Hulu has an excellent selection of LGBTQ+ movies. Though it’s become increasingly popular over the past decade, LGBTQ+ cinema doesn’t have the same length in history as other genres of film. However, LGBTQ+ movies span every decade and look at queer relationships from today back to the Italian Renaissance, so fans can immerse themselves in love from every period in history.
LGBTQ+ stories are finally getting a chance to be told, resulting in some truly great movies. In these often tragic, but always triumphant films, viewers can see the world painted in a rainbow. Movies like Bohemian Rhapsody follow Freddie Mercury’s rise to fame while Swan Song featured the “Liberace of Sandusky” in just a few of Hulu’s best LGBTQ+ films.
Updated on August 22nd, 2023 by Soniya Hinduja: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
15 Elena Undone (2010)
In this beautifully humanistic film directed by Nicole Conn (and loosely based on her own love affair with a filmmaker), we follow a religious scene that sets up homosexuality as a forbidden act. At the center of it is Elena, the pastor’s wife, who decides to let her dwindling desires get the best of her after accidentally crossing paths with an openly lesbian writer, Peyton.
They begin at a regressive place where the pastor is trying to have another child with his wife, and the failure leads him to reprimand her. On the other hand, Peyton is an activist in need of a photographer, which was Elena’s profession before she married. As the two women hang out with one another, their deepening bond introduces shades of queerness rarely seen in cinema. Elena Undone reminds us that love can come to us when we least expect it.
14 AWOL (2017)
Lola Kirke and Breeda Wool star in this touching and unique sunset drama about a small-town girl wanting bigger things in life. AWOL tells the story of Joey, who only wants some sense of direction in life. Growing up away from the hustle and bustle of the city often takes a toll and you begin to yearn for a fast-paced routine. The same longing drives Joey to an Army recruiting office, hoping that serving the nation would finally do her some good.
However, she ends up meeting and falling in love with another woman, Rayna. Leaving behind her dreams, Joey embarks on a whole new journey of self-discovery and realizes that no matter how hard you try the soul marches on its own rhythm. The film has lyrical cinematography that not only embraces the unfamiliar but also captures the uneasiness of a woman at a point in life where she feels uneasy and needs an escape.
13 Supernova (2020)
Written and directed by Harry Macqueen, Supernova is a heartbreakingly tender tale of aging lovers who go on a cross-country road trip in their old RV for summer vacation. Sam and Tusker have been partners for twenty years, and clearly, the occasion demands to be celebrated. They decide to travel through England and visit their friends, family, and all the special places from their past before Tusker’s dementia gets worse, and it’s too late.
Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci are absolutely brilliant at channeling their emotions in what went on to be their career-defining roles. As the symptoms threaten Tusker more frequently, they rekindle the spirit of first love against England’s haunting landscapes. Because after all, in sickness and in health, love, joy, and memories are what truly last, lingering in our hearts and providing solace.
12 Happiest Season (2020)
A refreshing holiday romance that unwraps several gifts through its LGBTQ+ representation, Happiest Season is the story of Abby, a lesbian, who is immensely content in her relationship with her girlfriend, Harper. So much so that she’s decided to seal the deal by proposing to her in front of Harper’s family members when they plan to visit them on the holidays.
What Abby does not expect, however, is that Harper isn’t out to her traditional family. A series of misunderstandings and hilarious fails lead to self-discovery and celebration of love. Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis play the two women in this modern queer classic, which remains warm, witty, and wise throughout its runtime.
11 Free Fall (2013)
Closeted gays finally finding their person and leaving behind their false lives is a trope we simply cannot resist. In Free Fall, two German police officers provide a window into rarely-seen queer lives. Our main character is Marc Borgmann, a soon-to-be-father existing normally with his girlfriend. But he shares a history with Kay Engel, who used to be his roommate at the academy. They got off on the wrong foot but eventually became friends after going on jogs together and ending up in the same police force.
As they navigate new attractions, they are thrown into chaos caused by everyone they know. Directed by Stephan Lacant, the movie does have a painful ending, but the passion and pacing shared by the two lovers sure makes up for it.
10 Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Rami Malek’s Oscar-winning performance drove 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which told the story of one of the greatest rock icons of all time. Freddie Mercury’s meteoric rise to fame is tempered by his deeply moving journey as he grappled with the truth of his sexuality.
The rock star shone like a light and lent his voice to help fight the AIDS pandemic which included an unforgettable contribution to Live Aid. Freddie Mercury’s story features classic tunes from Queen as well. Viewers will cheer and cry watching Freddie Mercury overcome a number of challenges in the Oscar-winning Best Picture of that year.
9 Jagged Mind (2023)
Jagged Mind is brand new on Hulu and has been hailed as an extremely erotic thriller, which is made very clear from the very first scene of the film. Billie (Maisie Richardson-Sellers) apparently has a bad habit of hooking up with her ex-girlfriend and letting herself go in nightly social encounters.
But she’s also suffering from déjà vu and symptoms of early-onset dementia. She finally meets a new girl who seems ready to walk her through these tough times. However, as their relationship grows, the blackouts start getting worse. Jagged Mind puts the eroticism back in erotic thrillers and effectively walks the line between films like Basic Instinct and Memento.
