Sometimes, movie night can be an evening of cultural immersion or representation. Especially now that streaming services like Amazon Prime Video have prioritized building out their collections of LGBTQ+ content. Amazon has one of the best collections of LGBTQ+ movies, so if you’re looking to expand your horizons or watch a movie that feels more representative of you and your life, you’ve got some great options. We’ve gone ahead and curated a list of the best LGBTQ movies on Amazon Prime Video right now.
When you’re done going through this list, check out the best LGBTQ movies on Netflix, as well as the best LGBTQ films to stream right now on multiple services.
Recently added to Amazon Prime Video
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Big Eden2000
118m
Genre
Drama, Romance
Stars
Miranda Otto, Glória Pires, Tracy Middendorf
Directed by
Bruno Barreto
Set in Brazil in the 1950s and based on a true story, Reaching for the Moon follows Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Elizabeth Bishop (Miranda Otto) as she travels to Rio de Janeiro to visit her friend Mary (Tracy Middendorf). There, she meets Mary’s partner, architect Lota de Macedo Soares (Glória Pires), who is the opposite of Elizabeth. Dashing, sensual, and spontaneous, Lota makes Elizabeth jealous — a feeling that becomes more confusing when Lota becomes determined to have a relationship with both Mary and Elizabeth.
117m
Genre
Drama, Romance
Stars
Arye Gross, Eric Schweig, Tim DeKay
Directed by
Thomas Bezucha
Henry Hart (Arye Gross) is a successful but lonely gay artist living in New York City. When his grandfather has a stroke, Henry decides to put his career on hold and return to Big Eden, Montana, the town where he grew up many years ago. There, Henry strikes up a surprising romance with his high school best friend, Dean (Tim DeKay). Henry’s even more surprised, though, when he discovers that Pike (Eric Schweig), a quiet Native American man who owns the local general store might also have a crush on him.
106m
Genre
Romance
Stars
Darryl Stephens, Scott Bailey, Richard Lawson
Directed by
Doug Spearman
Pete Logsdon (Darryl Stephens) is an ordinary guy in Philadelphia with an odd penchant for becoming romantically involved with married men. His supportive parents are on him to find a nice single person to settle down with, but Pete soon meets Jack (Scott Bailey) and becomes smitten. Unfortunately, Jack has been happily married to a woman for 15 years and has two beautiful children to boot.
93m
Genre
Drama, Adventure
Stars
Mark Wahlberg, Reid Miller, Connie Britton
Directed by
Reinaldo Marcus Green
One of Amazon’s few LGBTQ+ entries from other studios, Joe Bell stars Mark Wahlberg as the titular character in this drama written by the same team behind Brokeback Mountain. When his gay teenage son is tormented relentlessly at his Oregon high school, Joe Bell decides to pay tribute to his son by embarking on a walk across the American heartland to explain the real, terrifying consequences of bullying.
104m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen
Directed by
Sam Blair
Steven Gerrard’s sexuality isn’t at the epicenter of this compelling documentary of the soccer star’s life, which is exactly what makes it so enjoyable. Gerrard is perhaps the greatest openly gay athlete ever but this doc is more about how Gerrard began his career with legendary Liverpool F.C. at just 8 years old, only to arrive at the top team as it was descending into irrelevance. Gerrard’s arrival soon spurs a triumphant reign in which Liverpool capture two FA Cups, three League Cups, a UEFA Cup, an FA Community Shield, a UEFA Super Cup, and a UEFA Champions League.
96m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Pete Buttigieg, Chasten Buttigieg, Mike Schmuhl
Directed by
Jesse Moss
Pete Buttigieg took a shot at the presidency. He didn’t win the nomination that ultimately went to Joe Biden, but he did become the most prominent member of the LGBTQ community to run for president and is now the first openly LGBTQ Cabinet member in United States history. The documentary charts Buttigieg’s recent career successes, from serving as the mayor of South Bend to winning the Iowa caucus, up to his appointment as the country’s Transportation Secretary. The documentary also provides insight into his personal life with husband Chasten, although more depth could’ve been provided to that aspect of Buttigieg’s life. Nevertheless, the documentary resonates and provides a symbol for the LGBTQ community that those who don’t identify as heterosexual or cisgender still belong in the pantheons of power.
