Just what you need right now to put a smile on your face
BY SOPHIE GRIFFITHS
You’ve had a bad day. You’ve had a bad week. You’ve had a bad year (hello, 2020!). Sometimes you just need a film that will distract you from the world and pick you back up again.
Get rid of that lockdown boredom and get stuck into this list of 10 queer films which are guaranteed to leave warm your heart warm and a smile on your face. Enjoy!
Booksmart
Told from a fresh and modern perspective, Booksmart is an unfiltered comedy about high school friendships and the bonds we create that last a lifetime.
It’s a coming of age story that feels incredibly relevant, with a queer storyline at the centre of it all.
Someone Great
Okay, so this one isn’t super queer, but the queer sub-plot is good enough for it to be included in this list.
Three best friends embark on one last outrageous adventure in New York City before one of them moves city and there’s plenty of laughter and lesbian anecdotes along the way.
The Half Of It
A shy, introverted student helps the school jock woo a girl whom, secretly, they both want. What could go wrong?
The Half Of It is quietly revolutionary in its exploration of friendship, love, sexuality, as well as the hardships of a Chinese family’s integration in the U.S. Don’t miss it!
Pride
An absolute classic! Prepare for laughter and the urge to party like its 1984.
Realising that they share common foes in Margaret Thatcher, the police and the conservative press, London-based gay and lesbian activists lend their support to striking miners in Wales.
Imagine Me And You
You’ve probably seen this classic, but what better time than now for a re-watch.
During her wedding ceremony, Rachel (Piper Perabo) notices Luce (Lena Headey) in the audience and feels instantly drawn to her. The two women become close friends, and when Rachel learns that Luce is a lesbian, she realises that despite her happy marriage, she is falling for Luce.
Laurence Anyways
In the 90s, Laurence tells their girlfriend, Fred, that they are a transgender woman. Together, they confront the prejudices of their friends, ignore the council of their families and brave the phobias of the society they offend.
But I’m A Cheerleader
Megan (Natasha Lyonne) is a a cheerleader who is accused of being gay by her family and boyfriend for some laughably stereotypical reasons, such as eating tofu and having a Melissa Etheridge poster in her room.
Her family stage an intervention and send her to True Directions, a camp that promises to rehabilitate LGBTQI teens by converting them to heterosexuality. It sounds heavy, but we promise it’s hilarious.
Kajillionaire
Kajillionaire is a quirky, queer film with the capability of brightening 2020 entirely.
It tells the story of con-artists Theresa (Debra Winger) and Robert (Richard Jenkins) Dynes who have spent 26 years training their only daughter, Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood) to swindle, scam, and steal at every opportunity. During a desperate, hastily conceived heist, they charm a stranger (Gina Rodriguez) into joining their family, only to have their entire world turned upside down.
Duck Butter
This film is seriously underrated, and it has queer classic potential.
Alia Shawkhat’s character (Naima) meets Laia Costa’s character (Sergio) in a bar and there is an undeniable connection between the pair. They go home together and make a pact to spend 24 hours with each-other, having sex every hour. Their romantic experiment seems intimate and brilliant at first, but quickly the plan starts to unravel.
Margarita With A Straw
This one might make you a bit weepy, but we promise it’s heartwarming, too. The story follows a rebellious young woman with cerebral palsy who leaves her home in India to study in New York.
During her journey of self-discovery, she unexpectedly falls in love (with a woman) and it is unbelievably sweet.