8 Swan Song (2021)
Not to be confused with the Sci-Fi film starring Mahershala Ali, this Swan Song is about a former hairdresser whose increasingly dull life in a retirement home is interrupted when one of his old clients dies. His dreams of a fabulous return are made possible when that client bequeaths him a tidy sum in exchange for doing her hair at the funeral.
Suddenly, Pat Pitsenbarger is back, and the “Liberace of Sandusky” sets out to peacock his way across town and remind the world that he once ruled the runway Udo Kier stars in this heartfelt and glamorous film, giving a performance worthy of remembrance.
7 Crush (2022)
Crush is a charming little story of a gay girl growing up and dealing with her first crush in high school. It’s a wonderful alternative to the typical heterosexual teen love stories fans often see in a high school setting. Rowan Blanchard plays Paige Evans, a girl with a classic crush on the prettiest girl in school.
One day she stumbles backward into trying out for the Track team to get closer to her. Paige and her queer friends are soon off on a journey to spark love. Director Sammi Cohen tells a bright, cheerful, and funny story about one girl’s gay high school crush that is sure to appeal to fans of all ages.
6 The World to Come (2021)
An intense and dramatic period romance, The World to Come depicts a flowering love between two women in a wrathful and isolated world. Based on Jim Shepard’s novel of the same name, The World to Come won the Queer Lion award when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2020.
The 19th-century American drama follows two heterosexual couples living isolated on the frontier. While the husbands do the ranching, everything changes when Abigail (Katherine Waterston) meets her distant and sympathetic neighbor, Tallie (Vanessa Kirby). They explored a forbidden romance while isolated by both the location and their significant others.
5 Benedetta (2021)
Paul Verhoeven, director of Basic Instinct, brought fans the striking film Benedetta in 2021.In 17th-century Italy, a nun who has been in the convent her entire life begins to have religious visions while embroiled in a lesbian love affair.
Benedetta’s visions are widely accepted as miraculous signs from God, but some within the church believe they are heretical. Her affair is used against her, and the church threatens to crumble around her. In this bracing and transgressive religious thriller, the violence of Benedetta’s visions is matched only by the heat of her throes of passion.
4 Fire Island (2022)
This beautiful story of fun and freedom follows five friends on a journey as they escape to the titular Fire Island for an annual trip. They rented a house on the South shore of Long Island, which was famous for its gay communities and party scene. Soon, a drama somewhat akin to Pride and Prejudice begins to unfold, except with gay underwear parties and illicit drugs.
Joel Kim Booster wrote and starred in this lovable romantic comedy. Margaret Cho also makes an appearance as the excitable housemother Erin, and Bowen Yang of Saturday Night Live takes center stage as Howie. This beautiful celebration of gay culture is a fun ride that also explores themes of wealth disparity, gentrification, and self-confidence.
3 The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018)
2018’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post follows the title character as she’s forced to attend a “pray away the gay” camp by her conservative guardians. In the midst of this group of adults trying to convert these teenagers into heterosexuality, Cameron makes friends with two other camp attendees. They have to decide to either remain in the camp or run away to live on the street.
Chloë Grace Moretz’s performance as Cameron is remarkable, and Sasha Lane and Forrest Goodluck shine as Cameron’s camp friends. The Miseducation of Cameron Post won 2018’s Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, the film festival’s highest honor. Based on Emily M. Danforth’s novel, this film premiered to wide acclaim and shed light on a public discussion about gay conversion therapy and child abuse in families with homosexual teens.
2 Tell It to the Bees (2018)
The director of 1994’s Super Mario Bros. movie and Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future surprised fans with her latest film. 2018’s Tell It to the Bees is a romantic drama based on Fiona Shaw’s moving novel. Set in 1950s rural Scotland, Lydia’s failing marriage has her living alone with her young son Charlie. Soon, they’re evicted for an inability to pay the bills.
Thankfully Charlie established a connection to the town’s new doctor Jean through a fascination with her bee colonies, and the two found a place to stay. Jean and Lydia’s developing romance is soon by Charlie and the rest of the town. While Charlie only shared the secret with the bees, the whole town ostracized and publicly humiliated the loving couple in the heartwrenching film.
1 Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Widely accepted as one of the greatest romantic movies of this century, Portrait of a Lady on Fire moves the observer in the subtle yet passionate waltz between Héloïse and her portrait artist Marianne. Marianne has been hired to paint a wedding portrait for this noble-born woman, who will be married off to a suitor in Italy if the portrait is acceptable. But Héloïse is known to be chaotic. and she forced the last artist to quit from exhaustion. So, Marianne must accompany Héloïse by day to observe her and then paint her by night, without her knowing.
The film questions the nature of desire, notes the qualities of the female gaze, and points out that only by observing are you drawn deeply into an experience. Writer and director Céline Sciamma has been lauded time and again for her cinematic accomplishment, and the film has won numerous awards in festivals around the world. No queer cinephile would call their lives complete without seeing Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