60m
Genre
Documentary
Directed by
Christopher Hines
An issue not discussed often enough is how gender and sexuality can play into life in prison, where inmates and the system can be even less sympathetic than the outside world. This documentary explores the issue through the eyes of Latrice Royale, a former star of RuPaul’s Drag Race, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison after a probation violation linked to felony possession of marijuana and Klonopin. The documentary shows that the difficulties faced by gay prisoners include violence and discrimination, making stints in jail even more dangerous than they already are. Still, there is hope for the men pictured in the movie to get their lives back on track after they get out.
91m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Patricia Bell-Scott, Dolores Chandler, Brittney Cooper
Directed by
Julie Cohen, Betsy West
Julie Cohen and Betsy West weren’t looking to find an unsung hero of the civil rights struggle when they first came upon Pauli Murray’s name. Instead, they were delving into the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for the 2018 documentary RBG, and the name of this relatively unknown lawyer and activist kept popping up as one of Ginsburg’s biggest influences. As early as the 1940s, Pauli Murray was fighting for women’s rights and ultimately proved instrumental in adding the Equal Protection Clause to the 14th Amendment. Through archival footage and the extensive recordings Murray left behind when she passed away in 1985, My Name Is Pauli Murray paints an intimate portrait not only of an influential activist whose name has gone unspoken on too many tongues for too long but someone with a surprisingly contemporary understanding of gender that many today are still struggling to wrap their heads around.
115m
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Stars
Max Harwood, Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel
Directed by
Jonathan Butterell
Jamie Campbell came out as the drag queen Fifi at a high school prom. The BBC reported on his story with the 2011 documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16, which inspired the stage musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Four years after the premiere of the musical, the story was adapted to film with Max Harwood in the eponymous role. Jamie, a lot of critics will tell you, does not break new ground. The film is a story we’ve heard before and are likely to hear again. Regardless, it proves to be a fun and heartwarming musical, with Harwood’s inherent magnetism making up for any narrative shortcomings.
80m
Genre
Comedy, Romance, Drama
Stars
Majd Mardo, Josha Stradowski, Jenny Arean
Directed by
Annemarie van de Mond
Joris’ father died almost a decade ago, and while continuing to try and come to terms with the loss, a young Syrian refugee named Yad arrives in his life, working for his grandmother. Despite Joris’ conservative upbringing, he can’t deny the spark that exists between him and Yad, who quickly realizes that they aren’t “just friends” but share a much deeper — and romantic — bond. The hidden gem Dutch romantic comedy is part coming-of-age and part story of love that must defy the odds, familial pressures, and coming to terms with one’s true self.
95m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Paul Bettany, Sophia Lillis, Peter Macdissi
Directed by
Alan Ball
In Amazon Prime’s original film Uncle Frank, Paul Bettany plays Frank Bledsoe — a man about to learn that the secrets we keep from our families can be both more and less important than we ever imagined. Set in the early ’70s, Uncle Frank finds its titular lead living with his lover, Walid (Peter Macdissi). Frank’s pretty sure no one in his South Carolinian family knows he’s gay, but that changes when his young niece, Beth (Sophia Lillis), pays him a surprise visit in New York and discovers her uncle’s true life. Matters are further complicated when news of the death of the family patriarch arrives. Frank and Beth set out on their own to South Carolina for the services, leaving Walid behind because Frank doesn’t want the rest of his family to discover his secret. Walid follows anyway, and the trio has a touching, funny journey to the funeral, where some shocking surprises await them.
122m
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Stars
Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West
Directed by
Matthew Warchus
This historical comedy-drama is based on the true story of a group of lesbian and gay activists who banded together to raise money for families impacted by the British miners strike of 1984. The event eventually became known as the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners campaign. While the help was initially unwelcome, the group addressed the homophobia head on to dispel myths and preconceived notions, finding unlikely allies in the small-town miners and their families. Nominated for a Golden Globe, the film has been universally praised and referred to as a “joyous crowd-pleaser.”
91m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Angelo Mutti Spinetta, Lautaro Rodríguez, Guillermo Pfening
Directed by
Martín Deus
Also known as Mi mejor amigo, this Spanish-language Argentinian film is a coming-of-age movie about Lorenzo, a 16-year-old boy in Patagonia discovering his sexuality, with the help and friendship of Caito, a 17-year-old who has been taken in by Lorenzo’s parents. The film beautifully presents the idea of a young man struggling to understand his feelings and attractions as well as his emotional connections with others. It has been praised for its subtleties and believable performances about two young men simply trying to find themselves.
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