Bottoms (2022)
The surprise comedy hit of 2022, Bottoms, is about two gay teenage outcasts who start a fight club hoping to get closer to the popular girls they have crushes on. And it works. The movie is bold, bloody, a little romantic, and a lot hilarious thanks to stars Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri.
2Rafiki (2018)
Rafiki is a rare film that combines the joy and dire political realities of being queer in a space where being gay is, essentially, illegal. The film takes place in Kenya—where it has been banned for its same-sex romance—and follows two young women who start a secret relationship threatened by their families, neighbors, and the local police.
3My First Summer (2020)
Two teenage girls share a first love in My First Summer. Claudia (Markella Kavenaugh) has grown up isolated with her mother, but when her mother kills herself, she’s left on her own. That is until Grace (Maiah Stewardson), a teenage girl who saw Claudia’s mother drown, befriends her. As Claudia’s world begins to expand, and soon the two are inseparable. But, with the police still investigating the death of Claudia’s mother, it’s only a matter of time before things go a bit sideways.
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4The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love (1995)
The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love puts a spin on the classic “wrong side of the tracks” forbidden love story by making it about two young girls: Randy (Laurel Holloman), a 17-year-old tomboy who works as a cashier at a gas station and hooks up with a married woman, and Evie (Nicole Ari Parker), a well off classmate with a boyfriend.
5Tár (2022)
This high-brow comedy about a self-described U-Haul lesbian is perfect for those who support women's rights and women's wrongs.
6Heavenly Creatures (1994)
I know you're obsessed with Melanie Lynskey on Yellowjackets and The Last of Us (and on Twitter TBH), so you must check out this quintessential queer film. You just might have to buy a DVD or check out your local library to do so, because for some reason the Peter Jackson movie is not streaming.
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7Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017)
This underrated gem is about the man who created the comic book superhero Wonder Woman, his wife, and their girlfriend. I cannot stress enough that this is based on a true story. You owe it to yourself to watch this charming and occasionally very kinky movie about a real, historical throuple.
8Do Revenge (2022)
Maya Hawke as a devious teen hell-bent on getting revenge on her childhood bullies? It's like Stranger Things (because she's also gay on Stranger Things) meets Cruel Intentions. Maya's character has her own love interest and journey, but if you prefer the LUST between her and Camila Mendes' character I won't judge. Their chemistry is A++
9D.E.B.S. (2004)
This movie just kind of goes there in a way you would never expect a movie from the '00s to go. Seriously, you think it's going to be a Bend it Like Beckham situation where the girlies are obviously gay and into each other but there's a male love interest for some reason, but nope! This one is just actually gay.
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10Princess Cyd (2017)
If you've seen one coming-of-age movie about a girl spending the summer in a new place you've seen them all... except you haven't, because there are lesbians in this one. Cyd has relationships with a girl and a boy over the summer, and meets some of her aunt's queer female friends.
11Wine Country (2019)
Amy Poehler's delightful comedy about a group of friends in their 40s and 50s stars her IRL friends in their 40s and 50s. That includes Paula Pell, an openly gay comedian and former Saturday Night Live writer, whose character wants to find love on the girl's weekend. That's definitely not a recipe for shenanigans or anything.
12Pride (2014)
The lesbian characters in this movie are side characters, this is primarily a story about gay men. I warned you! But Pride has been on my mind recently, and I can't turn down the opportunity to recommend this heartwarming true story of solidarity between gay rights activists and coal miners on strike in the '80s.
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13Lovesong (2016)
Jena Malone and Riley Keough star in this road trip romance. That's kind of all I need to hear TBQH. Written and directed by Korean American filmmaker So Yong Kim, Lovesong is an angsty, almost kind of epic story with ups and downs that will hit you right in the feels.
14Notes on a Scandal (2006)
There are many ways in which this movie could be deemed problematic. Judi Dench's character Barbara is obsessive, predatory, sexually repressed, and strongly implied to be a lesbian in a judgmental way. However, if you go into it knowing that and knowing that in the years since the film's release the way queer women are represented on screen has become much more diverse... why not? She's just one lonely lesbian in a cinematic sea. This gay Fatal Attraction and could be a cringe-y in a fun way watch.
15The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018)
This one can be tough to watch! It's about gay conversion therapy and, unlike But I'm A Cheerleader, is not a comedy! Check it out if you love the cast, which includes Chloë Grace Moretz, Emily Skeggs, Jennifer Ehle, John Gallagher Jr., and Sasha Lane. Or if you need an outlet for your anger about how emotionally abusive homophobia can be, especially on young people.
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16Chasing Amy (1997)
Before Jay and Silent Bob were the heroes of their own films, the characters played by Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes popped up in Smith's films as side characters. That includes Chasing Amy, a romantic comedy about a queer women's complicated relationship with a man.
17Persona (1966)
This one gets weird, but it's a classic! Ingmar Bergman is for like... cinephiles.
18Desert Hearts (1985)
You might get A League of Their Own vibes from this romance, since it's set in the mid-20th century and shows what the queer community looked like back then rather than just lonely and isolated lovers. What I also really like about this pick is that it was directed by a woman at a time when you don't hear about a ton of female directors.
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19Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Let's get the candlelight lesbians out of the way with the best example of that random trope. This gorgeous film has a sad ending—but thankfully not a tragic one. It's like... a wistful Taylor Swift's folklore-kind of melancholy.
20The Children's Hour (1961)
The '60s adaptation of the stage play does not have a happy ending, kicking off an unfortunate pattern long before the phrase "kill your gays" entered the conversation. But if film history, and how it pertains to LGBTQ+ history, interests you then it's a worthwhile watch.
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