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LGBTQ+ cinema has long thrived at the fringes of mainstream cinema, but looking back at the past year, it's clear that queer movies are more widely seen than ever before, whether that be in cinemas or via streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime Video.
But the biggest change is how broad LGBTQ+ movies have become. White, male coming-out stories are still being told, of course, but there's now way more breadth to the queer experiences we see reflected back at us on the big screen.
Throughout 2023, queer cinema has made us laugh, cry, and everything in between with the kind of versatility that would put even your faves on OnlyFans to shame.
As Jennifer Coolidge once put it, "gays just know how to do stuff". And if there's one thing gays know how to do, it's make lists. So with that in mind, we decided to combine these two passions, making lists and gay stuff, into one massively queer rundown of 2023's best LGBTQ+ movies, all listed here for your viewing pleasure.
Take note that only UK releases from this year have been included, so apologies in advance to international queers everywhere who may be gutted to find their favourite movies didn't make the cut.
Marry My Dead Body
It's the old, old story: straight boy meets ghost boy, straight boy accidentally marries ghost boy, straight boy investigates ghost boy's death to try and help him find peace. You know, the usual. Except, Marry My Dead Body is anything but typical.
In just over two hours, Cheng Wei-hao's box-office hit morphs from a gay romcom to a murder mystery to a supernatural action thriller, all while critiquing societal attitudes in contemporary Taiwan.
The fact that any of this works is a miracle, but it doesn't just "work". Marry My Dead Body is a must-see addition to your Netflix watchlist thanks largely to Greg Hsu and Austin Lin, the two charming leads who make gay marriage beyond the grave look effortless.
Watch now: Netflix
Cassandro
Come to Cassandro for a moving biopic on Saúl Armendáriz, the gay wrestler from El Paso who found fame as Cassandro, the "Liberace of Lucha Libre".
Stay for Bad Bunny making out with Gael García Bernal.
Watch now: Prime Video
Joy Ride
From manic drug busts and even more manic threesomes to that feline tattoo, Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu all shine in Joy Ride.
There's so much joy to be found in how Adele Lim's directorial debut revels in its queer Asian identity, but what cements the movie's spot on this list is how it balances these laughs with impressive character work and a scene that will wreck your tear ducts like no other.
Watch now: Prime Video | iTunes | Microsoft Store
Nimona
Disney's loss was Netflix's gain when it saved ND Stevenson's fairy tale from development limbo. Thank the streaming gods they did because this story of a shape-shifter in a (techno-medieval) world she wasn't made for is decades beyond anything that Disney's created when it comes to meaningful LGBTQ+ representation.
In Nimona, no one bats an eye at gay Prince Charming, and while the titular character is sadly ostracised, her gender fluidity ends up being the thing that makes her truly special, positioning trans identity as something powerful and beautiful to celebrate.
Your turn, Disney. We're waiting...
Watch now: Netflix
Femme
In what might be the world's first queer noir thriller, a drag queen named Aphrodite, aka Jules, seeks revenge against a closeted man who attacked her by tricking him into a relationship.
Like Aphrodite strutting through those grimy London streets, Femme walks some dangerous territory, challenging audiences to reconcile our hate for Preston, her attacker, with the shame that all too often robs queer people of their joy and freedom.
Sure, Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping's directorial debut isn't an easy watch, but it is a thrilling one, and the conversations it sparks are vital, too.
Watch now: Cinemas
Red, White & Royal Blue
It's often said that gays and camp trash go together like a closeted gay prince and the bisexual son of the US President.
Lucky for us then that there's now a movie about, yes, you guessed it, the love between a closeted gay prince and the bisexual son of the US President. But when we say it's trash, we mean that with the utmost respect.
It doesn't hurt that the stars of Red, White & Royal Blue, Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine, are pretty easy on the eyes too.
Throw in some surprisingly authentic sex scenes and Uma "Mother" Thurman mothering like never before, and you've got the tacky gay love story queer people have long hoped for but never dreamed was possible.
Watch now: Prime Video
Bottoms
Bottoms might sound like it's for the gays, but Emma Seligman's follow-up to Shiva Baby is actually very much for the girls, and it's long overdue for that matter too.
Since Booksmart's release in 2019, there's been a dearth of raunchy comedies for queer women, especially ones where horny teens start a fight club to bang cheerleaders.
With a script that pounds in jokes quicker than tops... well, you know, Bottoms confirms Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri's superstar status with what might be the most unpredictable script of 2023.
