fiction as a means of escape and connection with others. However, a new student named Leon catches his attention. Leon’s home life raises lots of questions and intrigues Tosiek. As the two begin to form a bond, Tosiek struggles with his relationship with his dad and himself.
Why You’ll Love It
The film doesn’t go far off-script from otherbeloved coming-of-agestories. We have themes of acceptance, identity, bullying, and love. However, the fact that Tosiek is trans does offer a new angle to investigate these issues. While being trans is not the entirety of Tosiek’s personality, it is quite important to his life during such formative years. One fun subversion to typical coming-of-age films is the inclusion of Tosiek’s fan fiction. We often see characters in these kinds of films resort to certain behaviors as coping mechanisms, but fanfic writing is a unique one. The scenes dedicated to Tosiek’s stories provide further insight into his psyche.
6The Invisible Thread
The Invisible Threadfollows a boy who wants to make a documentary about his family. When Leone is assigned a school project surrounding LGBTQ+ rights in Europe, he can think of no better subject than his parents and their same-sex marriage. Not only do his dads love him, but they still seem to be deeply in love with each other and the definition of a picture-perfect relationship. He can only hope his own blossoming relationship with Anna is just as great. However, Leone begins to realize there are cracks in the shiny veneer of his fathers’ relationship.
No Perfect Family
This Italian dramedy makes us question what we consider to be a “true” family. Once cheating and divorce are thrown into the mix, the question of Leone’s paternity crops up, and it shakes his sense of self. The separation of one’s parents is something many children go through, regardless of whether the couple is LGBTQ+ or not. Yet, despite the subject matter, the feel isn’t a downer. The humor is intelligent and adds levity even during the family’s toughest moments.
