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Though his interest lies with local beauty queen Madge (Kim Novak), her little sister Millie (Susan Strasberg) and aging spinster Rosemary (Rosalind Russell) also vie for attention.
Why it’s gay: Beyond its possible inclusion because of the bare-chested Holden — a 1950s Hollywood beefcake, seen here deep into his career — what is notable is a possible alternative interpretation of two female characters.
Synopsis: When inexperienced criminal Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) leads a bank robbery in Brooklyn, things quickly go wrong, and a hostage [More]
Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon
Directed By: Sidney Lumet
#37
Critics Consensus: Bridging times past with issues that are still current, Blue Jean resonates intellectually and emotionally thanks to thoughtful direction and authentic performances.
From the catfight in the powder room to the over-the-top dialogue to the jaw-dropping musical numbers and not one but two montages that serve as mind-boggling time capsules of the ’60s, the film is so outrageous that it inspired generations of gay viewers to scream, “Sparkle, Neely, sparkle!” Not to mention Susan Hayward’s towering performance as an ice-cold diva that feels like the ur-text for Charles Busch’s performances. —MP
“Barbarella” (1968)
What it is: Jane Fonda’s least favorite role is also one of her most iconic.
There are so many moments and characters in the film that come across now as unintentional nods to the queer fans who fell in love with it, from Dorothy’s ‘Over the Rainbow’ torch song to the Cowardly Lion’s preening appearance and tendency to refer to himself as a sissy.
Synopsis: The Ranas--a happily patriarchal joint family--yearn for the birth of a baby boy to continue the family line.
Synopsis: A recently married gay couple (John Lithgow, Alfred Molina) are forced to move into separate households after they lose their [More]
Starring: John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Cheyenne Jackson
Directed By: Ira Sachs
#66
Critics Consensus: Earnest without being didactic and uplifting without stooping to sentimentality, Pride is a joyous crowd-pleaser that genuinely works.
—WC
“The Fan” (1981)
What it is: Director Edward Bianchi’s 1981 box-office and critical flop stars Lauren Bacall as an aging-out stage and film actress rehearsing for a major Broadway musical while also being terrorized by an obsessive male fan who’s also a serial killer.
Why it’s gay: What’s gayer than a movie with Lauren Bacall being stalked by a closeted musical buff than also that same movie segueing into an out-of-nowhere stage musical medley a la “Singin’ in the Rain’s” entr’acte, featuring Bacall speak-singing onstage while being lifted and twirled around by a pack of male dancers? —RL
“Big Business” (1988)
What it is: What’s better than Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin onscreen together?
—WC
‘Brief Encounter’ (1945)
What it is: Although it has been staged with two men (in 2015 in London), the straight couple’s situation in ‘Brief Encounter’ — a drama of two married people (Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard) meeting by chance and their growing mutual affection — works fine as a metaphor for barriers to gay romance.
Why it’s gay: More than the one-act Noel Coward play (the gay writer expanded the screenplay), this denies the possibility of realistic consummation, elevates the frustration in impossible love, and deals with the costs of turning honest people into liars.
The Gavaskars are [More]
Starring: Karan Soni, Jonathan Groff, Sunita Mani, Zarna Garg
Directed By: Roshan Sethi
#29
Critics Consensus:All of Us Strangers examines profound grief and love through a fantastical lens that is always grounded on human emotion.
Synopsis: Once a powerful Hollywood director best known for Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein, James Whale (Ian McKellen) is long [More]
Starring: Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Lolita Davidovich
Directed By: Bill Condon
#41
Critics Consensus: Led by a Maddie Ziegler performance that's as funny as it is fearless, Fitting In takes a boldly provocative look at the assumptions and expectations surrounding modern femininity.
Synopsis: In the wildly entertaining and refreshingly unfiltered documentary KOKOMO CITY, filmmaker D. Smith passes the mic to four Black transgender [More]
Starring: Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell, Dominique Silver
Directed By: D. Smith
#12
Critics Consensus: A beautifully acted depiction of being caught between a rock and a hard place, Good One confronts difficult emotions and yields a striking feature debut for writer-director India Donaldson.