Bonus points for casting Nicholas Galitzine in yet another bottom-related role this summer.
Watch now: Cinemas
Queendom
No matter how many queer comedies or romantic movies are produced, it's vital that we never lose sight of the fact that queer art should also be disruptive.
The fight for equality isn't over, especially in countries like Russia where the LGBTQ+ community is still actively oppressed by the government. And that's why documentaries like Agniia Galdanova’s debut feature are so important.
Queendom follows Gena, a non-binary drag artist who stages radical performance art pieces in their small town to highlight how the queer community is still harassed and demonised. In fact, their alter ego is often portrayed as demonic and even alien in nature to challenge this along with outdated preconceptions of beauty and queerness.
That means Queendom isn't just a brave protest. It's also an intimate character study that humanises the rarely-seen plight of queer people who have no choice but to live under Russian rule.
Watch now: Cinemas | Prime Video | Microsoft Store
Joyland
Haider and his wife, Mumtaz, aren't exactly head over heels for each other, but they get by. That is, until Haider is hired to dance at an erotic theatre where he falls in love with a beautiful trans performer named Biba.
Saim Sadiq's Joyland is a gorgeously shot and sensitively told story of queer love in modern-day Pakistan. Although the joy might be lacking in its darker moments, there's still beauty to be found in the connection between Haider and Biba which pushes back against the repressed patriarchy to form something honest and moving.
Watch now: Prime Video | iTunes
The Blue Caftan
Set in an old Moroccan medina, The Blue Caftan tenderly portrays the love shared between a tailor named Halim and his wife, Mina, who support each other in every way possible. Sometimes, that includes turning a blind eye to Halim's lone visits to a local sauna where he meets other men to satisfy his needs.
When an attractive young man named Youssef starts training under Halim's watchful eye, the couple's love takes a turn, but trust us when we say this movie is so much more than you think it's going to be.
Like the fabric Halim works with daily, Maryam Touzani's latest feature is soft and delicate with the kind of intricate detail and emotion that will stick with you long after your memory of everything else you've seen this year begins to fray.
Watch now: Prime Video | iTunes
Passages
Much has been made of the sex scenes in Passages, especially that one starring Franz Rogowski and Ben Whishaw, but Ira Sachs's latest masterpiece is so much more than just the sex. Actually, wait. The sex is integral too, saying more than words ever could when it comes to the devastating love triangle that tears Tomas, Martin and Agathe asunder.
Add what might be a career-best performance from Adèle Exarchopoulos, the youngest person to ever win the Palme d'Or at Cannes (for Blue Is the Warmest Colour), and you've got yourself an instant queer classic that resonates emotionally and physically too thanks to plentiful shots of Whishaw's backside.
Now that is cinema.
Watch now: Prime Video | iTunes
Kokomo City
Through bold black-and-white lensing, Kokomo City gives a mouthpiece to four Black trans sex workers who unpack how racism and transphobia impact their lives in the United States of America.
Sounds heavy, and it is at points, but Grammy-nominated producer-turned-director D Smith doesn't dwell on the pain. Instead, Kokomo City is messy and playful and dynamic in ways that effortlessly showcase how iconic these four women are.
The movie is ferociously queer in every sense of the word, making this not just the best queer documentary of 2023. It's also the best documentary of the year, full stop, one which academics will look back on as a landmark moment in trans cinema.
(And while we're at it, also check out The Stroll, a stunning companion piece by Kristen Lovell and Zackary Drucker that explores similar territory in a completely different way.)
Watch now: Prime Video | iTunes | Microsoft Store
Blue Jean
Blue Jean is set right around the time when Margaret Thatcher announced Section 28, a new law that prohibited the "promotion" of homosexuality in 80s England.
That's bad news for Jean, a secondary school teacher who's already struggling with keeping her queer identity secret at work, especially when a new student threatens to turn her world upside down.
Rosy McEwen gives a powerhouse performance as the titular Jean that demands so much of her yet feels effortlessly real throughout. And to think that this extraordinary character study is also Georgia Oakly's first feature?
In fact, Blue Jean is so singularly brilliant and vital to see that it already ranks easily among the best that British cinema has ever had to offer, sitting happily alongside other queer classics such as Weekend, Beautiful Thing, God's Own Country and My Beautiful Laundrette.
That's how good Blue Jean is, and it's about time more people start to recognise that.
Watch now: Prime Video | iTunes
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
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