Looking for a great movie with LGBTQ themes to watch? There are plenty of options on Netflix, from romantic flicks and those that will make you cry to heartwarming yet intense documentaries and more.
You can’t go wrong with any of the options on this list, many of which feature LGBTQ characters and storylines front and center.
When you’re done going through this list, check out the best LGBTQ films to stream right now on multiple services, the 20 best new movies to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and HBO, and the best Netflix original series you can stream right now.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Based on the 1999 novel of the same name by Stephen Chbosky, this coming-of-age film follows the story of Charlie, a young man dealing with depression and anxiety. He writes frequent letters to a friend talking about his high school life, including that time he saw the high school quarterback and a popular student kissing, and their desperate pleas for him to keep it under wraps. There’s more to the overall story, too, including Charlie’s inability to accept and deal with his own troubled past that he has been repressing for many years.
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Genre: Drama, Romance
Stars: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Joan Cusack, Paul Rudd, Mae Whitman
Director: Stephen Chbosky
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 103 minutes
Moonlight (2016)
Follow the journey of a young Black man through different periods in his life — from being a young boy through becoming a grown man — as he tries to come to terms with his sexuality. Based on the unpublished semi-autobiographic play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the film earned Mahershala Ali an Academy Award for his supporting role, along with several other nominations and wins. It’s an eye-opening look at the physical and emotional abuse that LGBTQ people often go through on their journey to, and even after, discovering their identities.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Genre: Drama
Stars: Trevante Rhodes, Andre Holland, Janelle Monae, Jharrel Jerome, Mahershala Ali
Director: Barry Jenkins
Rating: R
Runtime: 111 minutes
Chasing Amy (1997)
Ben Affleck is a comic book artist who falls madly in love with a woman in the same line of work. There’s just one issue: She’s a lesbian. He wants to be just friends, but it’s difficult given the intense physical attraction and emotional feelings he has for her. Meanwhile, she must deal with the confusion surrounding her deep affection for him. This movie puts an interesting twist on the typical rom-com.
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Stars: Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Lee, Dwight Ewell, Jason Mewes
Director: Kevin Smith
Rating: R
Runtime: 114 minutes
Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Both Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto delivered mesmerizing and award-winning performances in this biographical drama set in the ’80s, a time when there was a lot of stigma around HIV/AIDs and proper treatment had not yet been discovered. McConaughey brilliantly plays Ron Woodroof, a man struggling with the disease who decides to smuggle drugs into Texas to help others who are also suffering. It’s Leto, however, who steals every scene as Rayon, an HIV-positive transgender woman with a serious drug addiction. It’s a must-watch film that will tug at your heartstrings.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner
Director: Jean-Marc Vallee
Rating: R
Runtime: 117 minutes
The Danish Girl (2015)
Loosely inspired by the real story of Danish painters Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener, and based on the novel of the same name by David Ebershoff, The Danish Girl is an intriguing look at Elbe’s journey as one of the first known recipients of sex reassignment surgery. While the historical accuracy of the time (the mid-1920s) left some unimpressed, along with the casting of the cisgender Eddie Redmayne in a transgender role, the performances by the lead stars catapulted the touching film to Academy Award status.
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Ben Whishaw, Sebastian Koch, Amber Heard, Matthias Schoenaerts
Director: Tom Hooper
Rating: R
Runtime: 119 minutes
Girl (2018)
The story was inspired by Nora Monsecour, a trans female dancer who director Lukas Dhont met when he was a teenager. In the film, Lara (Victor Polster) is a 15-year-old trans girl, just like Monsecour, who aspires to be a professional ballerina. While she has support from some important people in her life as she deals with her gender dysphoria, attending a new school and going through puberty presents its own set of challenges. While the film received some criticism for portrayals of gender dysphoria and self-harm, Monsecour, who provided insight for the film, spoke out in support of it.
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Genre: Drama
Stars: Victor Polster, Arieh Worthalter, Katelijine Damen, Valentijin Dhaenens
Director: Lukas Dhont
Rating: R
Runtime: 106 minutes
Tallulah (2016)
Get ready to laugh with this film about Tallulah (Ellen Page), a young woman who ends up caring for a toddler whose mother, Carolyn (Tammy Blanchard), has no interest in raising. With nowhere else to go, Tallulah shacks up with her ex’s mother, Margo (the fantastic Allison Janney), and pretends the child is hers, and thus Margo’s granddaughter. The two women form an unlikely bond, revealing painful secrets as Tallulah tries to hide from both Carolyn and the police.
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Stars: Ellen Page, Allison Janney, Tammy Blanchard
Director: Sian Heder
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 111 minutes
A Secret Love (2020)
The newest film on this list, this documentary is already receiving tremendous praise after being released in April 2020. Produced by Glee and American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy, A Secret Love tells the story of a pair of All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players who kept their romantic partnership a secret for almost seven decades. Based on the true story of director Chris Bolan’s two aunts, the tremendous sacrifice and weight the two women held on their shoulders for three-quarters of a century will both warm your heart for their intense dedication to one another and make you angry that they felt that couldn’t be freely and openly in love.
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Genre: Documentary
Stars: Terry Donahue, Diana Bolen, Pat Henschel
Director: Chris Bolan
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 83 minutes
I Am Divine (2013)
Harris Glenn Milstead, best known by his stage name Divine, was an actor, singer, and drag performer. He was considered a trailblazer and was the muse of filmmaker John Waters, who cast him in many of his movies. Divine, who has become a cult figure among the LGBTQ community and was dubbed by People magazine as the Drag Queen of the Century in 1988, sadly passed away that same year at the age of 42. His bright and colorful persona has become the inspiration for many other characters, songs, and art. The film includes interviews with a number of people close to Divine, including Waters and the surviving members of the Dreamlanders, a group of regular performers who Waters used in his films.
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Genre: Documentary
Stars: Divine, John Waters, Tab Hunter, Ricki Lake, Mink Stole, and more
Director: Jeffrey Schwartz
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 90 minutes
Lez Bomb (2018)
A young woman decides she will reveal her sexuality to her family at Thanksgiving and brings her girlfriend home with her. A curveball is thrown when her male roommate shows up, confusing the situation. The movie’s silly name references the idea that she is about to drop the “lez bomb” on her family. Despite mixed reviews on many aggregator sites, it might just be the perfect escape film to get you laughing at how ridiculous it is. Keep this one banked for holiday season viewing.
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Stars: Jenna Laurenzo, Caitlin Mehner, Brandon Micheal Hall, Steve Guttenberg, Elaine Hendrix, Deirdre O’Connell, Rob Moran, Davram Stiefler, Bruce Dern, Kevin Pollack, Cloris Leachman
Director: Jenna Laurenzo
Rating: TV-14
Runtime: 90 minutes
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