Thankfully, its 1987 film adaptation, directed by James Ivory, is equally charming and hopeful. However, his perspective starts to change, thanks to the arrival of a mysterious new neighbor and the sudden appearance of his parents’ ghosts.
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Booksmart (2019)
Amy Antsler and Molly Davidson are Ivy League–bound besties who are about to live their dreams.
Released right as disco was facing homophobic and racist backlash, ‘Xanadu’ never stood a chance among straight 1980 audiences, but now has a rabid gay fanbase who can appreciate Kelly’s great performance, Olivia Newton-John’s musical stylings, those hilariously cheap special effects, and objectively banger soundtrack from Electric Light Orchestra.
—TB
“Picnic” (1955)
What it is: A prominent theater director, Joshua Logan made his film debut with this adaptation of a Broadway hit from Daniel Taradash. Following the coming-of-age story of a Black teenager in early 20th-century Georgia, the movie explores themes of racism, sexism, and poverty while also showing the ways in which love and companionship can triumph in even the darkest of times.
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Disobedience (2017)
Based on the 2006 novel of the same name, Disobedience follows a woman who gets pulled back into the orbit of the Orthodox Jewish community where she grew up—and, more specifically, the complicated romance that defined her youth—when she returns home for her father’s funeral.
The film tells the stories of three individuals [More]
Starring: River Gallo, Alicia Roth Weigel, Sean Saifa Wall
Directed By: Julie Cohen
#23
Critics Consensus: For viewers in search of an uncommonly smart, tender, and funny coming-of-age story, The Half of It has everything.
Tennis movies are sexy to begin with, but this modern love triangle takes it to the next level and scores an ace.
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The Color Purple (1985)
Alice Walker’s masterful 1982 novel is transformed into a star-studded epic, thanks to the work of director Steven Spielberg and a cast that includes Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, and Oprah Winfrey in her debut film role.
Synopsis: A gay man's (Tom Cullen) weekend-long encounter with an artist (Chris New) changes his life in unexpected ways. Tom Skerritt!
Synopsis: In the absurdist autobiographically-inspired dark comedy, a painfully unfunny aspiring clown (Vera Drew as Joker the Harlequin) grapples with her [More]
Starring: Vera Drew, Lynn Downey, Kane Distler, Griffin Kramer
Directed By: Vera Drew
#39
Critics Consensus: In tune with the emotion and tribulations of childhood, Tomboy is a charming movie that treats its main subject with warmth and heart.
— but it’s Rotten.)
For now, join us as we celebrate the work of hundreds of filmmakers whose talents and risks have opened up the possibilities of cinema.
#1
Critics Consensus: An illuminating and urgent call to action, Welcome to Chechnya portrays the horrors of the mass persecution of the LGBTQ+ community in the Chechen Republic with tenacity and tenderness.
That means confronting other equally pumped up toughies. “I’m going to kill you,” Emma tells Vienna. For queer fans, ‘Xanadu’ offers ‘A place where nobody dared to go, the love that we came to know, they call it Xanadu-u-u-u.’
“Mommie Dearest” (1981)
What it is: An adaptation of Christina Crawford’s controversial autobiography about her life growing up as the daughter of iconic actress Joan Crawford (played in the film by Faye Dunaway), in which she alleged numerous incidents of abuse from the star.
Why it’s gay: Although “Mommie Dearest” was negatively received at the time of its release, it attracted a strong gay fanbase pretty much immediately, due to Dunaway’s performance, which was received by many as camp — most famously, in the iconic “no wire hangers” scene.
[More]
Starring: Tom Cullen, Chris New, Jonathan Race, Laura Freeman
Directed By: Andrew Haigh
#53
Critics Consensus: Shaped by Todd Haynes' deft direction and powered by a strong cast led by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Carol lives up to its groundbreaking source material.