The end of February is near, bringing us to the end of this year's LGBTQ+ History Month.
We've rounded up a list of some top quality gay and queer themed films for you to end the month with, so grab the popcorn and settle in!
Brokeback Mountain - 2005 (15)
In 1963, two farm hands form a romantic bond during their months alone tending sheep on a mountain. Their forbidden attraction haunts them over the decades.
"Ang Lee’s unmissable and unforgettable film hits you like a shot in the heart. It's a film and a triumph in which Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal bring deep reserves of feeling to this moving love story."- Rolling Stone
"It's a deeply felt, emotional love story that deals with the uncharted, mysterious ways of the human heart just as so many mainstream films have before it. The two lovers here just happen to be men." - Kenneth Turan, The LA Times
Portrait of a Lady on Fire - 2019 (15)
On an island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of another woman.
"It must be stated, this movie is gloriously queer, as it peels back the layers of desire inherent to this form of love without judgement or shame" -Collider
A Fantastic Woman - 2017 (15)
Marina, a transgender woman working as a nightclub singer and waitress, has her life turned upside down by the death of her older boyfriend.
“Sexuality and gender identity issues are front and center in this impressive, heartfelt film, blending seamlessly with the universal themes of dignity, bigotry, and loss. Daniela Vega's performance is unforgettable. Director Sebastien Lelio has made an intense and intimate film, appropriate only for older teens.” - Common Sense Media
But I'm a Cheerleader - 1999 (15)
A lighter film for the list, in comedy But I’m a Cheerleader, a teenage girl is sent to rehab camp when her parents and friends suspect that she is gay
"For anyone who grew up or is growing up gay in middle-America or just about all of America, get ready to return to the most twisted version of your high school years and laugh till you're pink in the face." - IMDb
CAROL - 2015 (15)
Adapted from Patricia Highsmith's seminal novel The Price of Salt, CAROL is about two women from vastly different backgrounds who find themselves in an unexpected love affair in 1950s New York.
“Mara and Blanchett make for an unforgettable couple in a beautiful film about longing, loss and the confusion and wonder of love.” - Empire
Moonlight - 2016 (15)
Oscar winning film Moonlight follows a young African-American man as he comes to grips with his identity and sexuality, paired with the everyday struggles of growing up.
“The film has power and generosity, giving such full access to his thoughts and feelings that it's as if you are getting them delivered intravenously” - The Guardian
Disclosure - 2020
This stunning Netflix documentary gives an in-depth look into Hollywood's depiction of transgender people and the impact of those stories on transgender lives and American culture.
"Rather than making audiences feel bad about trans-themed movies they may have naively enjoyed in the past, it educates on the larger issues, while unpacking a legacy of problematic representation" - Variety