It’s Pride month, which means I have the perfect excuse to talk about – and point you to – some of the LGBTQ+ TV shows and movies I think are worth watching.
If you are looking for a way to celebrate queer stories this month, the choice can seem overwhelming – not least as streaming platforms such as Disney Plus have their own ‘Pride’ selection to choose from. But which ones are any good?
Luckily for you, I have been a fan of LGBTQ+ cinema for years and have here picked a handful of the best that deserve some love this Pride month.
Whether you're regularly seeking out queer cinema to watch or fell asleep halfway through The Rocky Horror Picture Show, there is something for everyone on this list.
Booksmart
While it is important to portray the injustices done to the LGBTQ+ community and how far rights need to come, there has historically been a lack of comedies starring queer characters.
In the last few years, dark comedies such as Bottoms and Bodies Bodies Bodies have featured LGBTQ+ characters at the heart of their stories, but Booksmart was the one that arguably made the biggest splash in the film industry.
It follows best friends Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) as they approach the end of high school and realise that they had prioritised studying over ever attending a proper party. Determined to rectify this, the girls set out to make their last night of high school one to remember.
Amy’s quest to find a girlfriend plays out alongside Molly’s unlikely crush on the school jock, making for amusing but ultimately tear-jerking viewing.
Watch Booksmart on Amazon Prime Video
Pose
“Come on, vogue / let your body move to the music”.
The chorus of Madonna’s Vogue sums up the sentiments of Pose, a three-season TV show depicting the rise of ballroom culture during the eighties in New York.
At the heart of the show is Blanca (Mj Rodriguez), who leaves the House of Evangelista to start a group of her own.
Each scene is bursting with passion and colour, with Lou Eyrich and Analucia McGorty’s costume design helping to tell the story through clothing, especially during the runway sequences.
But there is more than meets the eye to the ballroom scene, as we see the struggles that our beloved cast of characters must go through to survive.
Pose is not afraid to pull any punches, broaching topics ranging from the AIDS epidemic to drug addiction. Ultimately though, the show highlights the importance of chosen family and how these early ballroom adopters shaped the world for queer people today.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Moving across to the other side of the pond, French director Celine Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a beautiful and heart-wrenching tale of yearning and heartbreak. If you're a fan of slow-burn narratives, this is certainly one for you.
Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is a painter commissioned to draw a wealthy woman in her wedding dress, Héloise (Adele Haenel). They quickly fall in love, but the expectation for Héloise to marry a nobleman presents an obstacle.
This is quite simply a mesmerising watch, with the backdrop of the French coast making every scene look like a painting. For a film with minimal dialogue, a held gaze or a touched hand really speaks volumes.
As a sidenote, all of Sciamma's filmography is worth a watch, from her writing credits on the stop-motion movie My Life as a Courgette to her latest release, Petite Maman.
Watch Portrait of a Lady on Fire on Amazon Prime Video
Queer
Luca Guadagnino's Queer passed a lot of viewers by when it released late last year. You might be more familiar with the director's breakout hit Call Me By Your Name back in 2017, which also shot Timothée Chalamet to fame.
Queer is based on William S. Burroughs' eponymous novel and follows William (Daniel Craig) as he falls in love with an American soldier named Eugene (Drew Starkey).
There isn't really a plot as such, but more a collection of moments dealing with William's drug addiction and his obsession with Eugene. This makes for an otherworldly experience as Guadagnino often delves into the surreal.
When the pair visit the Ecuadorian jungle, they experience vivid hallucinations where the visuals truly boggle the mind. It might not be for everyone, but the film's unique take on yearning makes for an entrancing watch.
Watch Queer on Amazon Prime Video
Will and Harper
Will Ferrell might be best known for his starring roles in Elf and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, but this documentary explores his friendship with SNL writer Harper Steele after she comes out as a transgender woman.
The pair set out on a road trip across the United States to visit the places Harper hadn't yet seen as her authentic self, all while discussing how coming out has impacted her life.
Ferrell takes on a backseat listening role in the film, which helps to highlight Harper's individual journey and her reservations when entering conservative spaces. You can really feel her fear and nerves when she enters a bar in a red state, for example.
It's so important that those with influence stand with and show support for the LGBTQ+ community right now, and this documentary is a great way to demonstrate how to truly be an ally.
Watch Will & Harper on Netflix
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