16 Essential LGBTQ Movies to Watch for Pride Month and Beyond

1. And Then We Danced 2019，IMDB Rating: 7.6, IMDB Votes: 14519, ID: 8963708
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Levan Akin’s ‘And Then We Danced’ is a vibrant and emotional film that explores the intersection of tradition and gender identity in contemporary Georgian society. A young dancer, in a conservative society, struggles between self-identity and social expectations. Demonstrating an individual’s search for freedom and identity, it becomes a powerful challenge to traditional ideas.
2. Supernova 2020，IMDB Rating: 6.9, IMDB Votes: 14717, ID: 11169050
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Harry Macqueen’s ‘Supernova’ is about a same-sex couple and the main thread of the film revolves around how they cope with it all together as they face the challenge of their partner developing early onset dementia. The film unfolds through their journey, showing them facing the reality of the situation while looking back on past love and good times spent together.
3. Love, Simon 2018，IMDB Rating: 7.5, IMDB Votes: 127391, ID: 5164432
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‘Love, Simon’ is about a gay teenager growing up. The film focuses on Simon, an ordinary American high school student who hides his homosexuality until he meets another boy, Blue, who is also hiding his sexuality on social media and starts an email exchange with him. Through a humorous and heartwarming narrative style, the film shows how Simon goes from hiding his secret to being honest with himself and others, as well as the difficulties and growth he experiences in love and life.
4. Moonlight 2016，IMDB Rating: 7.4, IMDB Votes: 334548, ID: 4975722
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‘Moonlight’ is a film that tells the coming-of-age story of Chiron, a gay black teenager. As a child, he struggles with his mother’s addiction and poverty, and is taken care of by Kevin; as a teenager, he confronts the confusion of self-identity and shares a subtle emotional bond with his best friend, Kevin; and as an adult, he returns to his hometown and confronts his past emotions and obsessions anew. The film deeply explores the issues of self-acceptance and social pressure.
5. Tangerine 2015，IMDB Rating: 7.1, IMDB Votes: 36285, ID: 3824458
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‘Tangerine’ is a film about the lives of transgender sex workers in Los Angeles. The film’s story revolves around the two main characters – Cindy and Alecia – who, after discovering that her boyfriend is cheating on her, decides to seek him out and exact revenge. The film’s humorous and straightforward look at their lives breaks away from traditional cinematic narratives and serves as an important contribution to the representation of the transgender community and minorities.
6. Weekend 2011，IMDB Rating: 7.6, IMDB Votes: 33143, ID: 1714210
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Weekend is the story of two men, Tom and Jeff, who meet on an ordinary weekend. Tom, a younger man who is more emotionally closed off, meets Jeff, a more open and outspoken man, by chance one night. After meeting in a pub, the two men decide to spend the rest of the weekend together. However, as time passes and they realise that the relationship is only short-lived, eventually they must face the reality of separation and goodbyes.
7. Call Me by Your Name 2017，IMDB Rating: 7.8, IMDB Votes: 322251, ID: 5726616
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A summer love story set in 1980s Italy. The protagonist is 17-year-old Elio, who develops a passionate and complex relationship with Oliver, a 25-year-old American academic who visits him on a hot summer day. The film shows the passion and helplessness of first love through their subtle interactions, emotional expressions and complex state of mind.
8. Carol 2015，IMDB Rating: 7.2, IMDB Votes: 143598, ID: 2402927
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Carol about the forbidden love between two women in 1950s New York. After Terry, a young shop clerk, meets Carol, a married upper-class woman, a deep and complex emotional relationship develops between the two. Terry develops a strong attraction to Carol, who in turn develops strong feelings for Terry while dealing with the breakdown of her marriage and social pressures. This is a moving story of love and self-discovery, reflecting the social repression and restrictions on homosexual feelings at the time.
9. Brokeback Mountain 2005，IMDB Rating: 7.7, IMDB Votes: 387770, ID: 0388795
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Brokeback Mountain is about the forbidden love of two cowboys – Ennis and Jack – in the American West. Set in the 1960s, Ennis and Jake meet during a summer sheep herding job, and despite both men’s initial attempts to repress their feelings, they eventually begin a deep and complex love relationship. Over time, societal prejudices and family responsibilities prevent them from being open about the relationship, and their love becomes painful and unfulfilled as a result.
10. Una mujer fantástica 2017，IMDB Rating: 7.2, IMDB Votes: 27477, ID: 5639354
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Una mujer fantástica is about Marina, a transgender woman who must deal with societal prejudice and personal grief after the sudden death of her partner. Not only does Marina have to deal with the trauma of losing her lover, but she also has to cope with her family and society’s discrimination against her identity. The film delicately depicts her resilience and vulnerability in the face of adversity and how she finds strength and self-identity amidst the challenges.
11. God’s Own Country 2017，IMDB Rating: 7.6, IMDB Votes: 36463, ID: 5635086
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A love story set in rural England. John, a young farmer, lives in the remote countryside, depressed and apathetic, until he meets Gobbi, a Romanian migrant labourer. The romance, which crosses cultures and identities, is full of complex emotions, from inner struggles to gradual self-acceptance, presenting the challenges and hopes of LGBTQ relationships in a conservative environment.
12. The Miseducation of Cameron Post 2018，IMDB Rating: 6.6, IMDB Votes: 25952, ID: 6257174
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It is a touching story about gay conversion therapy. The film’s heroine, Cameron, is sent to a conversion camp where she spends time with other teens who are forced to undergo ‘treatment’. Despite its heavy subject matter, the film incorporates elements of hope and resilience, showing Cameron’s gradual empowerment as he searches for self-acceptance and love.
13. The Birdcage 1996，IMDB Rating: 7.2, IMDB Votes: 102351, ID: 0115685
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The Birdcage is about a gay couple who run a drag club in South Beach, Miami. The film revolves around their lives, and when their son decides to marry a girl from a conservative family, they decide to hide their true identities in order to accommodate the traditional views of the girl’s family. The film presents themes of family, acceptance and love with humour and wit, with lively and funny characters and genuine emotions, making it one of the classic same-sex comedies.
14. Ah-ga-ssi 2016，IMDB Rating: 8.1, IMDB Votes: 176222, ID: 4016934
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The Handmaiden is about the themes of love, betrayal and liberation. Set in Japanese-occupied Korea, the story revolves around a passionate affair between two women. The film tells the story of a young woman who is hired as a lady-in-waiting for a wealthy woman, while she and another woman hatch a plot to benefit from the wealthy woman’s wealth.
15. Portrait de la jeune fille en feu 2019，IMDB Rating: 8.1, IMDB Votes: 111864, ID: 8613070
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Portrait of a Lady on Fire is about the love affair between a female painter and her model in 18th century France. The story revolves around the painter Marianne and her model Eloise. Marianne is commissioned to paint Eloise’s portrait, and the two develop a deep bond. It shows the deep emotional connection between the two women and their desire for freedom and choice.
16. The Danish Girl 2015，IMDB Rating: 7.1, IMDB Votes: 200220, ID: 0810819
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The Danish Girl tells the story of Lili Elbe, one of the first known people to undergo gender reset surgery. The film presents Lily’s journey from male to female, as well as her struggles and growth amidst marital and societal pressures. While the film’s more restrained narrative may leave some viewers wishing they could delve into more layers of emotions and relationships, its historical significance and beautiful cinematography still make it a worthwhile watch.