Looking for some films to watch this weekend? Check out six of our favourite LGBTQ+ films.
By: Kennedy Randall
Though pride month should be every month, it offers us a chance to learn more about LGBTQ+ history and experience. A way that we can do this is by taking a look at some LGBTQ+ films that center queer narratives and characters. Representation matters and we do not mean the one-dimensional gay character who is pushed to the margins of the plot. These six films provide important and captivating stories of queer experience and love in our contemporary climate.
Six Great LGBTQ+ Films
1. Moonlight (2016)
Earning the Oscar for Best Picture, director Barry Jenkins explores masculinity and homosexual repression through his main character Chiron. Moonlight is the epitome of a coming-of-age story, where Chiron is played by three different actors at various stages of his life as he comes to terms with his sexual identity. He wishes to break free from his impoverished upbringing and find his own path in this tumultuous world.
2. Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Director Luca Guadagino portrays the landscape of 1980s Italy beautifully in Call Me By Your Name. Even more beautiful though is the relationships he builds on screen. Within the dreamy atmosphere, young Timothee Chalamet and older Armie Hammer fall into a deeply moving-tender relationship. This film has received a lot of attention in the media and we promise it is worth the hype!
3. Pariah (2011)
Queer filmmaker of colour Dee Rees’s debut film Pariah follows Alike, a teenager navigating her sexuality and adulthood in Brooklyn. Dee Rees expresses the often overlooked experience of queer Black women. Alike finds that the path to living one’s authentic self is not easy, but worth the fight. She navigates first loves, heartache, and her sexual identity framed by the disapproval of her family. An intimate film, Aderpero Odyue’s performance as Alike is beautifully layered in Pariah.
4. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
One of the most well-known and mainstream queer films of our time, Brokeback Mountain, directed by Ang Lee brought a sensitive and beautiful gay love story onto our screens. Starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, the two men become intertwined for years to come.
5. Carol (2015)
Based on Patricia Highsmith’s cult novel, Todd Haynes brings a seductive love story between two women on screen. A young shopgirl, played by Rooney Mara, finds herself charmed by an alluring older woman played by Cate Blanchett. The two women form a passionate relationship that brings them joy, despite the other forces in their lives.
6. Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
Director Kimberly Peirce’s biographical film tells the tragic true story of Brandon Teena. He was an American trans man who attempts to find himself in Nebraska but falls victim to a brutal hate crime perpetrated by two males. When it was released in 1999, it was the first mainstream film to focus on a transgender man. The story is almost entirely shown through Teena (played by Hilary Swank) making it a groundbreaking film for its time.
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